Armenian Coffee (Soorj)

About This Recipe

Armenian coffee, known at home as soorj, is brewed the same way across much of the Caucasus, Balkans, and Middle East: extremely finely ground coffee is simmered with water and sugar in a small, long-handled pot called a jazve (or cezve), heated slowly until a thick foam rises to the rim just before boiling. The pot is pulled off the heat at the critical moment, foam is spooned into the cups first, and the rest is poured over it, leaving the fine grounds to settle at the bottom, never strained out. Drinking soorj is inherently unhurried; it's sipped slowly in small cups, often for a half hour or more of conversation, and finishing the cup traditionally sets up the ritual of fortune-telling from the pattern the grounds leave behind once the cup is flipped upside down onto its saucer. It's less a caffeine delivery method than a small ceremony built into daily Armenian hospitality.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 2 tspextra-fine ground Armenian or Turkish-style coffee
• 160 mlcold water
• 1-2 tspsugar, to taste
• 1 pinchground cardamom(optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Measure into the jazve

   Add the cold water, coffee, sugar, and cardamom (if using) to a small jazve or cezve. Stir gently to combine before heating.

2. 2

   Heat slowly

   Place the jazve over low heat. Do not stir again once it starts heating — let it warm gradually so the grounds settle into a fine layer at the base.

3. 3

   Watch for the foam

   After 4–6 minutes, a thick tan foam will begin rising toward the rim as the coffee approaches a boil. Watch closely — it can boil over in seconds.

4. 4

   Pull off heat

   The instant the foam crests the rim, immediately remove the jazve from the heat, before it fully boils over.

5. 5

   Spoon the foam

   Spoon a little of the foam into each small serving cup first.

6. 6

   Return briefly and pour

   Return the jazve to low heat for a few more seconds to build the foam again, then pour the coffee slowly and evenly over the foam in each cup.

7. 7

   Rest and serve

   Let the cups sit undisturbed for a minute so the fine grounds settle to the bottom before sipping slowly, without stirring.

Variations

• •

  Add a pinch of ground cardamom or a whole clove to the jazve for a warmly spiced version.

• •

  Brew it completely unsweetened (sketch, or "plain") for guests who prefer no sugar — just ask before brewing, since sugar amount is set at the start.

• •

  Larger jazves can brew 3–4 cups at once for gatherings, though the foam is easiest to control with smaller batches.

Storage

Soorj is always brewed fresh and served immediately — it does not keep or reheat well, as the foam collapses and the flavor turns flat and bitter once it cools and sits.

Frequently Asked Questions