There is something special about trying out a new coffee. It starts from the coffee beans’ initial smell when you unseal the packet to the patient waiting period by the stove or coffee machine, anticipating your brewing cup of Joe. Coffee is an intimate drink that ignites the feeling of betterment and growth. As a social drink consumed worldwide, coffee symbolizes hospitality, and a bonding moment for family and friends. Coffee is life!
There is a recent coffee trend that popped up and has been popularized by its incredibly famous founder. ԳAVAT coffee, (pronounced ‘Kavat’) isn’t your regular, run-of-the-mill coffee. It has an acquired taste and flavor that is enhanced by the traditional grinding and brewing process. Kavat coffee is a thick and full-bodied caffeinated elixir that has been enjoyed for generations throughout the Middle East.
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Kavat Coffee in a Nut Bean Shell
When translated, “ԳAVAT” is the Armenian word for “cup.” Specially selected Ethiopian beans are ground down to a powder-like consistency that is much finer than the granules found in espresso. The ground coffee is then brewed in a conventional Armenian mocha pot called ‘Jazve’ and served in adorable little coffee cups. This is Kavat Coffee.
How the Kavat Coffee Venture Began
As an Armenian born in Lebanon and raised in Los Angeles, Serj Tankian is the singer, songwriter, poet, activist, visual artist, and composer behind the revolution that is Kavat coffee. As the lead singer of the hard rock band System of a Down, Serj developed a passion for coffee and, with his long-term friend Ara, transformed this passion into a bit of an obsession.
It took about a year of trying out numerous varieties of raw coffee beans, roasting techniques, and blind taste tests before Ari and Serj finally settled down on the perfect Ethiopian beans for Kavat coffee. By developing their Armenian cultural roots, infusing the beans with modern flavors, and trying out samples on family members, Serj and Ari created a premium brand of modern Armenian coffee. They named it Kavat Coffee.
Socially Conscious and Certified Organic Coffee
While coffee beans do not naturally sprout out all over Armenia, the Armenians worship their coffee rituals. This is why Serj and Ari chose to experiment with Arabica beans from the birthplace of coffee – Ethiopia. Arabica beans from Ethiopia are universally considered to be of premium quality and sophisticated flavor profile compared to Robusta coffee beans. Arabica bean variants usually have fruity notes and floral aromas and are known as some of the world’s best coffee beans.
Kavat coffee uses organic and naturally processed Ethiopian Shimket beans sourced from farms that use sustainable farming principles. The premium beans used in Kavat Armenian coffee are grown using traditional farming techniques, usually under the shade of larger plants and trees.
From the growing conditions, processing of the beans, and right through to the roasting process, Kavat coffee beans are thoroughly checked by independent agencies to ensure that they are certified organic. The crops are not pumped with synthetic chemicals and are free from herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, and chemical fertilizers. They are grown the old-fashioned way by skilled farmers whose knowledge of how to mature and develop the beans’ rich flavors has slowly passed on from generation to generation.
Kavat coffee is fair trade coffee. Farmers can sustainably cultivate their lands, are paid fairly, and do not have to cut down forests to plant more coffee crops. Kavat coffee participates in helping its farmers achieve economic independence and financial stability. Kavat coffee takes no shortcuts in ensuring you receive only the best tasting coffee you have ever had.
How to Brew Kavat Coffee
To bring out the full body and robust flavor profile of Kavat coffee, it is preferable to brew it in the traditional Armenian way. The original brewing pots (Jazve) are typically made from copper with a long wooden handle and used to brew coffee for more than 1000 years. However, you do not have to comb the depths of Armenian markets to find a Jazve; you can use a Moka pot.
While coffee may seem relatively simple to prepare, the art of making Kavat coffee lies in learning when to remove it from the heat. Brewing Kavat coffee is an art form, with our predecessors determining the ‘right time’ for a young man may marry if he can prepare this coffee with a nice head of crema on it.
To make a cup of Kavat coffee:
- Start by measuring one slightly heaped teaspoon of coffee and place it in the Jazve (Moka pot). If you fancy a sweet cup of coffee, you can add a spoonful of sugar at this point.
- Fill the pot with cold water and let it simmer on the stove on medium heat, continually stirring until the coffee starts to bubble and foam begins to rise.
- Take the pot off the fire and keep stirring, making sure the coffee does not stay too long on the fire.
- Serve the coffee in small 3 oz.
Demitasse cup and sip to your heart’s content.
What to Expect from Kavat Coffee
The premium San Lazzaro blend offers a harmonious orchestra of chocolate notes, roasted almonds, and orange peel without the bitterness or burnt taste. The premium Modern Armenian medium roast coffee has a complex taste bursting with a full-bodied flavor sprinkled with mellowing notes of lavender.
If your body does not function well with caffeine, there is the option of having a decaf Kavat coffee. The Angela’s Blend Decaf is roasted to a medium-dark finish and offers tantalizing grape and butterscotch notes.
How to Drink Kavat Coffee
Kavat coffee is not for the fainthearted, but it is a beverage for true coffee enthusiasts. It is a thick and robust coffee with an almost grainy texture. Kavat coffee connoisseurs will advise you to sip the coffee slowly to let the excess grains settle at the bottom of your cup. You are not supposed to drink this sludge-like sediment at the base of your cup.
This sludge should be left to the ‘old village aunties’ who can foretell your future by reading what’s left of your coffee. Once you are done with your cup of Joe, you are supposed to turn the cup over and let the sediment seep out onto the saucer and properly dry out. Your fortunes will be artistically displayed in your cup.
