Café de Olla

Despite the sweltering heat, coffee is very popular in Veracruz, and while there are a few cafés, you certainly won't find coffee makers in most homes. In any market, tianguis or baratero, you can get fresh ground local coffee, which is then boiled in an earthenware pot (an olla) with piloncillo and cinnamon to become Mexico's unique brand of coffee, café de olla.

In my experience, the beverage is just skimmed from the top of the pot (or made from Nescafé - also very popular in Mexico), but just to be sure that you don't get a mouthful of some very bitter coffee grounds, strain, STRAIN, STRAIN!

Ingredients
1 liter water
1 cinnamon stick
100g piloncillo (or brown sugar, but it's not the same)
50 g ground coffee (or Nescafé it)

Directions

1 - Put the water, coffee, cinnamon stick and piloncillo into a pot.

2 - Bring to a simmer, and stir to dissolve the piloncillo.

3 - Allow the coffee to steep for about 5 to 10 minutes.

4 - Take out the cinnamon stick, and strain the coffee through a fine mesh strainer (twice).

5 - I probably don't need to mention it, but serve hot.