Coffee Drink
Saudi Coffee (Gahwa): Recipe, Caffeine & Serving
Saudi coffee is a family of regional coffee preparations served in small pours. This light-roasted home version uses cardamom, with saffron optional. It is one Saudi style, not a single recipe for every region or household.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- Unmeasured home brewStudy reference: about 25 mg / 50 ml (1.7 US fl oz)The 2024 study reported a mean 49.8 mg per 100 ml using its own preparation.
- Calories
- About 1 kcal reference50 ml (1.7 US fl oz) plain-coffee energy proxyAssumes approximately 50 g liquid and USDA generic black-coffee energy. Dates and sweets are separate accompaniments.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- 50 ml (1.7 US fl oz) plain reference pour; multiple pours add up
- Made with
- Light-roasted coffee + cardamom
- Sugar
- 0 g added. No sugar or milk is added. The generic plain-coffee reference has 0 g total sugar.
- Preparation
- About 25 minutes
Primary context sources and USDA reference records checked 25 September 2026. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- 1Brew with roasted coffee, even for a pale golden cup; raw green beans are not the ingredient in this recipe.
- 2Use 950 ml (32.1 US fl oz) water, 20 g coffee and 6 g (0.21 oz) crushed whole cardamom pods. Measure the coffee collected before portioning.
- 3A published Saudi-coffee study gives about 25 mg caffeine per 50 ml (1.7 US fl oz) as a reference. Count each refill toward the amount you drink.
On This Page11 Sections
Saudi Coffee vs. Arabic and Turkish Coffee
Saudi coffee describes Saudi preparations and serving traditions; Arabic coffee is the broader regional category. The word gahwa is a transliteration of the Arabic word for coffee, rather than a guaranteed ingredient list.
| Name | What to expect in this guide |
|---|---|
| Saudi coffee | A light-roasted, cardamom-led shared pot; other Saudi regional styles differ |
| Arabic coffee | A wider guide to regional coffee preparations and small-cup service |
| Turkish coffee | Very finely ground coffee heated in a cezve, normally served with grounds settling in the cup |
The home recipe below uses roasted coffee, even though the roast is pale. It is simmered and strained; it is not an espresso or a recipe for raw green coffee beans.
Saudi Coffee Recipe
Light Saudi-Style Coffee with Cardamom
One shared pot, about 25 minutes. A saucepan works: use a dallah on the burner only if its manufacturer approves direct heat. A decorative serving pot may not be heat-safe.
Recipe
Saudi Coffee
- Makes:
- 1 shared pot; finished volume varies
- Time:
- About 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 950 ml (32.1 US fl oz) water
- 20 g light-roasted coffee, ground medium-coarse
- 6 g (0.21 oz) whole green cardamom pods, lightly crushed; husks included
- Small pinch of saffron, optional
Equipment
- Heat-safe pot, scale, strainer, server and small cups
Method
- Bring 950 ml (32.1 US fl oz) water to a boil in a heat-safe pot. Add 20 g coffee and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Add 6 g (0.21 oz) crushed whole cardamom pods and optional saffron. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Rest for 2 minutes, then strain into a warmed serving pot.
- Pour small portions and offer refills. Measure the poured coffee separately from the cup capacity.
Recipe notes
Whole-pod weight includes husks; do not substitute 6 g ground seeds.
Serve in small pours; dates and sweets are separate accompaniments.
The 950 ml (32.1 US fl oz) is water put into the pot, not coffee guaranteed to come out. Evaporation and liquid retained by the grounds reduce the yield. If you collect 800 ml (27.1 US fl oz), for example, it provides sixteen 50 ml (1.7 US fl oz) pours.
Saudi Coffee Roasts and Spices
Saudipedia describes regional differences, including golden roasts in central Saudi Arabia, darker northern styles and varied southern spice additions. Cardamom, saffron, cloves, ginger and other aromatics occur in different preparations. The national name refers to the preparation and tradition; it does not require that every bean was grown in Saudi Arabia.
| Ingredient choice | Practical consequence |
|---|---|
| Light-roasted coffee | A starting point for the golden version shown here; pale color does not prove low caffeine |
| Whole cardamom pods | Lightly crush to expose the seeds; the measured 6 g includes the husks |
| Ground cardamom seeds | More concentrated than the same weight of whole pods; do not substitute gram for gram |
| Saffron | Optional small pinch; leave it out initially if you want to judge the coffee and cardamom separately |
| A ready-made Saudi coffee mix | Follow its label; it may already contain spices, so adding the full recipe amount again can overwhelm it |
Flavor and Tasting Notes
Expect a comparatively light-bodied coffee with a clear cardamom aroma in this version. Saffron adds its own aromatic character; it is not the ingredient that turns unroasted beans into coffee.
Dates or sweets can provide a contrast to the unsweetened drink. They are accompaniments, not hidden ingredients in the recipe or its calorie reference.
How to Serve Saudi Coffee
Small pours with something sweet alongside suit the way I like to serve it. I can return to the pot and give the cups attention again, rather than fill one large serving and lose that rhythm.
Leave room to hold each cup comfortably. Let the coffee become drinkable before sipping. Keep the main pot warm without repeatedly boiling it down.
Saudipedia describes service with the dallah in the left hand and cups offered with the right, often giving priority to elders or honored guests. Customs vary; in someone else's home, follow the host's example rather than treating an online description as a compulsory script.
Saudi Coffee Caffeine, Calories and Sugar
The caffeine in this home recipe has not been measured. A 2024 laboratory study reported a mean 49.8 mg per 100 ml for its Saudi coffee samples. Its stated preparation used 20 g coffee in 500 ml water, different from our 950 ml-water recipe. Read the study and preparation method.
| Amount consumed | Caffeine at that study's mean concentration |
|---|---|
| One 50 ml (1.7 US fl oz) pour | About 25 mg |
| Two 50 ml (1.7 US fl oz) pours | About 50 mg |
| Three 50 ml (1.7 US fl oz) pours | About 75 mg |
This is original portion arithmetic: 49.8 × poured ml ÷ 100. A small cup and repeated refills can add up; neither golden color nor cardamom makes coffee caffeine-free.
For energy, the quick facts use about 1 kcal per 50 ml as a plain-coffee proxy: assuming roughly 50 g liquid, USDA FDC 171890 at 1 kcal per 100 g gives 0.5 kcal before rounding. Dissolved spice solids are not quantified, so this is not complete laboratory nutrition for the spiced recipe. There is no added sugar or milk. Dates, sweets or sugar you add count separately.
Saudi Coffee Troubleshooting
| Problem | First adjustment |
|---|---|
| Harsh or bitter coffee | Use a gentler simmer; try a coarser grind or shorter coffee stage next time |
| Cardamom hides the coffee | Reduce the whole pods; check that you did not weigh 6 g of seeds alone |
| Thin flavor | Measure the finished yield before changing the coffee amount; extra spices will not replace coffee strength |
| Grit in the cup | Let the pot rest, strain carefully and avoid shaking the serving pot |
| Coffee gets stronger during service | Keep it warm without boiling; evaporation concentrates the pot |
| Strong saffron flavor | Leave it out or reduce the pinch next batch |
The Arabic coffee brewing guide covers equipment and brewing in more detail.
History and Culture
Saudi coffee is associated with hospitality and social occasions. The Year of Saudi Coffee 2022 highlighted that tradition and its regional variety. Its significance includes how the coffee is offered and shared, not only a list of spices. Saudipedia provides the cultural context used here.
Common Questions
Is Saudi coffee the same as Arabic coffee?
Why is Saudi coffee yellow?
Is saffron necessary?
Can I use raw green coffee beans?
Do I need a dallah?
Is Saudi coffee calorie-free?
Editor's Take
Sources and Further Reading
3 references
External links open in a new tab
Serving references
- Bawazeer and colleagues / Frontiers in NutritionSaudi and Turkish coffee caffeine study, 2024Section 2.4.4: mean Saudi-coffee caffeine 49.8 mg per 100 ml, using 20 g coffee in 500 ml water.(opens in a new tab)
- USDA FoodData CentralPlain brewed coffee, FDC 171890Generic plain-coffee energy and sugar reference: 1 kcal and 0 g sugar per 100 g.(opens in a new tab)