The UNESCO inscription
In 2015, at the 10th session of the Intergovernmental Committee in Windhoek, UNESCO inscribed "Arabic coffee, a symbol of generosity" on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, on a joint nomination by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar.
The Committee found that preparing, serving and drinking the coffee express hospitality, generosity and social etiquette, and that it is practised and handed down across every segment of society.
How it is made
According to the UNESCO file, the beans are selected and lightly roasted in a shallow pan over a fire, then pounded in a copper mortar with a copper pestle. The grounds go into a large copper pot with water and are set on the fire; once brewed, the coffee is poured into a smaller pot and from there into small cups. It is prepared in front of the guests.
Saudi coffee is based on coffee beans and cardamom; ginger, saffron, cloves and mastic were added later. Roasting is the first step, and it decides the flavour, taste and colour.
How it is served
The UNESCO file notes that the oldest or most important guest is served first, that each cup is filled to about a quarter and may be refilled, and that the custom is to drink at least one cup and no more than three.
Serving customs vary from one Saudi region to another. The host, his son or a close relative usually pours, standing while the guests drink, with the dallah (coffee pot) in the left hand and three or four cups in the right. He stands about three steps away, steps two paces closer and leans forward to place the cup in the seated guest's hand. The guest holds the cup in the right hand, between thumb and forefinger. Common phrases while serving include "tafaddal", "sammi" and "taqahwa".
The first cup goes to the host, to confirm the coffee's quality and safety; then to elders, senior guests and parents if present. Among family and friends, service may move from right to left.
The four cups
Saudipedia records traditional names for the cups: al-haif, which the host drinks first to show the coffee is good; al-daif, the first cup the guest receives, which he should drink unless he has a request of his host; al-kaif, the second and lighter cup; and al-saif, the third, a pledge to stand together in hard times.
An older custom, al-fares, saw a cup raised above the heads of the tribe's young men while the sheikh asked who would seek revenge; the knight who took on the task drank it.
Who keeps the tradition
Coffee is made and drunk at home by men and women of every background, and sheikhs and tribal heads serve it in their majlis. Its main bearers include sheikhs and tribal heads, elderly Bedouin men and women, and owners of coffee-trading shops; on special occasions, specialists take on the preparation and serving.
In Saudi Arabia coffee is the first step of official hospitality when foreign delegations and heads of state are received, and Saudi poetry calls it al-kaif.
How the knowledge is passed on
The knowledge and customs are passed on within the family through observation and practice, and young people go with their elders to the market to learn how to choose the best beans.