ABU DHABI - The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) has announced the start of registration for the contest for making Arabian coffee in the traditional way. The contest is held annually as part of the activities of the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) whose new session will be held during the period from 14 to 17 September 2011.
The session is organized by the Emirates Falconers Club (EFC) and under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Representative of the Ruler in Al Gharbia (the Western Region) in Abu Dhabi Emirate, President of the EFC.
The contest, which is aimed at reviving the Emirati heritage and protecting and introducing the original customs and traditions, includes three categories of participants. They are the under 20 year old category, the 20-50 year old category, and the above 50 year old category. The contest is open to all citizens and residents.
Sitting on the judging committee are experts from the Intangible Heritage Department at ADACH and a number of people known for making Arabian coffee.
The contestants will be assessed in the stages of preparing the coffee: frying, grinding, roasting, and brewing the coffee, the way it is presented to guests, and its taste.
The Arabian coffee is considered to be one of the symbols of hospitality and generosity among the Arabs. It is the first thing offered to guests. It is presented in special ware called Dallah and in a cup with a small base.
The coffee has customs and traditions known among tribes. One of these is that the presenter of the coffee should be standing and should hold Dallah with the left hand and the cup with the right hand. The coffee should be presented to the guests starting from the right, to follow the noble Sunna. The host should stop pouring the coffee only when the guest shakes the cup in an indication that he has enough.
Saeed Al Kaabi, the research and expert in the Intangible Heritage Department at ADACH, said that this innovative contest is aimed at restoring one of the symbols of the original traditions and Arabian hospitality. The contest was welcomed and generated a great interest among the visitors of the exhibition in the previous sessions. They enjoyed seeing how the Arabian coffee is made in the traditional way which for long was a symbol of original hospitality among the Arabs.
He pointed out that the aim of gathering different age groups in the contest is to ensure that these traditions are transferred to the younger generations.
