Café de olla and other things I love about you.

When I think of you, I think of your breathtaking beauty, your rich and colorful culture, your delicious food, your diversity, and your enormity. The warmth, friendliness, and zeal of your people, who are always living out loud.

You are filled with history -turbulent, tragic, and triumphant- and deep-rooted traditions, yet, in so many ways, you are modern and moving fast into the future.

I think of your kindness, which is so often overlooked. You are still so misunderstood.

But you are resilient and passionate. You smell of freedom and café de olla.

Loving you is easy, and exhausting. You make me laugh and think, you break my heart, and you make me feel alive. I’m in love with your anarchic, visceral energy. You inspire me.

And I couldn’t be prouder to call myself yours.

Te amo, México y te extraño.

Café de olla is a traditional Mexican coffee beverage. It is made with ground coffee, cinnamon, piloncillo (unrefined whole cane sugar, typical of Latin America), orange peel, clove, and star anise.

It’s essential to use a traditional earthen clay pot, as this gives a special flavor to the coffee.

INGREDIENTS

• • 9 cups of water
  • 9 tablespoons of ground coffee
  • 2-3 cinnamon sticks
  • 3-4 cloves
  • ½ cone of piloncillo
  • peel from 1 orange
  • 2-3 star anise (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Put water, cinnamon, cloves, piloncillo, orange peel, and star anise in a pot and bring it to a boil over high heat.

Once it is boiling, reduce to medium heat and stir until the piloncillo is completely dissolved.

Finally, turn off the heat and spoon in coffee. Stir, then cover the pot and steep for at least five minutes.

Strain and enjoy!

*If you can’t find piloncillo, you can use brown sugar instead, although the flavor won’t be the same.