Gahwa, Arabic for coffee in the Emirati dialect has been infused into the foundation of Arab culture for centuries. The coffee of the UAE has been inscribed on the UNESCO representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity since 2015, reinforcing the true importance and extent to which coffee is considered a tradition and symbol of the generosity attributed to the UAE’s citizens.

Arabic coffee is a staple in Middle Eastern and North African cultures and is renowned for its rich and aromatic flavours. One of the key components of Arabic coffee is the use of spices, which can include cardamom, cloves and saffron. The preparation is as important as the presentation, and it is the reason it has such a delicious and distinctive taste.

The toolkit for creating coffee is called the ma’am eel and comprises of specialist tools including the chiefly al tawa – a wide circular pan for roasting. Mihmas is for stirring beans, the mehbash are iron tongs for handling coals and embers on the stove, and the dallah or coffee pot is an important utensil in the coffee-making process. Have you tried our coffee selection at The Grey?