‘Creative Publishing Café took its visitors on a flavourful journey into coffee provenance with a workshop titled ‘Coffee Taste Session’, on Friday, September 20.  The session detailed the history of coffee, and the different varieties and flavours found around the world.

Creative Publishing Café’ is a five-day event being organised by Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) at Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone (SPCFZ), as part of the Sharjah World Book Capital 2019 celebrations.

The coffee session was presented by Sultan Al Owais, Member of the International Coffee Organisation. He said the coffee is said to have originated in Ethiopia and Yemen where the first coffee trees were planted. It then spread to the rest of the world and has become the main crop in many countries such as Brazil.

Al Owais said there are 400 varieties of coffee and 2,000 different flavours. Coffee Arabica which comprises 70 percent of global production is the most popular one, followed by Robusta with a 30 percent market share. He noted that Robusta bears fruit twice a year, while coffee Arabica yields just once a year.

Speaking about the factors that influence flavours, Al Owais said the coffee produced in different countries generally vary in taste. Coffee picking is one of the most important stages in coffee production.

There are two methods of processing coffee. The wet method involves washing the beans after removing the outer shell. The dry method where the beans are sun or machine dried, is common in countries that do not have sufficient water sources. After this, the beans are roasted, with the degree of temperature determining the flavour of the coffee.

In a live demonstration, Al Owais showed how coffee beans was ground into powder. He prepared six varieties of coffee from Honduras, Costa Rica, Peru, Yemen, Ethiopia and Brazil, affording the participants an opportunity to taste the different coffees and learnt about their diversity and different characteristics.

At the conclusion of the session, Al Owais had a surprise for the participants: he introduced visitors to kopi luwak coffee seeds, which come from Kopi luwak, sometimes called “poop coffee” or “civet coffee,” which is said to be one of the world’s most expensive coffees.

The civet, a raccoon-like nocturnal mammal animal, selects the finest coffee plants in coffee estates to eat the best fruit.  Al Owais informed the surprised participants that the kopi luwak coffee is derived from the feces of the civet.

An evening of poetry

Visitors to the Creative Publishing Café also had an opportunity to listen to talented Emirati poets reciting their poems. The art of reciting poetry is held in high esteem in the UAE and has been embedded in the local culture throughout history.

The audience were treated to an evening of poetry by two women poets, Najat Al Dhaheri and Sheikha Al Motairi, who recited some of their thought-provoking poems that left the audience spellbound.

Najat Al Dhaheri recited three poems on love, sea and friendship in her unique style that reflected her profound personal experiences and individual perspectives.

Sheikha Al Motairi enthralled the audience with a poem titled ‘The Story Continues’ that she wrote 10 years ago, before concluding the session with the recital of a folklore poem.