Saudi Coffee: A Short Guide from Khawlani Beans to the Dallah

Every Saudi home has a dallah, and every majlis has a finjan. In this short guide: where Saudi coffee comes from, where coffee grows in the Kingdom, why it looks different from one region to the next, and how to make it at home.

Where did it come from?

Most studies suggest the coffee plant’s first home was Abyssinia (Ethiopia). It moved to Yemen, reached Makkah around 1500 CE and then Madinah. Over time coffee became a core part of hospitality and majlis gatherings across the Arabian Peninsula.

Where is coffee grown in Saudi Arabia?

Coffee farming is concentrated in three southern highland regions: Jazan, Asir and Al-Baha. The Kingdom produces an estimated 1,800 tonnes of clean coffee a year, most of it in Jazan.

Khawlani coffee: world heritage

In the Jazan highlands, Khawlani tribes have grown coffee for more than 300 years on mountain terraces that conserve water and soil, picking the fruit by hand and drying it. In 2022 UNESCO inscribed the “knowledge and practices related to cultivating Khawlani coffee beans” on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list, and in 2015 “Arabic coffee, a symbol of generosity” was inscribed in a joint file by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman and Qatar.

Why does the colour differ by region?

The amount roasted for one brew is called a “hamsa”, and its roast level and spices vary by region:

• Central: golden colour, with cardamom, clove and saffron.
• North: darker roast, usually just coffee and cardamom.
• South: light roast with more spices such as ginger, cinnamon, clove and saffron.
• West and East: medium colour, with saffron in the east and mastic in the west.

How to brew it at home

• Boil water in the dallah, then add the ground coffee (usually a light roast).
• Simmer gently for about ten minutes without letting it boil over.
• Add ground cardamom and, to taste, saffron or clove, then let the grounds settle.
• Pour into a flask or serve straight away, ideally with dates.

For the right amounts for your guests, use the brew calculator on the Discover page: choose “Saudi coffee” and the number of cups for amounts and a step-by-step timer.

Serving etiquette

• Coffee is usually poured by the host or someone close; the first cup goes to the host to check its quality.
• The pourer holds the dallah in the left hand and offers the cup with the right; the guest takes it with the right hand.
• Elders and those seated at the head of the majlis are served first.

The Year of Saudi Coffee

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture named 2022 “The Year of Saudi Coffee” to celebrate this heritage, and the name “Saudi coffee” was adopted for Arabic coffee in the Kingdom’s restaurants and cafés.

📷 Share your cup: shoot it in Tacke Studio with the “Saudi coffee” filter and post it to the community.