White Coffee: A Soothing, Caffeine-Free Drink from Lebanon
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One of the most pleasurable cups of coffee I’ve ever sipped wasn’t actually made from coffee beans at all – it was Lebanese “white coffee,” a soothing tisane made from sweet-scented orange flower water.
The first time I had this beverage was at a Lebanese restaurant in Paris; everyone else at my table ordered coffee and when I declined, the waiter offered to bring me his favorite after-dinner drink. What he served was a warm cup of ahwah baida, also known as white coffee or café blanc. After a big meal, it tasted clean and relaxing and made a lovely caffeine-free alternative to coffee.
Invented in Beirut, this drink couldn’t be simpler to make – just a splash of
orange blossom water
Get a recipe: Orange Blossom “white coffee” at Rose Water & Orange Blossoms
(Images: Emily Ho)