Rosa’s Café de Olla

The wonderful Rosa, who was born and raised growing and harvesting coffee in Chiapas, shares with us her mom’s Café de Olla recipe that has been passed down through generations. Although a favorite during the colder months across Mexico, this delicious coffee can be enjoyed any time of the year. You don’t need filters or any special equipment to brew this Café de Olla either. If you’re a fan of cinnamon, the aroma of it brewing alone will have you hooked!

Ingredients

  • 4 cups of water

  • 1 2-inch cinnamon stick

  • 3-4 tbsp ground coffee (depending on how strong you like it!)

Coffe, sugar and cinnamon

Method

1 - Place the water in a pot over high heat and cover with a lid.

2 -When you begin to notice the water boiling on the surface, add the cinnamon stick and leave until it’s at a rolling boil.

Cinnamon in boiling water

3 - Once the water has boiled, turn down the heat and add the coffee. Stir for 1 minute.

Making Mexican Cafe de Olla

4 - Turn up the heat slightly and, with the pot uncovered, simmer for a few minutes.

5 - When bubbles start forming on the surface again, turn off the heat and let the mixture stand for 15 minutes to allow the coffee grounds to settle.

Mexican Cafe de Olla

6 -Serve into mugs using a ladle, ensuring to only take from the surface so you don’t catch the coffee grounds on the bottom.

7 - Enjoy black or with sugar (although not Mexican, we also like to add milk or cream)!

Read about the history of coffee in Mexico here and check out our other recipes on our blog.

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The History of Coffee in Mexico

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