Coffee Drink
Mofawar: Yemeni Cardamom Coffee with Cream
Mofawar is Yemeni coffee with cardamom and cream, also written Mufawar or Mufawaar on menus. Its creamy appearance can resemble milk tea, but its base is coffee. This guide uses a named coffee blend and a measured cream portion for a two-serving home version.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- About 80 mg (reference)Generic brewed coffee at the defined serving massNot measured caffeine for this blend or stovetop recipe.
- Calories
- About 55 kcalWeighed heavy cream and generic brewed coffeeMost calories come from the cream. Café cream portions and sweeteners vary.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- 200 g prepared cardamom coffee + 15 g heavy cream; no sweetener
- Made with
- Cardamom coffee + unsweetened heavy cream
- Sugar
- About 0.4 g total. Naturally occurring sugar in the cream; no sweetener added.
- Preparation
- About 8 minutes; heating time varies
Qahwah House provides the coffee-blend instructions; USDA brewed-coffee and heavy-cream records support the defined serving estimate. Checked 26 September 2026. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- 1Brew 2 tbsp Qahwah House Sana’ani blend with 473 ml water, then measure 400 g prepared coffee. Add 30 g heavy cream and divide into two servings.
- 2Each unsweetened serving contains 200 g coffee and 15 g cream: about 55 kcal, 0.4 g total sugar and 80 mg reference caffeine.
- 3Cream, whole milk, evaporated milk and condensed milk are different ingredients. The main recipe uses unsweetened liquid heavy cream, not a whipped topping.
On This Page8 Sections
Mofawar Home Recipe
Makes two servings in about 8 minutes. Use a saucepan with enough headroom for the coffee to rise. The coffee blend already contains cardamom; no espresso machine or milk frother is needed.
Ingredients
- 2 level tbsp Qahwah House Sana’ani coffee blend, using a 15 ml measuring tablespoon
- 473 ml water, plus hot water only if needed after decanting
- 30 g unsweetened liquid heavy whipping cream
You also need a ml measure, scale, spoon, heatproof jug and two cups. The tablespoon dose is specific to this named blend. We retain the manufacturer's spoon measure instead of inventing a grams-per-tablespoon conversion for finely ground coffee.
Method
- Warm 473 ml water in a saucepan with room for the coffee to rise. Stir in the 2 tbsp Sana’ani coffee blend.
- Continue heating and stirring until the first boil. Let it boil briefly for about 10 seconds, then remove from the heat.
- Rest undisturbed for 2 minutes. Slowly decant into a heatproof jug, leaving sediment behind.
- Measure 400 g prepared coffee; if short, add only enough hot water to reach 400 g. Stir in 30 g heavy cream.
- Divide evenly into two cups, about 215 g each. Serve without added sweetener.
Qahwah House's Sana’ani blend instructions specify two tablespoons with 16 US fluid ounces of water and a brief boil. Our 473 ml water measure is that input rounded to the nearest milliliter. The settling time, 400 g decanted portion, cream amount and division into two are our home adaptation, not the café's disclosed recipe.
Water remains in the grounds and some evaporates. Therefore 400 g is the amount to measure after decanting, not a promised extraction yield from 473 ml. Top up only if short; if there is extra coffee, reserve it separately. Adding cream to the measured coffee keeps the two finished portions consistent.
For help handling a fine-ground stovetop brew, see the Turkish coffee brewing guide. Use its equipment and sediment guidance alongside the method above; its coffee ratio and heating sequence describe a different preparation.
What Makes Mofawar Different?
The useful distinction is cardamom coffee with cream. Qahwah House describes adding cream to its Sana’ani coffee to make Mofawar. Qamaria's Mufawaar menu entry independently describes medium-roast coffee, cardamom and cream. Spellings differ, and the name does not prescribe one universal cup size.
The same Qamaria menu distinguishes Adeni tea, made with black tea, from Mufawaar. It also lists Qishr/cascara preparations using coffee-cherry husk. Similar spices or a tan color do not make those drinks the same coffee. This recipe uses roasted coffee, not tea leaves or husks.
A latte is another coffee-and-dairy drink, but espresso and steamed milk are its starting point. Mofawar's cardamom coffee and added cream deserve their own preparation rather than a renamed latte recipe.
What Does Mofawar Taste Like?
Expect roasted coffee flavor with cardamom aroma and the richness of the added dairy. Sweetness depends on whether sugar or another sweetener is added; the cream-based home recipe here is unsweetened. Those ingredient-based expectations are not a claim that every café's blend tastes identical or that this recipe has been taste-tested.
Which Cream or Milk Should You Use?
For this recipe, choose unsweetened liquid heavy whipping cream and weigh 30 g for the batch. Do not whip it. The aim is an integrated creamy coffee, without a separate topping or a milk-foam cap.
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| Ingredient | What changes | How to use the information |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy whipping cream | Richness from a small portion | The named dairy type used in this recipe and calculation |
| Whole milk | A lighter result at the same weight | A variation; use its own label rather than the cream estimate |
| Unsweetened evaporated milk | A concentrated milk flavor and different composition | Confirm the exact product and follow a recipe written for it |
| Sweetened condensed milk | Adds substantial sweetness as well as dairy | Not an equal-purpose substitute for unsweetened cream |
| Plant-based cream alternative | Flavor, texture and fat content vary widely | Check suitability for hot coffee, ingredients and nutrition |
The primary café descriptions support cream, but they do not disclose an exact brand or fat percentage. We specify heavy cream so that the home recipe is reproducible; this does not establish that every Yemeni household or café uses it. If recreating a particular café drink, ask which dairy and sweetener it uses.
This version contains milk. A dairy-free adaptation requires checking the replacement and any prepared coffee blend, as well as recalculating the serving. Color alone cannot identify the dairy type or its quantity.
Adjust the Cup Without Losing the Coffee
Let the grounds settle before adding the cream: once everything is stirred together, it is harder to leave the sediment behind cleanly. Add the cream after taking the coffee off the heat rather than boiling the dairy with it.
| What you notice | What to change next time |
|---|---|
| Grit in the last sip | Rest and decant gently; stop before the heavy sediment reaches the jug |
| Too rich | Try 20 g cream for the two-serving batch, keeping the measured coffee fixed |
| Cardamom overwhelms the cup | Choose a different blend or its recommended dose; the recipe adds no extra cardamom |
| Weak coffee | Check the measuring spoon and blend directions before increasing cream or sweetener |
| Brew boils over | Use more saucepan headroom, gentler heat and stay beside the pan |
The cream adjustment has a straightforward effect on the estimate: 20 g cream per batch gives about 35 kcal per serving, compared with about 55 kcal at 30 g. It does not change the generic coffee caffeine reference when the coffee portions remain the same.
Mofawar Caffeine, Calories and Sugar
One defined serving contains 200 g prepared coffee and 15 g heavy cream: about 55 kcal, 0.4 g total sugar and 80 mg reference caffeine, without added sweetener. This is a calculation for our home version, not published nutrition for a café cup.
Serving calculation and source assumptions
USDA brewed coffee, NDB 14209, lists 1 kcal, 0 g sugar and 40 mg caffeine per 100 g. Our measured 400 g batch portion therefore supplies a reference 4 kcal and 160 mg caffeine. This generic coffee record does not measure the caffeine extracted from the named cardamom blend; coffee composition, extraction and any top-up can change the actual result.
USDA heavy whipping cream, NDB 01053, lists 340 kcal and 2.92 g total sugar per 100 g. The 30 g cream adds 102 kcal and 0.876 g sugar. The batch total is 106 kcal and 0.876 g sugar, or 53 kcal and 0.438 g sugar per serving, rounded to about 55 kcal and 0.4 g. Reference caffeine is 80 mg per serving.
The calculation does not separately quantify cardamom extracted from the proprietary blend, whose spice proportion is not disclosed. It excludes added sugar, honey or other toppings. At 20 g cream per batch, the same method gives 72 kcal total, or 36 kcal per serving, rounded to about 35 kcal. Use your cream's label if it differs from this generic record.
Common Questions
Is Mofawar coffee or tea?
Does Mofawar have to contain evaporated milk?
Can I make Mofawar with plain coffee and cardamom?
Is there an iced Mofawar?
Does the light color mean low caffeine?
Editor's Take
Sources and Further Reading
4 references
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