Ever wonder how Dubai embraced the global coffee culture? Here at CACE, let’s discover it together. CACE is located in Dubai in United Arab Emirates. It is an office.
The story of coffee in the Middle East is rich. Coffee is an important symbol of hospitality here. You will always be welcomed with a small cup of coffee in any government building. The term normally used in Emirates is qawha.
The Coffee Museum in Dubai shows the cultural importance of coffee. The origin of this grain comes from a bush native to Ethiopia. This bush is called the Arabic coffee tree. It can grow spontaneously up to 10 or 12 meters high.
An ancient legend tells of a shepherd. He took his goats to graze in the Kaffa province in Ethiopia. The legend says coffee passed from Ethiopia to Yemen. Then it went to the Gulf of Arabia. After that, it traveled to Turkey, Europe, and finally South America.
Qahwa is made from ground coffee beans. They are roasted with spices like cardamom and saffron. Sometimes, cinnamon and rose water are added. Coffee preparation used to be a ritual at meetings. The beans were roasted. Then they were ground with a simple stone mill. The ground grains were poured into a coffee maker with water and spices. This was put on the fire to boil. The coffee infusion went into a third coffee maker called ‘dallah’. Guests were served in small cups without handles from the dallah.
The person serving coffee didn’t speak. They served coffee when they saw empty cups. The guest moved the cup from side to side with their right hand to show they didn’t want more coffee.
The UAE has a museum in the Al Fahidi district. Here, you can see equipment to prepare coffee. You can see how the drink is prepared in different countries. The museum shows equipment used in Egyptian palaces. The drink is heated in containers inside a plate with sand. The museum owner imports these machines from Greece. He distributes them in the Emirates.
The Coffee Museum also organizes coffee championships in the Middle East. They also train people with special needs in coffee-related activities.
Coffee shops are now common in Dubai. People love the coffee experience. Cafes provide comfort and convenience. They have free wireless services, couches, music, and books. People use these coffee shops for meetings. They also use them for socializing.
A strong presence of Arab expats has boosted sales of roasted beans in the UAE. The Department of Economic Development said coffee shops are rated highest in customer experience. Demand for high-quality coffee has increased. The high cost of specialty coffee hasn’t stopped people from enjoying it.
A typical cup of coffee from a cafe costs more in Dubai. It costs more than in nearly all of the world’s most expensive cities. Buying a cup of coffee in Dubai can cost an average of Dh17. The same cup costs Dh15 in Hong Kong.
Arabic coffee is a sign of hospitality in the UAE. The word coffee comes from the Arabic word Qahwa. Arabs consume Arabic coffee and Turkish coffee. Arabic coffee uses deeply roasted beans and cardamom. Turkish coffee mixes water with finely ground beans. The tradition of having Arabic coffee goes back 600 years.
Coffee seeds were first roasted over a fire and brewed with water in Yemen. They were exported from East Africa to Yemen. Yemeni traders grew the coffee tree. This is known as Coffea Arabica. Most coffee lovers have tried Mocha coffee. It has its roots in the port city of Mocha in Yemen.
Coffee is served from a coffee pot called the dallah. The dallah is on the UAE Dirham coin. The coffee is enjoyed in small cups called Fenjan. Arabic coffee is enjoyed with dates, dried fruit, and nuts.
Serving Arabic coffee has strict rules. Coffee is served from right to left. The server holds the dallah in the left hand. The Fenjan cups are stacked in the right hand. The Fenjan is filled 2/3 of the way. It is rude to fill the cup completely. Guests should accept at least one cup of coffee. It is customary to drink three or four cups. To indicate you are finished, place your cup on the table and swirl it.
Coffee continues to evolve in Dubai. It blends tradition with modern tastes. The story of coffee here is one of heritage. It is also a story of innovation. The coffee bean connects cultures here.