‘O Coffee! Thou dost dispel all cares, thou art the object of desire to the scholar,” begins the translation of the Arabic poem In Praise of Coffee, written in 1511.
There is no denying the world’s love affair with this dark brew. It has cast a spell over millions of drinkers with a fragrance that can be as mesmerising as musk. Precious like gold, it is cherished like a secret love.
And, according to legend, we owe it all to a goat. Or, rather, a group of dancing African goats. It is said that in the ninth century, an Ethiopian herder called Kaldi noticed his goats were agitated. He saw them eating special red berries, which he ate and soon felt as excited as his goats.
Kaldi took the fruit to a holy man. The man disliked the berries and threw them into the fire, where they released a pleasant aroma. The roasted coffee beans were then ground up and boiled, creating the world’s first cup of coffee.
Coffee lovers can celebrate their relationship with this drink through the first official #InternationalCoffeeDay which takes place on October 1. Dozens of cafes, associations and businesses will celebrate. This special occasion will also raise awareness of the plight of coffee growers and promote fair trade. Some cafes will be donating their profits to charity.
There is already an unofficial coffee day of sorts, on September 29, and so this week’s social media has been awash with trivia, special offers and quite exuberant declarations of love for coffee. Through this celebration, a new generation is discovering Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) and his composition, Coffee Cantata, a short comic opera.
It is about a young woman named Aria who loves coffee so much that she will “turn into a shrivelled up roast goat” without it. Her father is against his daughter having any kind of caffeinated fun and threatens her: “If you don’t give up coffee for me, you won’t go to any wedding parties, or even go out for walks.”
A delightful piece and beautifully poetic. Aria captures the world’s love of coffee in these lines: “Ah! How sweet coffee tastes, more delicious than a thousand kisses, milder than muscatel wine. Coffee, I have to have coffee, and, if someone wants to pamper me, ah, then bring me coffee as a gift!”
But there is a happy ending. The two reconcile when the father agrees to give his daughter “permission to brew coffee” whenever she wants.
As for the Middle East, the relationship with coffee is more of family. Dating from 1450, it was in Yemen that the drink was first called gahwa and Mokha port was once the main coffee exporting site for the region. Coffee spread across the world via the Arabs and Turks.
It is a tradition in some homes that when a child gets permission to drink his or her first sip of Arabic coffee, it is like they are now “all grown up”.
More than just a pastime, the drink is a symbol of hospitality and chivalry.
No guest would ever leave an Arab home, or tent, without a cup of coffee. During the Second World War, when there was a global shortage of food and drinks, including coffee, the Bedouins residing here would crush and grind dates before boiling them into a brown-coffee-like drink to be served in traditional cups.
There are always new coffee shops opening up in the UAE, and there is even a coffee museum in Dubai. In it one discovers just how powerful the hold coffee has had on people, and continues to have around the world. For example, German soldiers in the Second World War carried an essential piece of equipment along with their weapons: a coffee grinder.
As a coffee lover myself, particularly of the organic type, I salute and thank the farmers who work hard behind the scenes to provide us with this magical drink that keeps us hooked and happy.
rghazal@thenational.ae
On Twitter:@Arabianmau
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman and Jennifer Valoppi
Hachette Books
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'The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting up a Generation for Failure'
Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, Penguin Randomhouse
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The specs
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
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Top tips
Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
Florida: The critical Sunshine State
Though mostly conservative, Florida is usually always “close” in presidential elections. In most elections, the candidate that wins the Sunshine State almost always wins the election, as evidenced in 2016 when Trump took Florida, a state which has not had a democratic governor since 1991.
Joe Biden’s campaign has spent $100 million there to turn things around, understandable given the state’s crucial 29 electoral votes.
In 2016, Mr Trump’s democratic rival Hillary Clinton paid frequent visits to Florida though analysts concluded that she failed to appeal towards middle-class voters, whom Barack Obama won over in the previous election.
China and the UAE agree comprehensive strategic partnership
China and the UAE forged even closer links between the two countries during the landmark state visit after finalising a ten-point agreement on a range of issues, from international affairs to the economy and trade and renewable energy.
1. Politics: The two countries agreed to support each other on issues of security and to work together on regional and international challenges. The nations also confirmed that the number of high-level state visits between China and the UAE will increase.
2. Economy: The UAE offers its full support to China's Belt and Road Initiative, which will combine a land 'economic belt" and a "maritime silk road" that will link China with the Arabian Gulf as well as Southeast, South and Central China, North Africa and, eventually, Europe.
3. Business and innovation: The two nations are committed to exploring new partnerships in sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, energy, the aviation and transport industries and have vowed to build economic co-operation through the UAE-China Business Committee.
4. Education, science and technology: The Partnership Programme between Arab countries in Science and Technology will encourage young Emirati scientists to conduct research in China, while the nations will work together on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, renewable energy and space projects.
5. Renewable energy and water: The two countries will partner to develop renewable energy schemes and work to reduce climate change. The nations have also reiterated their support for the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency.
6. Oil and gas: The UAE and China will work in partnership in the crude oil trade and the exploration and development of oil and natural gas resources.
7. Military and law enforcement and security fields: Joint training will take place between the Chinese and UAE armed forces, while the two nations will step up efforts to combat terrorism and organised crime.
8. Culture and humanitarian issues: Joint cultural projects will be developed and partnerships will be cultivated on the preservation of heritage, contemporary art and tourism.
9. Movement between countries: China and the UAE made clear their intent to encourage travel between the countries through a wide-ranging visa waiver agreement.
10. Implementing the strategic partnership: The Intergovernmental Co-operation Committee, established last year, will be used to ensure the objectives of the partnership are implemented.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets