Café de la Olla: How to Brew It the Traditional Way

Café de la olla is Mexico’s cozy answer to a cup of coffee — brewed slow in a clay olla with cinnamon and a little sweetness, the way las abuelas have always done it. Ours already has the cinnamon, clove, and gentle sweetness ground right in, and it’s real Veracruz coffee — not instant — so all you do is brew it.

Makes 4 cups · 10 minutes

What you'll need

• 4 heaping tbsp La Monjita Café de la Olla (about 1 per cup)
• 4 cups water
• Optional: a cinnamon stick and a strip of orange peel

Stovetop (the traditional way)

1. Bring the water to a gentle boil — drop in the cinnamon stick and orange peel now if you’re using them.
2. Stir in the coffee, lower the heat, and let it steep 4–5 minutes. Keep it below a hard boil so it stays smooth, not bitter.
3. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into cups. Salud.

French press

1. Add 1 heaping tbsp per cup to the press.
2. Pour in water just off the boil, stir, and steep 4 minutes.
3. Press slowly and serve.

Iced café de la olla (for warm days)

1. Brew it double-strength and let it cool.
2. Pour over plenty of ice and float a splash of milk — or a little horchata for something special.

Tips

• Taste before sweetening — it’s already lightly sweet and spiced.
• Use a fine strainer since it’s real ground coffee.
• Keep it airtight to hold onto the cinnamon aroma.