White Coffee with No Coffee in It — Epoche A2
White coffee, for the end of the evening In Lebanon, when a guest says "no coffee for me, or I will not sleep", the host smiles and brings qahwa bayda - "white coffee". The joke is in the name: there is no coffee in it at all. It is hot water with orange-blossom water, served in coffee cups, and it is offered late exactly because it will not keep anyone awake. Makes 2 small cups. Takes 5 minutes. You need 2 small cups of water 2 teaspoons of orange-blossom water (mazaher) - the clear water that carries the smell of bitter-orange flowers sugar or honey, if you like What to do Boil the water. Take it off the heat and pour it into the cups. Add one teaspoon of orange-blossom water to each cup. Never boil the blossom water itself: the smell leaves with the steam. Add sugar or honey if you want it sweet. Many people drink it plain. Serve it exactly like real coffee, on the same small tray. It smells like a garden at night, it warms the hands - and half an hour later, the guests sleep.