What Is Maltese Coffee? The Spiced Kafè With Cloves, Aniseed and Chicory

In Maltese kitchens there is a coffee habit older than the espresso machine: a pot of coffee brewed with cloves, aniseed, a little roasted chicory and a strip of orange or tangerine peel. So what is Maltese coffee? It is that spiced, aromatic home brew, sometimes called kafé msajjar, a style that echoes how coffee was drunk on the islands more than three centuries ago. Names and spellings vary online, and so do family recipes.

Key takeaways

• Maltese coffee is typically a blend of coffee (often Arabica and Robusta), roasted chicory, ground cloves, aniseed and citrus peel.
• Coffee was drunk in Malta by 1633, according to the Maltese history site Kliem u Storja.
• A 1671 book by Maltese priest Domenico Magri described coffee as widely drunk in Malta and mentioned it sometimes being made with cloves.
• It is traditionally brewed in a pot called a stanjata; a saucepan or French press works at home.

In this article

1. What is Maltese coffee made of?
2. A short history of coffee in Malta
3. Maltese spiced coffee recipe
4. How it tastes and how to serve it
5. FAQ

What is Maltese coffee made of?

According to the Maltese guide site Guide Me Malta, the usual components are:

Everyone has their own version, so proportions vary from house to house. Maltese food shops sell ready-mixed spiced coffee for those who do not want to blend their own.

A short history of coffee in Malta

Malta took to coffee early by European standards. According to Maltese history site Kliem u Storja, coffee was being drunk on the islands by 1633 and was popular in the taverns of Birgu, the old harbor town.

The prisoners who brewed coffee

In 1671 the Maltese priest Domenico Magri published a short work on coffee, Della Virtù del Caffè, in Rome. He described coffee as commonly drunk in Malta, at a time when it was still rare in Rome. He also noted that “Turkish” slaves held in the prisons of Valletta were known for brewing good coffee. They sold it to earn a little money, and Knights of the Order of St John and well-off Maltese families bought roasted, ground beans from them to brew at home.

Spices in the pot

Magri’s method was to boil ground coffee in a copper pot, let it settle, sweeten it with a little sugar and sometimes add cloves, then serve it hot in a porcelain bowl. Later, Maltese households brewed coffee in a kettle-like pot called a stanjata. Over time, people added aniseed for spice, a few drops of rosewater, and chicory mixed with the grounds. That is the lineage of today’s spiced Maltese coffee.

Coffee kept arriving through the harbor. A late 18th-century customs list mentions “Caffè di Levante” and “Caffè di Ponente,” coffee from the east and the west, though it does not name the countries. At home, beans were often roasted on the kenur, the traditional Maltese stone stove.

Maltese spiced coffee recipe

Makes 2 cups. This is a home-style version inspired by the traditional ingredients; adjust the spice to taste.

Saucepan or stanjata method

1. Bring the water to a boil with the cloves, aniseed and peel. Simmer gently for 2 minutes to release the spices.
2. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the coffee and chicory.
3. Cover and steep 4 minutes.
4. Let the grounds settle for a minute (a splash of cold water helps them sink), then pour slowly through a fine strainer into cups.
5. Sweeten to taste.

French press method

Put the coffee, chicory, lightly crushed cloves, aniseed and peel in the press. Add water just off the boil, stir, steep 4–5 minutes, then press and pour.

Variations

• Cold: Guide Me Malta notes it can be served cold over ice; brew it double-strength so the ice does not water it down.
• Rosewater: add one or two drops to the cup, as in older Maltese habits.
• With milk: a splash of warm milk rounds out the clove.
• For adults: Maltese coffee is sometimes spiked with a dark spirit or coffee liqueur. Drink responsibly, and keep the plain version for an alcohol-free cup.

How it tastes and how to serve it

Expect a darker, rounder cup than plain coffee. Chicory adds a toasty bitterness, clove gives a warm tingle, aniseed brings a faint sweetness and the peel lifts the aroma. It is very good with something simple and dry, such as Malta’s classic galletti crackers, shortbread or plain biscuits.

For the coffee base, a bold blend stands up best to spices. Our Italian Roast blends specialty-grade Arabica and Robusta into our darkest, most intense coffee, close to the Arabica-Robusta style often used for Maltese coffee. For extra body and caffeine, mix in some Robusta from West Java, with cacao, Brazil nut and malt notes. Or use 6 Bean Blend, our bold, chocolatey dark roast. Order it ground Coarse for the French press method.

If you enjoy spiced coffee traditions, read about hawaij coffee spice from Yemen, Moroccan spiced coffee and our ideas for spiced winter coffee.

Maltese coffee FAQ

What spices are in Maltese coffee?

Usually ground cloves and aniseed, with roasted chicory and orange or tangerine peel. Family recipes vary.

Where can you buy Maltese coffee?

Guide Me Malta notes that Maltese artisanal food shops often sell ready-mixed spiced coffee. Outside Malta, it is easy to blend your own with the recipe above.

What is a stanjata?

A traditional Maltese coffee pot, used much like a kettle to boil coffee at home.

Can I make Maltese coffee without chicory?

Yes. Chicory adds depth, but the cloves, aniseed and peel carry most of the character.

Sources

1. How Coffee Gained Popularity in Malta, Kliem u Storja, 2022.
2. Need a caffeine kick? Try Maltese coffee, Guide Me Malta.

Facts checked in October 2026.

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