Yazdi Coffee

Coffee is a popular drink in the world, but tea is more popular than coffee in Iran! However, in some regions, the presence of coffee is more prominent and of cultural background and support. Yazd is considered one of these regions where coffee preparation has its own customs and methods.

Coffee in Yazd

Coffee probably became popular in Yazd during the Qajar era (19th century), although some people attribute its history to four centuries ago. It seems that since the people of Yazd did not like the taste of coffee at the very beginning, they invented a special preparation method and gave it a taste of their own choice. This method of preparing coffee gradually spread and became popular among coffee lovers in Yazd... If you travel to Yazd, you will be surprised by the variety of sweets in Yazd, because the people of this region are very fond of sweet tastes. The change that took place on the part of the Yazdi people in the way of preparing coffee and creating “Yazdi coffee” is related to the same issue, i.e. they sweetened the coffee enough to distance itself from its natural bitterness and find harmony with their sweet taste. This method was so well received that coffee made its way to some mourning ceremonies and religious rituals in Yazd and was called “mourning coffee”.

Yazdi people also serve coffee in the ceremony they hold on the third day after the death of their deceased in their own way. There are different narrations about how coffee is brought to such ceremonies. Some people believe that it was due to the presence of caffeine and the relaxing nature of coffee, while some others believe that the sweetness of Yazdi coffee removes the bitterness caused by the death of loved ones in the hearts of mourners. At the same time, some Yazdi people believe that since coffee is black in color, it is considered to be in alignment with the color black, which is a sign of mourning in Iran. Yazdi coffee is distributed among the mourners on the third day of mourning for Imam Husayn (AS) and even on the days of Tasua and Ashura (9th and 10th of Muharram).

The Preparation Method of Yazdi Coffee

In the authentic and traditional way of brewing Yazdi coffee, they use a large copper pot and a large ladle, which is called “Kamchali” in the Yazdi dialect. The heat used for preparing this type of coffee is provided by burning charcoal. Rock candy, cardamom, and rose water are other ingredients used in Yazdi coffee. Rock candy of Yazd is famous in Iran because Yazdi people usually drink their tea with rock candy. The Yazdi rock candy has also found its way into Yazdi coffee and is used to sweeten it. Yazdi People also add rose water to coffee. There is a village near Yazd, called Dehbala, which is famous for its rose and rose gardens. Yazdi people believe that coffee will have the original aroma of Yazdi coffee when original Dehbala rose water is added to it.

Many restaurants, teahouses, and traditional and ecotourism residences of the Yazd City serve tourists with Yazdi coffee, which is usually served in small glazed clay bowls (not cups) so that apart from its taste, it also has a Yazdi style in the way it is served!

National Registration of Yazdi Coffee

The special technique of brewing and preparing Yazdi coffee - the type of changes that have occurred in the taste of coffee according to the taste of the people of Yazd - and the introduction of this type of coffee in mourning ceremonies and religious rituals of Yazdi people caused Yazdi Coffee to be inscribed on the list of intangible national heritage of Iran in the year 2017 AD.