Mazagran is the name of what is considered "the original iced coffee", named after an Algerian fort where it was first consumed by French legionnaires in the mid-20th century. This recipe - conjured up at Kåre João Café & Bar in Kongsberg - is inspired by the Portuguese version of Mazagran, which often has a splash of rum added.
Ice cubes of the Norway map: Mazagran
This is what you need:
- Two cups of filter-brewed coffee (Brazilian Fazenda Barreiro works well)
- Juice from one lemon
- 5-6 flat tablespoons of sugar
- Soda water
- Ice cubes
- Lemon slices
Here's what to do: Brew enough coffee for cups and mix with lemon juice and sugar. Pour into a pitcher with lemon slices and top up with ice cubes and soda water to taste. Serve in a glass with ice cubes.
Created by: Kåre João Café & Bar, Kongsberg
To Portugal with citrus
The story of the origin of iced coffee comes in many variations, but the Mazagran story is the only one set in an Algerian fortress in the mid-1800s. About a decade after the French invasion of Algeria, the resistance movement in the country started rattling sabres. Led by Emir Abdelkader, thousands of Algerians surrounded a fort on the outskirts of the city of Mazagran, located along the coast in the far north of the African country. Trapped inside the fortress, there were just over 100 French soldiers waiting for reinforcements from home. Without access to their daily dose of brandy, they had to supplement their coffee with cold water. This spread to French street cafés, where it became common to order "un mazagran" - coffee served in tall glasses, often with ice cubes, and with a cup of water to dilute it. Today, Mazagran is not found in France or Algeria, but in another country with strong imperialist roots. In Portugal, Mazagran is served as a hybrid of iced coffee and lemonade, often with soda water and a splash of rum.
For example, enjoy a "Mazagran" while you:
Explore the silver mines in the Mining Museum in central Kongsberg. Here you can take part in a "mining safari", which takes you 342 meters below the surface and 2300 meters into the mountain by train. The tour stops at the main shaft of the King's Mine, where you can experience the fantastic Fahrkunsten from 1881.
Here you can get good coffee in Kongsberg: Kåre Joao / Godsaker / Rom & Rosin / Martines landhandel / Traktøren