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Qishr
Qishr (قشر): Yemeni spiced coffee-husk drink with ginger
In the highlands around Sana'a and in the coffee towns of Yemen, qishr is the everyday hot drink, brewed from the dried husks of the coffee cherry rather than the bean, with ginger and often cinnamon or cardamom. It is lighter and sweeter than coffee, amber in colour, with a fruity, tea-like taste and a warming bite of ginger, and it is poured all day for guests, after meals and during long afternoon visits. Serve it hot in small glasses or cups, with dates or bint al sahn. Boiling it for too long makes it bitter, so let it simmer briefly and then steep. Chef's tip: grate fresh ginger straight into the pot; it gives a brighter heat than the dried powder.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 litre water
- ⅔ oz dried coffee husks (qishr, cascara)about 4 tbsp
- 2 tsp fresh gingerfinely grated, or 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3 green cardamom pods (optional)lightly crushed
- 3 tbsp sugarto taste
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (1)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Bring 1 litre water to the boil in a pot. Add ⅔ oz dried coffee husks (qishr, cascara), 2 tsp fresh ginger, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 green cardamom pods if using, and 3 tbsp sugar.
5 minStep 2: Simmer gently for 5 minutes, until the liquid is a deep amber and smells fruity and spicy.
5 minStep 3: Turn off the heat, cover and leave to steep for 3 minutes so the husks settle to the bottom.
3 minStep 4: Pour through a fine sieve into small cups and serve hot. Taste and add a little more sugar if you like it sweeter.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 40 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does qishr take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 3 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
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