{"id":214731,"date":"2019-05-31T07:00:33","date_gmt":"2019-05-31T10:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/?p=214731"},"modified":"2019-06-03T16:29:22","modified_gmt":"2019-06-03T19:29:22","slug":"a-caffeine-fueled-uae-tour-from-tradition-to-modernity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/a-caffeine-fueled-uae-tour-from-tradition-to-modernity\/","title":{"rendered":"A caffeine-fueled UAE tour, from tradition to modernity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dubai \u2013 Arab countries are one of the parts of the world where the history of coffee dates back the longest. Ever since the 15th<\/sup> century, when plant used to be grown and then shipped from Yemen, hundreds of years have gone by and the grain remains synonymous with tradition in Arab culture. However, at caf\u00e9s in the United Arab Emirates, modernity weaves its way through ancientness.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The Espresso Lab is set in the Dubai Design District<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A tour of Dubai and Abu Dhabi can include one of the oldest caf\u00e9s in the UAE, and ones that offer specialty coffees, cutting-edge extraction methods, and grains from around the globe, Brazil included.<\/p>\n

The Espresso Lab<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first caf\u00e9 along our way is The Espresso Lab (pictured above), owned by Ibrahim H. Al Mallouhi, the Emirati barista who won the national brewers\u2019 contest in 2018 and 2019. Mallouhi represented the UAE in the 2018 world tournament hosted in Brazil.<\/p>\n

Set in the Dubai Design District, where art installations pop up amid the buildings, the caf\u00e9 won the Best Special Drinks category in the 2018 DubaiLovesCoffee competition. It serves up multiple coffee-based drinks made with product from countries like Ecuador and Colombia. Also available is product from Fazenda Para\u00edso, a farm in Brazil\u2019s Cerrado Mineiro area \u2013 filtered, espresso and cold-pressed options are available!<\/p>\n

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Mokha is also the name of a seaport in Yemen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mokha 1450<\/strong><\/p>\n

Next we\u2019ll stop by Mokha 1450, whose name pays tribute to the first seaport from where coffee got shipped to the world over: that\u2019s Mokha Port, in Yemen, where exports began in 1450.<\/p>\n

Single-source coffee options are available here, including from Yemen itself, where Mokha 1450 supports the Talok Women\u2019s Coffee Association, a 70-strong producers\u2019 cooperative. The micro batches produced by local women gets roasted and sold out of the caf\u00e9\u2019s two units in Dubai. In addition to the sweets on offer, dates get served alongside filtered coffee cups.<\/p>\n

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Great Coffee? In Abu Dhabi, we checked out the Aptitude Caf\u00e9<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Aptitude Caf\u00e9 (Abu Dhabi)<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the UAE\u2019s capital, art-seeking tourists will definitely see Louvre Abu Dhabi. And that\u2019s when they can replenish their caffeine levels in style. Right next to the museum entrance is a sign that reads \u201cGreat Coffee this way,\u201d and it points towards Aptitude Caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Overseeing the museum and the surrounding ocean, the establishment welcomes tourists and locals alike, and Brazilian grain is also available here! They serve snacks, cakes, and cold-brew to go if you happen to be in a hurry. Also available are modern filtering methods like Aeropress and Chemex.<\/p>\n

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One of the oldest restaurants in Dubai<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Arabian Tea House Cafe<\/strong><\/p>\n

Back in Dubai, you can take the metro and then a few footsteps to get to the Arabian Tea House Caf\u00e9, one of the oldest places in the emirate. With a tree in the middle of the hall where the tables are, the Arabian features d\u00e9cor, the menu and a history of treasuring Arab tradition.<\/p>\n

The place is in an old building in the Al-Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, an area that got converted into a small stronghold of art galleries, caf\u00e9s and hotels, while preserving the original UAE architecture. The Arabian Tea House Caf\u00e9\u2019s menu features a long list of food items, juices and teas, and of course, the coffee, brewed Turkish- or Arab-style.<\/p>\n

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From traditional to modern at the Bayt Al Khanyar Coffee Shop<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bayt Al Khanyar Coffee Shop<\/strong><\/p>\n

Further ahead in the same neighborhood, where the memory of ancient Dubai is kept alive, is a small caf\u00e9 that serves up specialty grains made the traditional Arab and Turkish ways.<\/p>\n

The barista explains that the idea of selling traditional and modern styles came from the owner \u2013 a native who\u2019s passionate about coffee. He was also the founder of the Dubai Coffee Museum, which is right close by. The pies are cooked by the staff, and the coffee is done using methods like Aeropress and Hario v60.<\/p>\n

The Dubai Coffee Museum
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

An entire museum devoted to the grain! Although it\u2019s still a bit shy in size, the venue\u2019s halls feature items ranging from old mills to green (pre-roast) coffee beans from countries like Colombia, Ethiopia and Brazil. Also on display is a collection of Arab coffee-making utensils, relics, and new items.<\/p>\n

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Coffee from around the world<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The\u00a0Dubai Coffee Museum<\/a>\u00a0has recently shipped part of its collection to the Coffee Museum in Santos, Brazil to help out with a project of the latter.<\/p>\n

Admission costs AED 10 (USD 2.72), and museumgoers get a cup of coffee made as directed: Arab, Turkish or Ethiopian stype. The d\u00e9cor includes objects frequently seen in Arab households, and coffee-related items from countries like Ethiopia.<\/p>\n

Bonus feature: Karak<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Karak: black tea, milk, cardamom and spices<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Having a coffee in Dubai or Abu Dhabi will set you back about AED 30 (USD 8.17) per cup. However, the locals have another hot drink option \u2013 a tea that\u2019ll give them their caffeine. It\u2019s called karak<\/em>. The beverage is made from black tea, milk and cardamom, plus a few other spices. A characteristically strong-flavored drink, it most likely originated in regions of Asia, and is believed to have been brought in by Asian immigrants who work in the UAE.<\/p>\n

Unlike coffee, karak<\/em> \u2013 aka karak chai<\/em> \u2013 is affordable. One cup costs as little as AED 1 (USD 0.27), or in some cases it\u2019s served free of charge, as was the case during the Al Marmoum Heritage Festival Finale 2019, where a vendor lugged her thermos around and offered a small cup to anyone wishing to sample it. She said that amid a different crowd, the people with less purchasing power, karak is becoming as traditional in the emirate as coffee itself.<\/p>\n

Quick facts <\/strong><\/p>\n

The Espresso Lab: Dubai Design District – Unit 8, Building 7
\nhttps:\/\/theespressolab.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Mokha 1450: Boutique No.8, Aswaaq Center, Al Badaa, Al Wasl Road
\nhttps:\/\/www.mokha1450.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Aptitude Caf\u00e9 (Abu Dhabi): Saadiyat – Louvre Abu Dhabi – Abu Dhabi
\nhttps:\/\/www.louvreabudhabi.ae\/en\/visit\/Aptitude%20Cafe<\/a><\/p>\n

Arabian Tea House Caf\u00e9: Al Bastakiya – Al Fahidi Street, Bur Dubai
\nhttps:\/\/arabianteahouse.net\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Bayt Al Khanyar Coffee Shop: Villa 42 Al Fahidi St – Dubai
\nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/baytalkhanyarcoffee\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Museu do caf\u00e9 de Dubai: Al Bastakiya – Al Fahidi Street, Bur Dubai, Villa 44
\nhttps:\/\/www.coffeemuseum.ae\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thais Sousa \/ ANBA<\/div>\n
Thais Sousa\/ ANBA<\/div>\n
Thais Sousa\/ ANBA<\/div>\n
Thais Sousa \/ ANBA<\/div>\n
Thais Sousa \/ ANBA<\/div>\n
Thais Sousa\/ ANBA<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Abu Dhabi and Dubai, caf\u00e9s roast and sell specialty coffees, Arab-style or otherwise. In the latter city, there\u2019s even an entire museum devoted to the product.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2324,"featured_media":214624,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[89],"tags":[202,1912,1916,8796,139,5381,228],"class_list":{"0":"post-214731","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-culture","8":"tag-abu-dhabi","9":"tag-cafe","10":"tag-coffee","11":"tag-coffee-shop","12":"tag-dubai","13":"tag-specialty-coffee","14":"tag-uae"},"wps_subtitle":"In Abu Dhabi and Dubai, caf\u00e9s roast and sell specialty coffees, Arab-style or otherwise. In the latter city, there\u2019s even an entire museum devoted to the product. ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214731","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2324"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=214731"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214731\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/214624"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=214731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=214731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=214731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}