A trip to Thailand through Kafe Boran !

Coffee is found across the globe, with strong differences from country to country. Some of its most unusual variants are found in Asia and, more specifically, in Thailand!

Although coffee was introduced in Southeast Asia many years ago and many of the countries in the region remain major coffee makers, such as Indonesia and Vietnam, the coffee culture developed in these countries differs greatly from the American and European coffee cultures and continues to challenge western taste. Southeast Asian beverages are generally Robusta grain-based, given generous doses of milk, are usually enjoyed cold and include a multitude of spices, as Asia’s gastronomic tradition commands. All these characteristics are reflected in a popular Thai coffee, Kafe Boran!

Kafe Boran was until recently the characteristic coffee of Thailand, although the so-called "Third Wave" of coffee and the trend for specialty coffees has greatly sidelined him - his name in Thai means "old coffee". The flavor of Kafe Boran is enriched with various spices such as cardamom, caramelized sesame seeds, soybean, roasted rice and even salt, depending on the region and the recipe used. Spices are not added to the mug, but they are ground together with the coffee beans so that their flavors unfold during extraction. Traditionally, the extraction of the coffee is made using a very thin turban.

Our recipe has been adapted to Greek standards and does not use many exotic ingredients - but it keeps the process and some of the flavors of the authentic Kafe Boran! Anyway, coffee is not just flavor and aroma but also experimentation and contact with other cultures, and by this aspect, Kafe Boran will compensate you.

What do you need to prepare Kafe Boran?

• Coffee Beans, coarsely ground (use a 10% robusta blend)
• Cardamom seeds
• Some vanilla pieces
• A pinch of salt
• Sweetend condensed milk
• Ice
• A very thin cloth, like the one used for making cheese

How is Kafe Boran prepared?

• Mix ground coffee with the ground spices
• Put the coffee & spices mix in the cloth
• Get the water to boil, until it reaches 80^oC
• In a jug, place the cloth with the coffee and slowly pour over the hot water
• Wait for five till ten minutes, depending to how strong you wish your coffee to be
• Serve in glasses, fill with milk and ice and stir. 

Tips for the best Kafe Boran :

• The Thais - as well as the Asians in general - are particularly fond of Robusta's intensity and strength. Using a 100% Robusta blend you get closer to the authentic flavor of Thai coffee.
• Due to the extraction method used, the coffee beans should be coarsely ground, both to be extracted correctly and to avoid the coffee particles in your beverage.
• You can add other spices to the mix, such as cinnamon and cloves or if you want more exotic notes, you can replace the salt with a little amount of soy paste. Everything is a matter of experimentation!
• There are ready mixes of spices for Thai coffee, named Oylang. You can find them in the shops that specialize in ethnic cuisines, but this may deprive you of the joy of experimenting.
• Sweetened milk is necessary because, in addition to its flavor, it offers the necessary creamy texture that is appreciated in Asia and it cannot be replaced by plain fresh milk.
• The doses of coffee used are similar to those you  would use in your homemade filter coffee machine.
• If you want to speed up the process, you can add the mixture of coffee and spices to your coffee maker, grinding the beans as if you wanted to prepare a regular filter coffee. The result will be slightly different, but the process will be easier.

The possibilities offered by coffee are really inexhaustible. With only a few materials and much willingness to experiment, we can go for a quick trip to Thailand. Kafe Boran may not be the tastiest coffee you've tasted, but it can travel thousands of miles with just a few sips.