A coffee with Bedouins

I'm one of those people who are crazy about coffee. I love the aroma, the flavor and all the memories that connected me with this magic drink. I was born in Brazil, where filtered coffee brings me the smell of my grandmother's house and also the taste of mornings in my childhood. Since I started traveling, having coffee around the world is one of my favorite adventures.

It's amazing how coffee can be prepared in different ways and also has different tastes around this planet. Considering all the caffeinated experiences I had, nothing struck me more than being in the Wadi Rum desert having coffee with Bedouins.

Coffee has been a part of Bedouin culture for a long time. Many tribes were responsible for transporting the famous "Arabica coffee" to Iran and Iraq. This type of coffee, traditionally cultivated in Yemen, reached the port of Aqaba and then crossed Jordan into caravans led by different tribes.

For a Bedouin, coffee is not just a drink. If you are invited to a coffee with Bedouin, you can be sure that something important is waiting for you. Coffee is the basis of negotiation, marriage agreements and debt settlement. If a tribe intends to resolve any conflict with another, coffee will be served between the leaders of the tribes in order to get into the solution.

Coffee preparation is another important detail. First, the grains are toasted in a pan directly on the fire, in a rather rustic way. The grains are then milled until they become a thick powder. Most tribes grind not only coffee beans but also cardamom seeds, which give it a very special aroma and taste. After being ground, the powder is poured into the hot water and infused until it boils.

Coffee is served in small cups, with no handles. The ritual includes three small cups, which should be tasted calmly. Even if you are not a coffee lover, you should drink at least one cup in order to not break any traditions. Coffee is served by someone rather deaf so that the important topics of the conversations never turned into gossip.

Coffee can be served with or without sugar and has an incredible aroma and flavor. Drinking coffee around the world is always an adventure. But a few times, this adventure was full of taste and magic as it was in Jordan.

(Wadi Rum Desert, Jordan, 2017)

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