Have you ever heard anyone mentioning the aromatic coffee that used to be brewed locally back in the day?
Some people highlight the smell or taste of aniseed and cloves in it and probably also mention that it used to be prepared by their mother, an aunt or grandma!
Of course, coffee is not grown in Malta. It was originally cultivated in Southern Arabia and is now grown in over 70 countries, primarily in the equatorial regions of the Americas, Southeast Asia, India and Africa. Having said that, over the years we have still developed our own traditional blend which is a mixture of imported Arabica and Robusta coffee beans, infused with roasted chicory, ground cloves and ground aniseed.
This is not your regular 'instant' coffee mix either! There is a whole process of brewing that needs to take place in order to savour those lovely flavours.
The method is quite simple, and you may vary the amount of coffee used depending on how strong you like your coffee... here's how we do it:
Makes 4 cups:
- Start off with bringing to a boil 2 cups of water. Lower the flame and gently sprinkle 4 tablespoons of 'Merill traditional ground coffee mix' over the water. Do not stir.
- After approximately 3 mins stir and brew for another 5 mins. Avoid bringing it to a boil.
- Add another 2 cups of water and stir. Keep on stirring every now and again. Allow at least another 5 - 7 minutes of brewing.
- Remove from heat and allow the coffee residue to sink to the bottom or filter it through a fine strainer.
- Enjoy!
If you are keen on sampling some of this coffee you can also join us on our regular Sunday morning tours at the Tan-Nixxiegha Olive Grove where you can get to experience Extra Virgin Olive Oil and other lovely products by our network of farmers and artisans.
