Café de la Olla: How to Prepare Traditional Mexican Coffee

When you think of Mexico and all its culinary delights, coffee is not necessarily the first thing that jumps to mind.

Your imagination may conjure up visions of Tacos de pastor, enchiladas, or chilaquiles. Perhaps you are even thirsting after some tequila?

A lesser-known treasure of Mexican delicacies is its traditional coffee, Café de la Olla. Spiced with star anise, cinnamon, and cloves and sweetened with piloncillo—a form of raw cane sugar—traditional Mexican coffee is delicious as is or served with a splash of milk.

The History of Mexican Coffee

Mexican soil has sustained a prosperous yield of coffee beans for over three centuries. That said, the plant isn’t indigenous to the country.

Spanish settlers first shipped coffee to Mexico in the 1700s after harvesting the plant in Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Small-scale farmers recognised the economic potential of growing coffee and the industry mushroomed exponentially in the 20^th century.

It’s interesting to note that historians believe small scale coffee farming endeavours were actually more fruitful than their larger scale counterparts. Some of the bigger operations became overly ambitious and eventually failed.

Fast forward to today, and Mexico is one of the world’s largest exporters of organic-certified coffee. In 2000, the country’s production accounted for 60% of the world’s organic coffee!

Many believe that the flavour profile of Café de la Olla is a product of the Mexican Revolution which started in 1910. Women soldiers were responsible for cooking and caring for wounded soldiers and they were inspired to brew a coffee that would be sweet and comforting while providing a caloric boost. This is how traditional Mexican coffee was born.

Why is Mexico’s Coffee Industry So Successful?

The climatic conditions of Mexico are well suited to the growing conditions of coffee plants—particularly the Arabica bean.

The majority of Mexico’s coffee beans are grown in forests of medium to high altitude. Additionally, the proximity of both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans supports an ideal temperate climate. In combination, these conditions allow for a successful annual harvest between November and March.

How to Make Café de la Olla

When directly translated, “Café de la Olla” means “pot coffee” or “coffee from a pot”.

This rather literal name stems from a long history of brewing this traditional Mexican coffee in either a clay or an enamel pot.

Many regions in Mexico remain committed to making coffee in this manner—and you can too! A clay pot is particularly effective at infusing coffee with a delightful smoky aroma. However, if you don’t have a clay pot available at home, you can make this coffee in a regular saucepan.

To make Café de la Olla at home, you will need the following ingredients:

• 4 cups of water (preferably filtered)

• 1 stick of Ceylon/ ‘Mexican’ cinnamon

• 2 whole cloves

• About 1/3 cup of piloncillo or dark brown sugar

• Roughly ½ cup ground coffee

The first step is to simmer the spices.

Pour your four cups of (filtered) water into your pot of choice. If you have a clay pot at your disposal, this is ideal, but it’s not essential.

Add the cloves, cinnamon and piloncillo to the water and bring it to a gentle simmer for about five minutes. Remember to occasionally stir the pot to ensure the piloncillo is dissolving. You will start smelling the hearty aroma of the whole cloves mixing with the sweet and citrusy scent of Ceylon cinnamon.

Once this first process is complete, it’s time to steep the coffee.

Remove your pot from the heat and slowly stir the coffee grounds into the aromatic infusion. It’s important that you add your coffee once the pot is taken off the stove as boiling it will produce an undesirable bitter flavour. Cover the pot with a lid and let it rest for about five minutes.

Once your Mexican coffee mixture has steeped, you need to strain the mixture. It’s recommended that you use a mesh strainer for this process. If you want to exercise particular caution, you can cover the strainer with a cheesecloth to prevent any loose coffee grounds from escaping.

The Café de la Olla should be served immediately on its own, with breakfast, brunch, or at any time of the day.

Create Your Own Signature Café de la Olla

People have developed a number of variations of this delicious traditional Mexican coffee. If you’re an aspiring barista, you might want to put your own spin on it too.

Should you feel like adding an alcoholic twist, a splash of a coffee liqueur such as Kahlúa is an excellent addition, especially if you’re in the mood for a Mexican celebration. Or, you may opt to serve it black or perhaps with a splash of almond, rice or oat milk. If you really want to go the extra mile, you should serve the coffee in jarritos—a decorative Mexican clay mug.

Now for the final step, drink up and enjoy!