What is spiced Moroccan coffee (qahwa bahara)?

Qahwa bahara is the coffee that smells like a spice souk before you've even tasted it, and the first time a host in Fes set a little cup in front of me I leaned over it for a full minute just breathing it in. The name simply means 'spiced coffee', and the secret is that the spices aren't sprinkled on top — they're ground straight into the beans, so cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, clove and a knock of black pepper are woven through every sip. Many blends also fold in toasted sesame, and sometimes a hint of ginger, aniseed or even a few grains of grilled gum mastic.

The flavour is unlike any spiced latte you've had at home. It's not sweet by default and it's not fiery; it's warm and resinous and faintly floral, the cardamom and clove rounding off the coffee's edge while the pepper gives a gentle, lingering heat at the back of the throat. It's usually served small and strong in the Turkish-leaning style of the north, in a tiny cup or glass, and it's the kind of drink you sip slowly because there's so much going on in it.

You'll meet it most in the north and the old imperial cities, and especially around hospitality and celebrations — it's a coffee people make to honour a guest. In the right spice shop you can buy the ground blend (ask for 'qahwa bahara' or 'café aux épices') and watch the merchant grind cinnamon bark, green cardamom pods, sesame and the rest into a fragrant powder right in front of you, which is a small piece of theatre in itself.

My tip is to try it after a heavy meal, the way Moroccans often do, when all those warming spices feel almost digestive and restorative. If you love it — and most of my guests do — buy a small bag of the freshly ground blend to take home; a spoonful stirred into your own coffee back in your kitchen is the fastest way to find yourself standing in a Moroccan medina again.