Coffee is one of the most highly consumed beverages in the world. According to research, more than 1 billion people around the world consume coffee on a daily basis.

People love coffee for a variety of reasons. For some, it’s a drink for good health; for others, a morning pick-me-up; and for the rest, it’s a drink full of flavour, taste, and aroma. However, coffee is available in different types. Arabica, Espresso, Latte, and Cappuccino are some popular coffee drinks that are often highly sold in coffee shops and cafes. Also, let’s not forget that every coffee has its own flavour, brewing method, strength level, and other aspects.

In this article, we will talk about Arabic coffee and Espresso. We’ll look at how they vary while also attempting to determine “Is Arabic coffee stronger than Espresso?”

What is Arabic Coffee?

Arabic coffee is a quintessential Middle Eastern beverage known as Gahwa. It is a traditional drink that you’ll see Arabs serving with dates and sweet fruit.

According to UNESCO, Arabic coffee is a part of Arabic culture. It is a typical coffee garnished with cardamom, saffron, and sometimes cloves to add flavor to its bitterness. Compared to other coffee, Arabic coffee has a unique taste due to roasted beans. Furthermore, its brewing method is different from other types of coffee and may be used to make either light or dark coffee, depending on the drinker’s desire.

It originated in the Middle East and extended to Mecca, Egypt, Turkey, and eventually Europe.

What is Espresso?

Espresso is basically a coffee and brewing process, both. It is a thick, highly concentrated form of coffee that is either served as coffee shots or as a base for other coffee drinks like latte, mocha, or cappuccino.

What makes Espresso different from other coffee is its brewing method which uses an Espresso machine to finely grind coffee beans through hot water. Once the brewing process is completed, espresso shots are extracted.

Espresso usually has a rich and bold flavour with crema on top of it. Unlike other coffee, you don’t need any specific coffee beans to extract Espresso as they can be made using any coffee beans.

Italians invented espresso in the early 1900s, which remains one of the most consumed beverages today. It gained popularity since it could be prepared within 30 seconds.

Arabic Coffee & Espresso: The Difference!

We know that Arabic coffee and Espresso are two different coffee drinks, but what makes them different? Let’s find out!

Coffee Beans

Coffee beans are the primary factor separating Arabic coffee from Espresso.

Arabic coffee can only be made using Arabica beans, whereas Espresso can be made using any coffee bean, including Robusta or Arabica beans.

Brewing Process

Arabic coffee can be brewed through a simple brewing process. All you need to do is add ground coffee beans to the Dallah (Arabic pot), which contains hot boiling water, and in approx 7-10 minutes, your Arabic coffee will be ready to serve with dates or sweet fruit. You can also add cardamom, a special Arabic ingredient, to the coffee.

But when it comes to Espresso, using an espresso machine is necessary. Without the machine, you’ll be unable to provide high pressure to heat water and extract Espresso shots.

Caffeine Level

Caffeine is one of the many factors that go into judging coffee.

The average caffeine concentration in Arabic coffee is only 4 mg. Espresso, on the other hand, contains between 60 to 70 mg of caffeine per shot. The more shots, the caffeine concentration keeps increasing. Therefore, Espresso has a much higher caffeine content.

Taste

The taste of Arabic coffee varies according to the Arabica beans. The flavour is typically nutty or softer and sweeter.

On the other hand, espresso has a taste that is often stronger and more roasted. It is a concentrated drink with a typically bitter flavour. For this reason, people often top it up with milk or cream to make the beverage slightly sweeter.

Is Arabic Coffee Stronger than Espresso?

Caffeine content usually determines how strong a coffee is. It is natural to assume that coffee will be stronger if it has more caffeine than the other.

Based on the explicit caffeine content of both Arabic coffee and Espresso (discussed in the above section), Espresso can be considered stronger since it contains more caffeine, increasing with each shot.

So, the answer to this question is NO! Arabic Coffee is no way stronger than Espresso.

Is there any Coffee Stronger than Espresso?

The answer is NO! 

Espresso continues to be the strongest coffee. Its one-shot has more caffeine than any cup of coffee on any given day. On the other hand, Ristretto is one of the coffee varieties that is reputed to be stronger than Espresso, but even Ristretto is produced using Espresso as a base.

Therefore, Espresso currently rules the table.

Arabic Coffee Vs. Espresso: Which One’s Better?

Every coffee is unique from the others, and when it comes to coffee, preference has an ultimate say.

Arabic coffee is the best option if you want to indulge in the classic Arab beverage with cardamom and saffron toppings. However, Espresso is perfect if you wish for a strong-tasting, high-caffeine beverage.

Conclusion

This article has briefly discussed some of the key differences between Arabic coffee and Espresso while attempting to find the answer to “is Arabic coffee stronger than Espresso.”

Now that you know the difference between Arabic coffee and espresso, it is time to try the type that best suits your preferences.