Have you ever tried different kinds of coffee from around the world in one evening? You can now try tens of different kinds of coffee, including those from across Saudi Arabia, as well as other Arab and African coffees like Yemeni, Sudanese, Palestinian and Ethiopian varieties. In order to witness this splendid coffee experience, pay a visit to the Coffee Week Festival in Jeddah which kicked off March 14th at the promenade garden located behind Jeddah Westin Hotel. This unique festival is organized by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), was inaugurated by Dr. Mazen Batarji from the JCCI and attended by hundreds of visitors and media representatives. The festival includes an assortment of cultural activities like folkloric shows, traditional dance, competitions and aromatic coffee offerings from across the region Saudi Arabia, Africa and the Middle East. Coffee speaks a universal language and a large number of expatriates were out to enjoy the offerings. According to Salima, an Ethiopian lady who was busy brewing the aromatic traditional Ethiopian coffee, the beans are ground to a powder after being roasted to a rich, brown color. “We boil the coffee in a big kettle for around ten minutes and serve it without sugar, though some people like to have it with sugar. Ethiopians traditionally like to drink this kind of coffee in the morning and afternoon,” she said. The Sudanese coffee, which is sometimes called Al Jabana, is totally different. Ground coffee – similar to the Turkish variety – put in a special pot called “Sharagrag” and brewed with ginger and hot water being added gradually. Fatimah, a Sudanese expatiate who participated in the festival, remarked that coffee brewing is traditionally accompanied by singing. “In Sudan, coffee is served with some traditional sweets and dates in an atmosphere of incense,” she explained. Ali, a Yemeni coffee guru, explained that there are five different kinds of coffee in Yemen: Al Muzare'a (framer), “Ra'aweya” (pastoral), Arabic, San'ani and Al Safi (pure) coffee. There are also four different coffee beans: “Al Da'eri” (round bean), “Toffahi” (apple-like bean), “Seghri” (small bean) and “Kubri” (big size bean). One type of coffee he was brewing is called “Geshr” where coffee husks are boiled along with ginger, cinnamon and sugar. The traditional, strong black coffee from Palestine is cooked for around 15 minutes with cardamom and served without sugar. It is very similar to the Turkish coffee but darker and far more bitter, as it is made entirely without sugar. Many local varieties of coffee were also on offer, coming from the western, eastern and the central regions. Saleha, a Saudi woman from Makkah, spoke about the special “Makkawi” coffee called “Almond Coffee” which is only made in the Makkah region. “We add medium-roasted ground coffee to a mixture of milk, sugar, ginger, almond and cardamom,” she explained. The first day of the festival offered a number of folkloric dance performances by expatriates form Sudan, Ethiopia, Palestine and Yemen.
