History of Arabic Coffee - Essay Example

Arabic Coffee Introduction Coffee is understood to have originated from the Ethiopian southwestern highlands. Coffea Arabica, also know as the Arabica coffee, is known to have been indigenous to the Ethiopian mountains. Coffea Arabica is said to have been the very first type of coffee put by man under cultivation in southwestern Ethiopia for over a thousand years ago. Today, many nations around the globe have huge coffee plantations. Regardless of which country boasting of the best coffee in the world at present, they all have a common route leading to the ancient Ethiopian coffee forest. This paper explores the history of Arabic coffee, its uniqueness, preparation and drinking, advantages and disadvantages among other interesting facts about Arabica coffee. History of Arabic Coffee Arabic coffee can be traced back to Ethiopian highlands over a thousand years back, where it grew as coffee forest (Schmitt 113). The Arabs are known as the very first people to grow coffee as well as commence its trade. As early as the 15th century, the Arabs of Yemeni district, Arabia were already growing coffee. By the 16th century, coffee cultivation had spread to other Arab nations such as Egypt, Persia, Syria as well as Turkey. Besides drinking in homes, coffee was also served in public coffee houses commonly known as qahveh khaneh. The public drinking houses grew in popularity and people engaged in every type of social activities in the houses. In the early years, an open fire was used to roast coffee beans. The roasted beans were then prepared in dallah, a coffee pot over an open fire too. Today, coffee preparation is done over stovetop and other heat supplies rather than the traditional open fire. Cultivation Of the world’s total coffee production, coffee Arabica constitutes about 70 to 80 percent. It takes approximately seven years to mature. It grows best at altitudes of about 1,300 to 1500 meters with evenly distributed rainfall the whole year. Coffee Arabica can withstand low temperatures performing best at 15 and 24 °C. Commercial plantations are usually left to grow to about 5 meters. However, trimming is done to about 2 meters to enable easy harvesting. The trees are susceptible to frosty conditions. Cultivation of Arabica coffee has spread from the Arab world into other parts of the globe. Arabic coffee is currently one of the most precious beverages, not only in the Middle East, but in the entire world. Why Or How Is Arabic Coffee Unique? Anyone who has had time to visit the Middle East and gotten the opportunity to sip Arabic coffee must be having a whole lot difference to tell about how the coffee compares with others. Similarly, many others who might have had access to the coffee beyond the soils of Middle East must equally be stocking some stories about the uniqueness of the Arabic coffee. There are numerous steps involved in the preparation of Arabic coffee. These include coffee beans selection, picking the necessary spices to be used and establishing the blend. For many people, coffee is a passion. However, one has to practically experience traditional Arabic coffee in order to tell the big difference that exist between it and other coffee types (Illy and Viani 30) available in other parts of the world such as Europe. In fact, there are many variations that exist even within the Middle East itself. But what really distinguishes Arabic coffee from others? The uniqueness of Arabic coffee is embedded in the beans selection as well as the roasting method. The roasting of the coffee beans varies from moderately roasted to very dark roast. In between the two extremes are various levels of roasting. In certain occasions, beans of different levels of roasting are blended and spices added to the mixture. Unlike other coffee brands such as the Italian coffee, which is often drunk with milk, Arabic coffee is taken without milk and only spices can be added instead of milk. The use of spices gives Arabic coffee a taste distinct from the rest of coffee that you have probably taken anywhere across the world. Dimashq, Ramallah, Riyadh together with Amman are the four major brands of Arabian coffee. Guidelines on how to order and drink Arabic coffee In the Middle East, the methods of preparation and serving of coffee vary significantly when compared to the Western countries. Coffee preparation method in the Middle East is often referred to as “Turkish Coffee” while others prefer to call it “Arabic Coffee”. Coffee is commonly referred to as “ahwa” in the Middle East. However, there are variations in how coffee is called in the region based on the dialect. Nonetheless, the variations are not far from each other and they refer to a common thing, coffee. When one is offered coffee or whenever he or she is making an order for coffee, he or she should inform the host or serve if sugar should be part of the coffee to be served. Indeed, for those who take sugar, it is usually added in the process of coffee preparation, but not after the preparation is finished. In many cases, Arabic coffee is tart and it is for this reason that many individuals find it necessary to add some sugar to reduce the tartness. Interestingly, sugar application in the coffee also varies according to the type of Arabic coffee that one wants. For example, there are ahwa sada: black coffee, ahwa ariha: lightly sweetened, ahwa mazboot: sugar in a medium quantity and ahwa ziyada: very sweet. Arabic coffee is best served without milk or cream. During service, a thick foam usually forms at the top and the lack of this thick foam on top of coffee when it is served, is often treated as an insult in many areas. Those who do not fancy the foam have the choice to blow it back as they graciously sip the coffee. Sipping the coffee slowly helps the drinker to avoid taking in coffee grinds because it gives the coffee grinds the opportunity to settle deep at the base of the cup. Coffee Arabica provides a high quality drink compared to other coffee brands (Illy and Viani 30). The Advantages of Arabic Coffee Coffee is the most popular beverage in the world. Coffee Arabica berries are flavored and mature faster than other varieties like coffee Robusta (Weinberg and Bealer 151). The consumption of coffee has been linked with numerous health benefits. Coffee has been identified by researchers as best for people with hypertension (Weinberg and Bealer 152). Taking less amounts of coffee Arabica is likely to lower the risk exposure to hypertension. Moderate intake of coffee has also been proven by researchers to reduce cardiovascular diseases and also reduce cases of diabetes as well as hyperlipidaemia. Further, coffee intake has been associated with reduction of body mass index, and improvement of renal function. Researchers have for many years centered on the effect of caffeine on coffee drinkers. Research demonstrates that caffeine boosts mental awareness and enhances memory, attention as well as learning. Coffee Arabica consumption also reduces incidences of cancer. The Disadvantages of Arabic Coffee Coffee Arabica is not as tough as coffee Robusta and is easily destroyed by frost. Coffee Arabica beans are smaller in size compared to those of coffee Robusta (Weinberg and Bealer 151). Concerning health of the drinkers, the coffee Arabica bean is known to contain Kahweol and cafestol, diterpene compounds associated with health problems. Cafestol causes an increase in bad cholesterol with coffee Arabica containing a higher quantity of this compound than coffee Robusta (Rodrigues 34). Conclusion Coffee Arabica has been cultivated in the Arab world for many centuries. The origin of coffee Arabica can be traced to Ethiopian highlands where coffee grew wildly as a forest of trees. Today, coffee is grown in almost every part of the world. The cultivation and trade in coffee can be traced to the Middle East. Many varieties of coffee exist. Even in the Middle East where coffee is a common beverage, there exist variations from one region to another. Traditional coffee Arabica provide the finest beverage one can ever drink owing to its unique taste. Today, coffee is not only a popular beverage in Arab nations, but in the entire world. Works Cited Illy, Andrea and Rinantonio Viani. Espresso coffee: the science of quality. Amsterdam: Elsevier, Acad. Press, 2005.Print. Rodrigues, Isabella M. Effects of Caffeine, Stress, and Family History of Hypertension on Blood Pressure and Blood Markers of Cardiovascular Disease Risk. Mason, OH: ProQuest, 2005.Print. Schmitt, Christine B. Montane rainforest with wild Coffea arabica in the Bonga region (SW Ethiopia): plant diversity, wild coffee management and implications for conservation. Gottingen: Cuvillier, 2006.Print. Weinberg, Bennett Alan and Bonnie K. Bealer. The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the Worlds Most Popular Drug. New York, NY: Routledge, 2004. Print. Read More