Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The world's oldest cultivated fruit has been the staple of Arabs for centuries. Of the world's 90 million
date palms, 64 million are in Arab countries.
Coffeehouses & Coffeeshops
Across the Arabian Peninsula, there are bastions of old-world Arab hospitality that go by
the name of 'coffeehouses'. These relics of an era, when people had more time to sit and
chat, are places of male camaraderie and tend often to be no more than a mere hole-in-the-
wall, a bench up against a souq alleyway, or even a favourite perch under a tree. These
coffeehouses dispense coffee from copper pots or
chi libton
(tea) in disposable paper cups
while
sheibas
(old men) with beards dish out dates, advice and opinions in equal measure
to anyone who'll listen. For a male visitor, they offer a unique engagement with Arab so-
ciety. Women are politely tolerated but it is more sensitive to leave the men to their bond-
ing.
Saudi 'champagne' is less exciting than it sounds: it's a mixture of apple juice and Perrier water.
'Coffeeshops', on the other hand, welcome all-comers. These ubiquitous cafes, with
their plastic chairs and compulsory string of fairy lights, are dotted across Arabia. They
are usually run by expatriates from the subcontinent and they form the social hub of many
small villages, selling kebabs, roasted chickens or omelettes rolled up in flat Arabic bread.
Most are simple shopfronts with seating on the pavement but the more upmarket cof-
feeshops stretch to a plate and a napkin and are scented with the regional passion for
shee-
sha
(waterpipe).
COFFEE CARRY-ON
Throughout the Peninsula there is an old and elaborate ritual surrounding the serving of coffee. In homes, offices
and even at some hotels, you may well be offered a cup. To refuse is to reject an important gesture of welcome
and hospitality, and you risk offending your host. 'Arabic' or 'Bedouin' coffee as it's known, is usually poured
from an ornate, long-spouted pot known as a
dalla
, into tiny cups without handles. You should accept the cup
with your right hand.
It's considered polite to drink at least three cups (the third is traditionally considered to bestow a blessing).
More may be impolite; the best advice is to follow your host's lead. To show you've had sufficient, swivel the
cup slightly between fingers and thumb.
