Arabic coffee
Arabic coffee, known in Arabic as , is a version of the brewed coffee of Coffea arabica beans. Most Arab countries throughout the Middle East have developed distinct methods for brewing and preparing coffee. Cardamom is an often-added spice, but it can alternatively be served plain or with sugar.
Arabic coffee is bitter and usually served without sugar. It is typically brewed in a dallah or cezve, and served in a small cup decorated with a pattern, known as a finjān. Culturally, Arabic coffee is served during family gatherings or when receiving guests, with its preparation reflecting local customs.
Arabic coffee refers to a variety of coffee brewing methods and traditions across the Arab world. In regions influenced by the Ottoman Empire, it often shares brewing techniques, utensils, and terminology with Turkish coffee. In contrast, among rural and Bedouin populations, Arabic coffee traditions typically show fewer similarities with Turkish coffee.
Arabic coffee originated in Greater Yemen, beginning in the port city of Mokha in Yemen and eventually travelling to Mecca in Hejaz, Egypt, the Levant, and then, in the mid-16th century, to Turkey and from there to Europe where coffee eventually became popular as well. Arabic coffee is an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Arab states confirmed by UNESCO. Every year on March 3, Yemenis celebrate the "Yemeni Coffee Day," a national festival to encourage coffee cultivation.
Etymology
The word entered the English language in 1582 via the Dutch koffie, borrowed from the Ottoman Turkish kahve, in turn borrowed from the Arabic قَهْوَة. The word qahwah may have originally referred to the drink's reputation as an appetite suppressant from the word qahiya. The name qahwah is not used for the berry or plant, which are known in Arabic as bunn. Semitic had a root qhh, which became a natural designation for the beverage. According to this analysis, the feminine form also had the meaning of wine, which was also often dark in color.History
The earliest credible evidence of coffee drinking appears in the middle of the 15th century from Yemen as coffee was in use in Yemen's Sufi monasteries. Sufis used it to keep themselves alert during their nighttime devotions. A translation of Al-Jaziri's manuscript traces the spread of coffee from Arabia Felix northward to Mecca and Medina, and then to the larger cities of Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad, and Constantinople. In 1511, it was forbidden for its stimulating effect by conservative, orthodox imams at a theological court in Mecca. However, these bans were to be overturned in 1524 by an order of the Ottoman Turkish Sultan Suleiman I, with Grand Mufti Mehmet Ebussuud el-İmadi issuing a fatwa allowing the consumption of coffee. In Cairo, Egypt, a similar ban was instituted in 1532, and the coffeehouses and warehouses containing coffee beans were sacked.Preparation
Arabic coffee is made from lightly to heavily roasted Arabica beans mixed with cardamom, and sometimes flavored with cloves or saffron. It is a traditional beverage in Arab culture and is usually prepared at home or for special occasions. The beans are roasted, ground, brewed, and served in front of guests.The coffee is boiled but not filtered, producing a strong, concentrated drink. It is generally unsweetened, though sugar may be added during preparation or serving. To balance the bitterness, it is often accompanied by dates, dried or candied fruit, nuts, or other sweets.
Arabic coffee is served in small, handleless cups called finjān.
Arabian Peninsula
In the Arabian Peninsula, Arabic coffee is typically brewed and served from a pot called a "dallah". It is almost always accompanied by dates and offered as a gesture of hospitality. In restaurants, it may be served by waiters called qahwaji.Light roasting is common in Saudi Arabia, especially in the Najd and Hejaz regions, giving the coffee a golden or blonde color. Spices such as saffron, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon may be added, with cardamom being the most essential.
In North Arabia, a darker variation known as qahwah shamāliyya is prepared by roasting the beans for a longer time.
In Yemen, Arabic coffee is often brewed with the addition of local spice blends called hawaij.
Image:Different_Types_of_Arabic_Coffee.jpg|thumb|367x367px|Hejazi/Najdi golden coffee, Levantine black coffee.
Levant
In the Levant, Arabic coffee is similar to Turkish coffee, but typically flavored with cardamom. It is usually prepared in a long-handled pot known as aThe level of sweetness is reflected in the terminology used: unsweetened, moderately sweetened, or sweet.
Serving coffee is often ceremonial. The host, or the eldest son, moves clockwise among guests, pouring coffee according to age and status. It is polite to accept three cups, with the last cup traditionally concluded by saying daymen, wishing the host continued means to serve coffee.
File:Bedouincoffeecup.jpg|thumb|left|Bedouin from a beehive village in Aleppo, Syria, drinking traditional murra coffee, 1930|213x213pxA special type of coffee called qahwa murra is commonly served among Bedouin communities, and many other Arabs in the Levant on special occasions. It is brewed for up to several hours using coarsely ground coffee beans and whole cardamom seeds, sometimes with the addition of a fermented coffee starter called khamira, and is always served unsweetened.
It is often said humorously that a Lebanese person who does not drink coffee risks “losing their nationality.”
In Jordan, black, cardamom-flavored qahwah sādah remains a traditional sign of respect and an important part of hospitality. Serving coffee is central to Jordanian social life and is a customary way to honor guests.
Morocco
While the national drink of Morocco is gunpowder green tea brewed with fresh mint and espresso is very popular, Arabic coffee is also widely consumed, especially on formal occasions. It is often made with the purpose of conducting a business deal and welcoming someone into one's home for the first time, and frequently served at weddings and on important occasions.Cultivation
Much of the popularization of coffee is due to its cultivation in the Arab world, beginning in what is now Yemen, by Sufi monks in the 15th century. Through thousands of Arabs pilgrimaging to Mecca, the enjoyment and harvesting of coffee, or the "wine of Araby" spread to other Arab countries and eventually to a majority of the world through the 16th century.Coffee, in addition to being essential in the home, became a major part of social life. Coffeehouses, qahwa قَهوة in Modern Standard Arabic, became "Schools of the Wise" as they developed into places of intellectual discussion, in addition to centers of relaxation and comradery.