If you are living in Australia, you might find yourself thinking longingly about enjoying a cup of moerkoffie at your favourite café in South Africa. Fortunately, Australians love their coffee – some would argue even more than South Africans – so there is a good chance you will find a cup of moerkoffie in one of the exotic coffee cafés across Australia.

The origins of moerkoffie

Moerkoffie is Afrikaans coffee made from ground coffee in a simple enamel or aluminium coffee pot on a stove or even better, over an open fire. The word ‘moer’ comes from the Dutch noun moer, which means “a layer of sediment” and refers to the coffee granules that you’re likely to find at the bottom of your cup. What makes moerkoffie extra special is the sweetened condensed milk that is added to taste – giving it an extra creamy aftertaste! On a cold day, you can even add a shot of brandy to keep you extra warm!

Australians are coffee addicts

Australians are serious coffee lovers and while there is no evidence of indigenous Australians drinking coffee before colonisation, once the Greek and Italians migrants arrived on Australia’s shores, a nationwide love affair with coffee started. If you are serious about your coffee, you can’t go wrong with any of these café suggestions. Remember to ask your barista where your coffee was grown and who produced it – you’ll be surprised, they will have the answers for you:

Coffee shops in Sydney

1. Reuben Hills is the place to go if you want to enjoy the aromatic flavours of Central and South American coffee. Address: 61 Albian Street Surry Hills
2. Mecca Coffee was one of Sydney’s first speciality roasters and today their roasts can be enjoyed in cafes across Sydney – but if you want to enjoy it at its roots, head down to the headquarters in Alexandria. Address: 26 Bourke Road Alexandria
3. Dutch Smuggler stands out with its high-quality roasted beans and their creative coffee mocktails that include lemon and ginger beer. Address: 200 George Street, Sydney

Coffee shops in Melbourne

1. Axil Coffee Roasters are found across Melbourne and serve delicious espresso and filter roasts with beans from Central America, South America and Africa. A husband and wife team – Dave Makin and Zoe Delaney are the powerhouse team behind Axil Coffee Roasters. Address: 322 Burwood Road, Hawthorn
2. Seven Seeds is a micro-roaster, café and coffee retailers who change the coffee beans they offer throughout the year. Address: 106-114 Berkeley Street, Carlton
3. Code Black is an institution in Melbourne amongst coffee lovers. It’s a gathering place for coffee connoisseurs who experiment with creating delicious coffee with beans sourced from Columbia, Ethiopia and Brazil. Address: 15-17 Weston Street, Brunswick

Coffee shops in Canberra

1. Coffee Lab experiments with brewing coffee and focuses on developing the latest caffeinated brews along with delicious food. Address: 26 Narellan Place, Canberra Centre
2. The Cupping Room is a concept café that takes you on a unique flavour journey and is designed to allow the team from Ona Coffee, Canberra’s largest coffee roaster, to share their passion for coffee with their customers. Address: 1/1-13 University Ave
3. Harvest is the place Canberra’s coffee lovers who work in the heart of the city enjoy hanging out – and makes the controversial claim of being home to “Canberra’s Best Coffee”. Address: 40 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra City

Coffee shops in Brisbane

1. Coffee Anthology is the place to go if you love latte ‘art’, where baristas make coffee that tastes as good as it looks. It’s also a place that specialises in the latest in trendy coffee jargon – so to hone your coffee lingo, drop in for a visit. Address: 126 Margaret Street Brisbane,
2. The Odyssey Project is known for being the home of bean addicts. As award-winning speciality micro-roasters, they set the pace for good coffee in Brisbane. Address: 55 Douglas Street Milton,
3. The Woolloongabba Social Club is situated in an industrial warehouse and is a secret coffee lover’s hideaway that includes an in-house roaster and even a table tennis table. Address: 43 Balaclava Street Woolloongabba

Coffee shops in Adelaide

1. The Seller Door in Brighton is famous for its alternative lattes, which are packed full of antioxidants and include golden turmeric and Red Velvet. If you are looking for a caffeine hit, you’ll taste some of the finest blends from South Australia’s small-batch producers. Address: 73 Jetty Rd, Brighton
2. Coffee by the Beans is held in high regard, because their beans are simply excellent and are sourced from around the globe, including Colombia, Brazil and Papua New Guinea. Address: 3/394 Henley Beach Rd, Lockleys
3. The Loose Caboose is found in the heritage Bowden station and has its own in-house espresso mix known at The Caboose Blend. Address: 21 First St, Hindmarsh

Moerkoffie recipe

If you are still looking for some moerkoffie, here is a recipe to make it at home:

1. Make sure your chosen coffee is mixed with the correct amount of water. The preferred ratio is to use no less than 60 grams of coffee per litre of water.
2. Add cold water and ground coffee to your coffee pot.
3. Place on stove or fire, and allow to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Pour into a coffee cup (traditionally an enamel mug) through a fine strainer, to filter out the coffee grounds.
5. Add sweetened condensed milk, to taste.
6. Add hot milk to adjust the strength of the coffee to your taste.

If you are a South African living and enjoying coffee in Australia and would like to know more about how you can maximise your finances through the process of financial emigration from South Africa, accessing your South African retirement annuity and our tailor-made tax solutions for South Africans around the world, contact FinGlobal today.