As a certified coffee lover, I’m not sure why the thought didn’t come to me sooner, but recently the idea to make an iced version of kopi jahe (Indonesian spiced ginger coffee) randomly popped into my head and I just knew I had to try it out. If you’ve never had kopi jahe, it’s a bold coffee drink that is flavored with fragrant spices like cinnamon, ginger, lemongrass and blended with creamy coconut milk. It’s divine. It’s a very popular drink in Indonesia and all over southeast Asia too. After several tests, I’m confident that I’ve found out how to make the best Iced Kopi Jahe without sacrificing taste, technique or time!
You can serve kopi jahe as a hot drink, or iced like in this recipe. I tested the recipe to make sure that the sugar syrup is completely dissolved and won’t pool at the bottom, and the balance between the spices and the creamy coconut milk is just right.
You can even get crazy with it and top it with a small scoop of coconut milk ice cream, like a spicy, gingery affogatto. Personally, I like it simply poured in a chilled glass, topped with ice and maybe a little dusting of cinnamon on top for extra spice!
Rempah Syrup
The spiced rempah syrup is a non-negotiable component to this recipe, and it is what makes kopi jahe different from all other coffee drinks in the world.
Traditionally, kopi jahe calls for simmering the spices without sugar, then the aromatic brew is poured over freshly ground coffee and steeped until ready to serve. Palm sugar is added at the table to the drinker’s taste.
In this iced kopi jahe recipe, I had to find a way to get all of those flavors combined but without leaving the kopi lukewarm with watered down ice. Making a simple syrup was the answer!
Lemongrass, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom are simmered together with palm sugar and water until a glossy syrup forms. Then the syrup is cooled and the spices are steeped to extract even more flavor.
To release the fragrance from the lemongrass, bash the stalk with the the back of your knife to bruise the outside and release the oils from the stalk.
Similar to the lemongrass, lightly crush the cardamom pods with the side of your knife to slightly open them for maximum flavor infusion.
Palm Sugar
Palm sugar is a type of sugar that’s derived from coconut and toddy palms, and while not entirely necessary, I highly recommend using palm sugar instead of cane sugar in this recipe.
Palm sugar has a distinctly caramel note, that most other sugar varieties simply don’t possess. This caramel flavor compliments the tropical spices extremely well and is a natural partner to these other flavors.
If you can’t find palm sugar that’s ok, you can substitute with light brown sugar or coconut sugar (although it won’t be as sweet).
How to measure palm sugar for cooking
Pam sugar often comes in cakes or disks, making measuring the sugar one of the hardest parts about using it! Fresh cakes of palm sugar are soft enough to cut with a knife, but if they’ve been in the pantry for a while they can become literally as hard as a rock.
One of the easiest ways to get palm sugar into a measurable form is to pound it in a mortar and pestle. If you don’t have one, you can also a knife to chop the crumbly disks into smaller pieces. 1 cup of palm sugar is about 5 disks of palm sugar.
A Quick Intro To Indonesian Coffee
Indonesia is a coffee powerhouse. They love their coffee and love to serve it in interesting ways too. Besides kopi jahe, here are just some of the most famous coffee drinks to come out of Indonesia:
Kopi Tubruk (Thick and Rich Coffee)
Easily one of the most popular types of coffee in Indonesia, kopi tubruk follows a very similar brewing method to Turkish coffee. Boiling water is added to freshly ground coffee beans, which are then stirred vigorously until the grounds bloom and settle to the bottom of the pot.
Sugar can be added to sweeten the coffee, and most will mix it into the coffee grounds before adding in the water to help dissolve the crystals better.
Kopi Luwak (Civet Coffee)
Civet coffee is often cited as one of the most expensive coffees in the world. World class Indonesian coffee beans are eaten and excreted by the civet, a small cat like mammal. It is thought that the digestive process of the civet helps to neutralize the bitterness of the coffee beans, resulting in a smoother, milder brew.
Kopi Joss (Charcoal Coffee)
Hailing from Yogyakarta, kopi joss, or charcoal coffee, is one of the most theatrical cups of coffee you’ll ever drink! A piece of red hot charcoal is added to a cup of brewed coffee, which causes the coffee to hiss and sizzle before finally cooling to thick and rich drink, hence the term joss.
Charcoal is believed to have numerous health benefits, and is credited with neutralizing the acidity of the coffee and providing a unique, almost toffy-like note to the flavor.
Kopi Khop (Upside-down Coffee)
This coffee is known for its unusual serving style. It’s served upside down! Strong coffee is brewed and then poured into a glass- coffee grounds and all – and then tipped upside down onto a small plate.
The coffee is served with a plastic straw, which guests are encouraged to use to blow air into the glass, pushing out the perfectly steeped coffee onto the plate to sip.
Legend has it that the origins of kopi khop come from the coastal regions of Indonesia, where seamen would turn their cups upside down while they worked to keep their coffee free of debris.
Sumatra Coffee
If you’re a coffee drinker, you have probably heard of Sumatran coffee beans. They are some of the best coffee beans in the world, and are grown in the Indonesian archipelago.
What Does Sumatra Coffee Taste Like?
Sumatra Mandheling coffee is one of the more widely known varieties, and offers an earthy, herbaceous flavor. Usually enjoyed either black or mixed with some kind of creamer, this bold coffee variety can stand right up to other strong flavors like ginger and cinnamon, which makes it the perfect choice for this iced kopi jahe recipe!
You can of course, use non-instant coffee for this recipe! Just brew your regular amount and make it a tad stronger than usual.
But if you love a good instant coffee like I do, then the NESCAFE Gold Origins Indonesian Sumatra is about as good as it gets for a deeply roasted and rich coffee flavor. The caramel and herbal notes stand right up to the warm spices in the rempah syrup.
I have done both types of coffees and I decided to release the instant coffee version because it just saves a lot more time and the taste to be honest, is more easily controllable with instant coffee.
You can get the bold coffee flavors, almost like espresso- without any special equipment, and for that reason alone I find that the instant coffee version is a more accessible recipe.
Tips On How To Make The Best Iced Kopi Jahe
- Use full fat coconut milk- the thinner varieties don’t have enough creaminess to stand up to the bold spices in this drink, so I find that full fat coconut milk is the best option.
- Let the syrup steep after simmering- the cooling process of the syrup allows the flavors to develop even further, maximizing the spiciness and aromatic qualities.
- Add syrup gradually to taste- you can always add more to sweeten your kopi jahe, but trying to undo too-sweet coffee is almost impossible. Take it slow and start with 1 tablespoon at a time!
Iced Kopi Jahe (Indonesian Spiced Coffee)
Ingredients
Rempah Simple Syrup
- 1 cup palm sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
- 1 inch inch piece of ginger
To Serve
- 4 tbsp instant ground Sumatra coffee (Nescafe is my go-to) This is to serve 4. If making one serving only, use 1 tablespoon of coffee.
- 1½ cups full fat coconut milk, or more to taste
- Crushed ice
Instructions
To Make The Rempah Syrup
- Lightly bash the lemongrass with the back of your knife to release the oils. Then cut into medium sized pieces.
- Lightly crush the cardamom pods with the side of your knife until they are slightly cracked.
- Peel and slice the ginger into thin rounds.
- In a pot, bring the water to a simmer and add the palm sugar, lemongrass, cardamom, cinnamon and ginger. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes or until reduced by half and the syrup is amber brown.
- Remove from the heat and steep for another 10-15 minutes. Strain the syrup into a clean mason jar. At this point you can use the syrup immediately for hot kopi jahe or chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
To Serve (Iced or Hot Options)
- To serve iced, dissolve a tablespoon of instant coffee and 2 tablespoons of the rempah syrup in a glass with a tablespoon of hot water. Mix well until the coffee is dissolved.
- Pour in 1/2 cup of cold water and mix until combined.
- Top with ice and coconut milk to taste.
- To serve hot, dissolve a tablespoon of instant coffee and 2 tablespoons of syrup in 1/2 cup of hot water. A milk frother does the job well, but you can also just use a spoon.
- Gradually mix in the coconut milk until your desired flavor and color appear.
- Pour into coffee mugs and enjoy!