In Arabic culture, guests are given the second cup of coffee that has been made. The first cup is calledal heif, tasted by the host first to let guests know that the coffee is good. The second cup poured is calledal keif, guests will use their right hand to hold the cup. Absolutely do not use the left hand. And if you really like this coffee, you can only drink a maximum of 3 cups.
In Jordan, people take their coffee very seriously. The author is from Croatia, where coffee is a way of life. So, experiencing coffee in a place that takes it even more seriously than his own country was an interesting cultural adventure. Here, drinking Arabic coffee with a dash of fresh cardamom is a stylized ritual with fixed rules. It also has its own music and poetry.
At noon at Dana Biosphere – Jordan’s largest nature reserve, in Abu Mohammed’s typical Arab tent decorated with goat hair, Suleiman cleared his throat loudly as if to announce that a group was coming. This is the guesthouse’s activity, connecting with the surrounding Arab community to introduce the culture and traditional forms of the people to tourists.
Abu Mohammed greeted his new friends with a gentle smile and a slight build. Dressed in a dishdasha (traditional long-sleeved robe for Arab men), his head wrapped in a red and white checkered scarf, he began his work. The fire crackled, and wood, white brooms and acacias, roasted coffee beans. His 10-year-old grandson stood by, curious and eager to learn. Coffee brewing by men alone was a tradition that had been maintained for hundreds of years.
Then the miracle happened. Abu Mohammed poured roasted coffee beans into a mortar and pounded them with a pestle in a steady, mesmerizing rhythm. Everyone became quiet as if absorbed in the natural music.
The mehbash is a traditional coffee grinder, used rhythmically by Arab men as if they were playing with a familiar, interesting toy. “It is the sound of hospitality,” Suleiman explains. “When you hear that sound, you know the house is receiving distinguished guests.”
“We love to write poetry. Our life is very natural, stress-free and always in a positive state of mind. We often write about coffee, from the color of the coffee beans, to the brewing tools, the cups and even the fire when we roast the coffee,” Suleiman added.
Mohammed filled the pot with roasted coffee, added green cardamom seeds, and continued to boil. When the coffee was ready, he performed al heif, tasting the first cup of coffee according to the ritual. The cups of coffee were distributed equally to all the guests in the tent. However, there was only a little coffee in each cup.
“There shouldn't be too much coffee in the cup, but it should be hot, very hot,” says Suleiman.
After you have finished your glass, if you do not want a second one, you shake it, twisting your wrist a few times to let everyone know you are finished. If you want a second cup, you hand it back to the host without shaking it. After three cups, you shake the glass, indicating your refusal for the forbidden fourth.
Ngoc Anh (According to Fathom)
