When in Morocco, you need to order a Nous Nous. May it be for breakfast in your Hotel, or in a streetside cafe during the day. Nous Nous is a coffee speciality which can primarily be found in Morocco, in north-western Africa. Even though coffee originates from southern Arabia, now modern-day Yemen, the coffee culture isn’t as big in Morocco as it is in other Arabian countries, or Italy for example. In Morocco, you either drink an Espresso, a small portion of a hot and strong caffeinated beverage, Nous Nous, or simply Moroccan mint tea with fresh mint leaves. The latter especially during the day, with a quick espresso in the morning, also known as Cafe Noir, for breakfast. So, what is a Nous Nous, and how to prepare a Nous Nous yourself?
What is Nous Nous
Directly translated, Nous means half. So a Nous Nous is half and half. And two halves make one 😉 The drink is half espresso and half milk, usually foamed or steamed milk. In cafes or restaurants you will usually only find Cappuccino or Latte on the menu, but simply ask for a Nous Nous and you will happily be served this local speciality.
How to prepare an authentic Moroccan Nous Nous
The Moroccan Nous Nous coffee speciality is fairly easy to reproduce by yourself at home. All you need is a method of preparing Espresso and a method of steaming or foaming up milk. May it be a Nespresso machine, an Italian moka pot or by using a paper filter with grained coffee beans. Regarding the milk, you can use a hand-held milk frother (sometimes even available at those 1€-shops), or one of those small Milk frother machines.
As Nous Nous usually is served in a glass cup, first add milk into the glass and froth it (with a hand frother). Otherwise, prepare it in a machine and add the foamed milk first into the glass. Now add another half of black coffee, and make sure both levels are still mostly separated. With the coffee at the bottom and the light and airy milk on top.
Enjoy your Nous Nous while still hot, preferably somewhere in the sun, thinking/dreaming of moroccan sun and the unique landscapes.
