This week we continue with our journey in the footsteps of William H. Ukers, moving from Africa on to Asia. We start off in Arabia, which Ukers states as having given the gift of coffee to the world. According to the writer, the Arabs hospitality evolves around coffee so much that "their very houses are built around the cup of humanly brotherhood", with the central room in a house being the kahwah or coffee room. It is the room where men get together and guests are received by said men. Coffee is roasted and ground at the spot and served black, in some instances flavoured with cardamom seeds, at all hours of the day. He continues saying that Arabs might drink water before having their coffee, but never after, as one "would not [want to] spoil the taste of coffee in your mouth by washing it away with water", which are words to my heart. He makes note of Cafée Sultan or kisher, the original beverage made from dried and toasted coffee hulls, which is still drank to this day in a few countries, like Arabia, Turkey and especially Yemen. Sometimes it is made just by using the husks of the coffee beans, other customs include letting it simmer for a long time with the addition of spices like ginger, cardamom and/or nutmeg. As far as I could gather, coffee still plays a central role in everyday life in Saudi Arabia, with the centuries-old intricate ceremonies of preparing and serving it still being honoured. The men, though, may be found more often in dedicated coffee houses these days. And just so you know, if you ever happen to visit Arabia, it is very rude to refuse a cup of coffee when presented to you, and if you do have a cup, be polite and have an odd number. A full transcript of the book All About Coffee, by William H. Ukers has been made available as part of the Gutenberg project. This series is based upon Chapter 35, World's Coffee Manners and Customs.
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AuthorI wouldn't be surprised to find out I was born with a passion for coffee. For the life of me, I can't remember not loving coffee. And by that, I don't just mean drinking it, but everything involved from its cultivation over the processing to the final product that is my loyal companion throughout the day. Archives
February 2014
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