As we watched, Al-Maliki's sons roasted coffee beans harvested from their fields in a cast-iron pan over an open fire, gently stirring them with a long metal stick flattened on one end. Typically, the beans are lightly roasted, ground and added to boiling water. Sometimes the brew is infused with spices like cardamom, ginger and cloves. We tried a lightly roasted version and a bitter, robust dark roast without spices. Both had a subtle flavour, more reminiscent of a cup of tea than a strongly brewed coffee.
