Mirra — Dark-Roasted Bitter Cardamom Coffee

Roast the raw beans in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, stirring constantly. They will first turn yellow, then brown. Mirra beans are roasted darker than Turkish coffee; stop when they are nearly black and their surfaces become oily. If the smoke becomes sharp and smells acrid, they have gone too far. Transfer the beans to a tray and let them cool completely.

Crush the cooled beans in a stone mortar or a regular mortar. Mirra should be ground to the texture of coarse sand, not flour, and the grounds should be large enough to remain in the strainer.

Put the ground coffee and 2 liters of water in a wide pot and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat with the lid ajar for 30 minutes; the liquid will turn dark brown and reduce noticeably.

Pour the mixture through a strainer lined with cheesecloth and discard the grounds. Return the strained liquid to a boil with the cardamom and cook for 15 minutes more, until about 450 ml remains; it should flow slowly from a spoon.

Pour about 25 ml of mirra into handleless cups, just enough to cover the bottom, and serve hot.