The etiquette of serving classic Arabic coffee to guests was demonstrated to children in an engaging workshop that highlighted the core principles of Bahraini hospitality.
More than a dozen curious children watched the step-by-step process of preparing ‘gahwa’ (Arabic coffee), asked questions and even sampled the bean-derived beverage.
Held in Awali, the workshop was part of a series of heritage-related events organised this summer by the Southern Governorate.
Retiree Waheed Al Yaqoubi showed youngsters from the Sharifa Al Awadhi Children and Youth Club how to roast, grind and prepare the coffee, add spices and serve it to guests.
According to Mr Al Yaqoubi, the coffee beans are first roasted over a small fire and seared to the liking of the host. The roasted beans are then ground into a powder using a specialised mortar and pestle. Aromatics like saffron, cardamom and cloves are then added, either whole or ground.
Finally, the gahwa is combined with hot water in a cooking pot or a large coffee pot and is allowed to simmer until the host is satisfied with its colour and intensity.
Mr Al Yaqoubi showed how the freshly-made beverage is transferred into a ‘dallah’ (coffee pot for serving), and explained the etiquette of pouring and serving the drink.
“You always have to serve the cup of gahwa to your guests using your right hand, pouring it from the dallah using your left hand,” he said.
He added that guests, in the olden times, had to be served the best gahwa available because ‘they could easily tell if the coffee was old, fresh, burnt or had gone bad.’
Although he demonstrated the process to the children with ease and answered their queries patiently, it was the first time that Mr Al Yaqoubi had held a workshop specifically for youngsters.
“I’ve given three workshops for adults on serving gahwa, but heritage and antiques are a lifelong passion for me,” the 55-year-old told the GDN.
“I learned the art of presenting coffee to guests from my late father-in-law who ran a majlis,” the retired BDF employee said.
“Such workshops are necessary to refresh our collective memory of these customs – there are some traditions that have ceased to exist and have been completely forgotten.”
Meanwhile, Southern Governorate social affairs department head Rashid Al Noaimi told the GDN that the heritage programme was the brainchild of Governor Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali Al Khalifa.
Three more events have been lined up as part of the programme: a class introducing the wild plants of the governorate is set to take place on Sunday.
Children will be educated about the landmarks in the governorate on Thursday, followed by a photo-exhibition on August 27 detailing its history.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))