Thursday, April 11, 2002


if you can't drink the coffee, maybe you'd better get off the porch?

or however you want to say that. you know i don't really like to lecture on it, but i can't stop: the world is beating us over the head with the fact that coffee is political. . .

example: will someone please notify sec. of state colin powell that when you go visit an arab, you'd better darn well drink his coffee? even the most cursory survey of saudi customs and manners shows that coffee is a crucial part of hospitality in that culture!

traveler's tales from the 18th century note the importance of coffee in arab (see here; page 13 of the adobe acrobat file) and turkish (see here; dec. 24th entry) greeting customs. coffee is always poured for guests; as in the case of lady stanhope above, even for her horse! and you are supposed to drink at least 1 of the tiny, sake-sized cups; to have 3 is considered normally polite.

when the saudi prince remarked to powell that "you don't have to drink it if you don't like it," was he perhaps politely and not-so-secretly trying to tell the secretary that if he can't take even a thimbleful of full-strength coffee, then powell had better re-think whether he's up to the full-throttle politics in that region? this thought gains more punch when you remember that the saudis often don't add sugar to their coffee, but rather drink it kick-your-butt straight with cardomom. instead they may serve yummy drenched-in-honey arab pastries and sugary fresh dates alongside. . .sec. powell shouldn't expect "sweetness and light" in his coffee there!

on another front, oxfam international is beginning a fair-trade campaign of its own, with a nice website.

posted by fortune | 6:22 PM | top | link to this | email this: | | | 0 comments