Discover Batumi-style coffee: The Georgian brew that embraces garlic

The unique taste and aroma of Batumi-style coffee are partly a result of a specific brewing process. Surprisingly, one of the key ingredients in this coffee is... garlic. When I was first served Batumi-style coffee at a cafe, I thought there had been a mistake. After a few sips, however, it became clear that this unusual ingredient was intentional.

So, how do you prepare Batumi-style coffee? The process is slightly more complex than preparing traditional coffee. Before grinding the coffee beans, they need to be roasted in a pan with several garlic cloves. This step allows the unique aroma of the coffee to be extracted. It's worth pointing out that despite the presence of garlic, it doesn't affect the taste of the drink negatively.

Once the beans are roasted, we grind them. The ground coffee is then placed in a special coffee-brewing vessel called a cezve, and water is added along with sugar, if desired. The mixture is heated on low heat. As soon as foam begins to appear on the surface, we stir the coffee and continue heating it for a short while. The ready coffee is served in small cups.

Interestingly, people in Georgia frequently drink something known as 'Royalty Coffee.' Originating from the Ahkalkalaki region, the process of preparing this coffee is as intriguing as the Batumi-style coffee. Moreover, a key ingredient of this beverage, besides coffee, is egg yolks beaten with sugar, giving the coffee a unique, bittersweet taste.

Ingredients:

• 1 full teaspoon of coffee beans,
• 1 garlic clove,
• 1 teaspoon of sugar,
• Approximately 0.85 cups of filtered or bottled water.

Instructions:

1. In a thick-bottomed pan, roast the coffee beans on low heat without any fat, continuously stirring. Meanwhile, add a peeled garlic clove.
2. Once the beans have a greasy sheen, remove them from the heat and transfer them to a clean cloth or paper towel. Once the beans have cooled down, grind them with a manual or electric grinder.
3. Next, place the ground coffee in a pot, add sugar and pour in the water. Cook everything on very low heat; do not stir.
4. Once the coffee foam begins to rise, wait until it reaches the pot's neck, then quickly stir the coffee and remove it from the heater. Put it back on the heat until the foam rises again.
5. Now you can pour the coffee from the pot into a cup.
6. You can also prepare the coffee using a regular pot in the same manner.