History of Persian Coffee
Coffee entered Persia during the Safavid rule and cocoa during the Qajar dynasty. As a result, coffee became the main drink of Persians in two Persian recipes. One style is Arabic coffee, which is bitter and brewed in Khuzestan, and the other one tastes sweet with the aroma of cardamom and rosewater, like Anousheh coffee in Nushabad that will be a different experience of coffee drinking for you.
Nushabad is a Coffee region in Kashan
Nushabad or Anushabad region narrates a long history. According to history books, a kingdom from the Sassanid dynasty built it, and a spring near it is also known as the Nushirvan throne. Anushabad was a region between the road from Rey to Isfahan, attacked by the Seljuks and then the Mongols. That is why the three-story underground city of Noshabad, where was the inhabitants’ refuge, is one of the extraordinary sights around Kashan today.
History of Nushabad coffee
In Noshabad, on a trade route, a bazaar called Robat-e Ahmadabad emerged in the desert. There was an abundant amount of coffee and cocoa because of the numerous trades. Eventually, these two Western souvenirs became popular, and the settlers developed a unique method of brewing coffee, as mentioned above. This drink is delightful and drinkable for all ages due to its familiar taste. The childhood memories of the Noshabad residents are tied to the reception of traditional coffee at funerals, mourning ceremonies, and religious festivals that were served in small cups instead of tea. Although the sweet style of coffee was known as a mourning beverage about 200 years ago, it was suitable for rituals and weddings. Luxurious and expensive coffees as every substance from coffee to cocoa, cinnamon, and cardamom were all imported and refined. These foreign grains were prepared entirely in Persian style, bringing a pleasant concoction. It is still common to serve such coffees in the mourning rituals of all except the youth and martyrdom ceremonies, especially in Muharram.
How to make Persian Coffee
With the arrival of cocoa in Kerman, Tehran, Mashhad, Gorgan, and the western parts of the country, people boiled cocoa, cardamom, and cinnamon together without sweetening, and brewed it to be served in the mourning rituals. The reason for picking such a bitter drink was its taste harmony with the bitterness of the grieving ceremony. But in the desert areas of Noshabad, Yazd, and Aran Bidgol, the brewing process of coffee was distinctive. Since desert locals are generally cold-tempered and interested in sweets, which is also evident in souvenirs of the cities such as Kashan, Isfahan, and Yazd, also bitter coffee has a cold temperament, brings a heartbeat, and the bitterness is not pleasing for most locals, they made their specific method to harmonize the recipe with their taste. In this method, the cold nature coffee is brewed with cocoa and sugar for forty minutes. Then, by adding cardamom and cinnamon, and preparing the warm nature, it is brewed for five hours. Eventually, the cheerful concoction is obtained, due to the sweetness of sugar, and the warmth of cardamom, cinnamon, and cocoa. Moreover, the coffee is usually served with rosewater, which contains a soothing property and makes it a suitable drink for the mourner.