Mud Coffee?

After my long flight to Israel I had a very short sleep and ended up waking up at four in the morning. My father and I quietly entered the kitchen. While my father was familiar with the different kinds of items in this kitchen, some things were very different than what I am used to in America. My dad asked me if I wanted coffee, given that I only slept three hours I was very pleased to sit down and have some even though I do not normally drink coffee. He boiled the water in an electric kettle, and in a small pot he mixed the grounded coffee with the boiling water. I did not watch the next steps because I did not think that coffee could be very different, but in fact it was. When I took a sip of the coffee, I felt every grain of coffee go down my throat. I immediately looked at my dad with confusion and asked why he did not use a filter. He told me that this is how they drink coffee and said, “Kafe Botz.'' In English that translates to “Mud Coffee.” I laughed because I knew that only Israel would have this unique type of coffee.

This is what many stores sell there Coffee in!

Mud Coffee is unique to Israel because of the use of cardamom spice in the blend, its grainy texture and its strong and bitter finish. The people in the Middle East are very fond of this coffee because of its distinct flavor, and many people call it “Jewish Coffee” or “Israeli-Turkish Coffee.” This coffee is very easy to prepare, especially when on-the-go. Because everyone in Israel is required to join the army, Kafe Botz is easily enjoyed by the soldiers… maybe this is where everyone develops their palate for it. As for me, let’s just say it was not my cup of…coffee.