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- The be-all, end-all of Saudi Arabia is the Arabic coffee. I am including the author's remarks (with mine in parentheses) since this is exactly how it is served. Only on the women's side of the party, imagine so much incense burning you cannot see across the room for the smoke!
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- Arabic coffee can be prepared in various ways, but always contains more cardamom than coffee, and no sugar (it's made from green coffee beans and has a truly UNIQUE flavor, once described to me as Clorox bleach). It is the traditional welcoming drink served on every truly Arabic occasion such as weddings, receptions, gatherings, meetings, and camel races (also at any gathering of more than four people). It is served almost immediately to the guests on arrival, usually before the meal (Parties start about 9 pm, the meal begins about midnight.
- On the ladies side, the women make a mad rush to the food, eat very quickly, and leave immediately. Coffee goes around twice, then warm tea is brought out, it goes around once, maybe twice. Stuffed dates, some with sesame seeds, some without, are passed out with the coffee.
- Belgium chocolates are presented to the guests with the tea. The chocolates are individually wrapped and brought around in a large basket by a maid. Only one or possibly two chocolates are allowed. These were really wonderful, just about the best part of the party and I'm not even a chocolate fancier). It should be served from the traditional pot called the dallah (that has a chunk of fiberous material stuck in the spout to serve as a filter) into very small Arabic coffee c. filled only half full (these c. hold maybe half a c. of liquid anyway but when you have to drink the coffee it seems like a LOT more). The server then goes around with the pot to refill any c. which is empty, and continues to refill c. till the guest gently wobbles his c. to indicate he has had sufficient. It is customary to take 2 or possibly 3 c.. More than three is greedy, less than two is not polite (this is no joke. One way to upset your hostess real fast is to wobble after choking down the first c.. This is why the dates are so important. Without them to help kill the taste of the coffee, most of us would never have gotten to the tea part of the ritual, let alone the meal).
- GAHWA `ARABIYAH Arabic Coffee
- 1 level Tbsp Arabic coffee 2 level Tbsp coarsely grnd cardamom 2 c. water
- Put the coffee in a pan and hot it on a low heat for a few min, mixing with a spoon. Add in the water, bring to a boil, and boil 3 or possibly 4 min. Pour the boiled coffee through a filter into the dallah and add in the cardamom. Return to the heat, bring to a boil once more, then simmer 20 min.
- (Cardamom is very expensive and you can tell how well you're liked by the amount of cardamom in the coffee. Lots of cardamom makes the coffee actually taste good!)
- "The son of a duck is a floater." Arabic proverb Mint Tea
- SHAY BI NA'NA' Mint Tea
- 4 tsp regular loose leaf tea 1 handful of mint sprigs, washed and liquid removed, leaves, stems, and all 4 to 6 tsp sugar
- Put tea and sugar in a heated teapot (sugar can be added later at serving time). Bring 6 c. of water to a boil, add in to the pot, stir, and allow to settle. Add in the mint sprigs whole. Bring the teapot to a boil then put aside to brew for 5 min.
- Makes 6 to 8small glasses.
- Teapots used are highly ornate tea kettles made of metal. I brought home several kinds but do not know how safe it would be to actually use them. Well, I do have an aluminum one which I've seen in use in Saudi homes, but the brass and copper ones will just sit on the shelf.
- "I am a prince and you are a prince, so who will drive the donkeys" Arabic proverb
