Origin: Indonesia (Yogyakarta)  |  Prep: 3 minutes  |  Brew: 5 minutes

About This Brew

Kopi Joss is a spectacle as much as a drink: a glass of strong, sweet black coffee into which a chunk of red-hot glowing charcoal is plunged, hissing and crackling. That 'joss' sound gives the drink its name. It is a street-food legend of Yogyakarta, served at angkringan stalls late into the night.

Beyond the drama, the charcoal is said to mellow the coffee's acidity and lend a faint smoky note, leaving a smoother, almost toasted-tasting cup. The glowing ember briefly boils the surface and infuses the brew before being removed or left to fizzle out. Strong, sweet and theatrical, Kopi Joss is best enjoyed exactly where it was born: on a mat by the roadside under the stars.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp coarsely ground Indonesian robusta
• 1-2 tsp sugar
• Boiling water
• 1 piece food-safe natural lump charcoal (heated until glowing)

Equipment Needed

• Heatproof glass
• Tongs
• Charcoal source/grill
• Spoon

Instructions

1. Make a glass of kopi tubruk: add coffee and sugar to a heatproof glass and fill with boiling water.
2. Heat a piece of natural lump charcoal until it glows red-hot, then rinse off ash.
3. Using tongs, plunge the glowing charcoal into the coffee. It will hiss and fizz.
4. Leave for 10-20 seconds, then remove the charcoal.
5. Let grounds settle briefly and sip from the top. (Take care with hot charcoal.)

Tags: Southeast Asia · Hot · Advanced