Issue 9
A coffee culture steeped in tradition
Preparing and serving traditional Arabic coffee , or gahwa , is an art form that can take years to master . The perfect pour is elusive and attention to detail is necessary .
Sharing gahwa is both a social event and a performance with a precise community and respect in Qatari culture .
The eldest person , or an important guest , is always served first .
Gahwa is then served around the room starting from the first person ’ s right side , and never from the left .
The father should not serve his guests if his son is present . If multiple sons are present , the youngest will serve the coffee , provided he is old enough to master the pour .
The coffee pot , or dallah , is held in the left hand , with the handle-less coffee cup , or finjaan , in the right hand . The server holds the cup as he pours and raises the pot far above the cup for an elegant waterfall-like pour .
The receiver will always drink their gahwa with their right hand .
The server must be standing when serving and be careful to not to overfill the cup which would make it too hot to hold .
The server must never ignore a guest while serving coffee . Everyone must be offered gahwa .
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