AL WAKRAH: With its strong aroma of cardamom and its yellowy, tea-like consistency, Arabic coffee is a ubiquitous symbol of hospitality across Gulf countries, not least in World Cup host Qatar.

Prepared by roasting coffee beans then boiling them with cardamom and saffron, the traditional “gahwa” is usually enjoyed in the Qatari majlis — the all-male gathering that forms the centrepiece of social life in the country.

“I didn’t know it has coffee in it,” said Lanka Perera, 29, a Sri Lankan expatriate who has lived in the tiny, gas-rich Gulf emirate for three years, adding that it doesn’t taste like “the coffee that we know”.

As custom dictates, the hot drink is prepared in front of guests by the head of the household and served by his eldest son.

But in more recent years, the beverage has spilt beyond its traditional confines, making its way into commercial establishments and cultural houses, offering a taste of Qatari culture to residents and visitors alike. One such independent cultural centre is Embrace Doha, where Perera attended a session on the coffee and its origins.

“Gahwa is something that we drink almost every day... we see it in our office because there are lots of Qataris, so they bring it and then we taste it,” she said after the session.

“But... I didn’t know what’s in it and the story behind it, the origin behind it,” she confessed. Since the introduction of coffee to the region around 600 years ago, it has acquired its own ritual and ceremony, now integral to the culture of the country and region.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2022