We first encountered Diaspora Co when we found their turmeric at Queens, a small market in San Francisco. We quickly fell in love with the company and their products, and we especially enjoyed how founder and owner Sana Javeri Kadri incorporates her ingredients into coffee!
We asked Sana to share a recipe, and we're happy to share her how to making for cardamom coffee—or cardi coffee—today!
Enjoy!
The root of this recipe comes from traditional Middle Eastern and Arab coffee culture that has existed for hundreds of years: adding warming spices like cardamom and saffron to roasted coffee and sharing it generously in a show of warm hospitality.
My own paternal ancestors migrated from Saudi Arabia and Herat, Afghanistan (right on the Iranian border), and wound up in what is modern day Ahmedabad, India. They became part of a small group of Gujarati Muslims whose food culture drew from their new home, but also remained deeply rooted in Islamic food traditions from Persia and the Arab Peninsula.
Today, as a mixed up Gujarati mutt born and raised in Mumbai, and currently living as a spice sourceress in California, this coffee is a tribute to my ancestors journeys—and my own, I suppose.
This recipe is so easy that I wouldn't quite call it a recipe.
Add 1-2 Baraka Cardamom pods to your coffee grinder with your morning coffee dose, and grind the whole pod with the coffee beans.
The pod grinding method actually works best with a blade grinder. If you're using a burr or manual grinder, smash the pod with the back of a knife, discard the outer green shell, and add just the seeds to the grinder.
You can use your finished cardamom and coffee grounds in cold brew, with a pour over, or french press. Cardamom coffee doesn't discriminate! Cold brew will highlight the light fruitier notes of the cardamom and the coffee beans, whereas pour overs really bring out the lush, warm notes.
I really like my cardi coffee with lots of ice, a splash of heavy cream or full fat oat milk, and a drizzle of maple, date or palm syrup.
- Sana Javeri Kadri
photos by Simrah Farrukh
