Coffee is the final judgment? Is it that powerful?
Now this is an Arabian tradition that I think is absurd. Why do “women” judge “girls” by their coffee? I talked in some distant past post that I am not going to dig up right now about the superficial looks, etc, that women judge girls with, but coffee? Not only that, it isn’t Arabian coffee! Oh no! It is TURKISH coffee!
I am Palestinian. So the traditions of belad el-sham or the Levant is not the same as the rest of the Arab world. Plus we were too influenced by Turkish occupation. So, in my area, serving Turkish coffee is one of the most important things. I think more important sometimes than having morals.
Let’s say a “mother” is coming to see a potential “wife” for her “gorgeous” son, and one of the complimentary servings out of respect is coffee. Well, the potential “wife” is the one that makes the coffee and serves it. If you don’t know much about Turkish coffee, it is grinded to the extreme, or at Starbucks, they call it espresso, and you are better off with one shot of espresso, because Turkish coffee is like 10 shots! Anyways, so, the girl serves it and …
Judgment 1: The “mother” stares at the way the “girl” serves it.
Judgment 2: Takes a sip of the coffee, and tastes if it is too watery or not.
Judgment 3: While sipping the coffee notices if it is sweet, bitter, or medium, and if the girl followed the correct instructions. (Assuming she asked everyone how they want their coffee)
Judgment 4: Was the coffee spectacular? Is she the best potential bride for her son?
What do I think?
I don’t think too much. I think this is the STUPIDEST TRADITION and I demand that my generation ABOLISH it!
Why am I mad?
I am not. I just find it stupid.
Do I drink Turkish coffee?
Last time I drank Turkish coffee when I was 3 years old. I remember because my dad made coffee for him and mom, and my mom suddenly had to go somewhere, so he was left with lots of coffee. Guess who his new coffee partner was? Yah. Obviously I was stupid at 3 years old, but I do have a habit since then to always try new things, and then make the final judgment. The result? Spit it all over the ground! 
Yes, I hate it!
I do not like Turkish coffee. I never made Turkish coffee in my life! I do not know how, and I don’t care! Don’t even think of serving it to me, I hate it! I find people who constantly drink it, like my parents, always have this after smell of coffee. Their tongues are always darkish yellow from it, and their teeth turn yellow. However, I am an avid drinker of American coffee, but I don’t taste the coffee with all the cream and sugar I put in it. I don’t like the taste of coffee at all! I just drink it to stay awake.
Why not Arabian coffee?
I am Bedouin. I mean I look like one, and I wish I was one and lived in the desert and had no idea what technology was. Look at my eyes? Would it have looked like that in a desert? NO! I love Arabian coffee! I find the spices and the after effects of it A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Arabian coffee is yellow and filled with spices. However, once you drink 2 or 3 cups, you feel sedated! Talk about drugs, now this is a legal drug! Why don’t we serve it instead of Turkish coffee?
Hmm, the talk of coffee is making me crave a cup or two. 
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At the risk of being a gossip I will refrain from the sordid detials. Let me just say, though, as a Moroccan national married to a Palestinian I got a RUDE awakening the first time I served coffee to my in laws…a VERY RUDE awakening.
i love your ’stories’…
i recognize so many things !
especially the part about woman who walk behind their husband !
@Mrs.S – I feel sorry for you! You married into Turkish Coffee obsessing people.
@Malika – thanks! I just write about Arabian traditions that I don’t agree with and wish can be changed. Oh well, one person like me cannot make a difference, but at least I have the power to address it to the masses.
Yes! Yes! Mona you’re my hero!
I have some Turkish roots somewhere in my family tree(and so is 3/4 of the Egyptian population) and Turkish coffee is like the default thing you get served when you visit someone…
And yes we too have this stupid weird tradition… but WHY?? Seriously… WHY??
I’m pretty sure I’m gonna marry someone who WILL NOT make Turkish coffee that’s CLOSE to good… do I care? Not at all… Parents? Probably, yeah…
The coffee has to have this layer on top of it, whatever it is… and there are all these rules and stuff… its annoying!
We are obsessed, and its not cool anymore!
I like Arabian coffee, especially the Saudi way of making it, its the best! Here in Egypt, we don’t have an Arabic coffee recipe, and its not popular… but we’ve got the “Dallah” to make it, and those tiny cups, and the Saudi recipe because my family currently lives there, and its amazing! A legal drug indeed!
Anyways I still think that Starbucks is the shit! THAT’S what I call coffee! And I’m proudly obsessed with this coffee house
Arabian coffee surpasses all else although its popularity is confined to the traditional Arab world like Belaad Shaam, Iraq, Hejaz, Nejd, Yamaan. If people in the rest of the world knew how good it was, I think that they too would become addicts.
hey guys why all this hate for Turkish coffee!!! I used to think like you but not until last year when I started drinking it @ office. I belive it’s the best thing we took from the turkish!!!
It smells much much better than any coffee I know! The effect of one shot of a good turkish cofee is better than drinking a whole jar of American cofee.
It’s magical, warm and better on my stomach.
Regarding the Arabian tradtion behind it yeah that’s stupid!!! But it’s stupid in a nice way! Anyway, these traditions are disapearing very fast in most arab countries.
Cheers
Hello Mona,
I absolutely adore your blog. There are some things that I can relate to.
Regarding the Turkish coffee, I drink it sometimes, its not bad, but i love my American coffee. Where I come from we drink Arabic coffee with spices, which is good too, but is nothing compared to my Maxwell House coffee with hazelnut cream, yummie!!
I’ve always wondered why it is so important in our arab culture that a young woman serves the coffee “properly”. Is that considered the basis to which they determine if she is the “right one”??
OMG, talk about ignorance.