Coffee and qahwa: How a drink for Arab mystics went global

[icymist]

The Arab world has given birth to many thinkers and many inventions - among them the three-course meal, alcohol and coffee. The best coffee bean is still known as Arabica, but it's come a long way from the Muslim mystics who treasured it centuries ago, to the chains that line our high streets.

Think coffee, and you probably think of an Italian espresso, a French cafe au lait, or an American double grande latte with cinnamon.

Perhaps you learned at school that the USA became a nation of coffee drinkers because of the excise duty King George placed on tea? Today ubiquitous chains like Starbucks, Cafe Nero and Costa grace every international airport, and follow the now much humbler Nescafe as symbols of globalisation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22190802

[Behind the Aegis]

1. I had heard that about coffee; it was a mystical drink.

Last edited Mon Apr 22, 2013, 12:40 AM - Edit history (1)

Personally, I can't stand coffee. However, I seem to remember one of my books on magicks has a spell for clarity of vision that invokes coffee prepared in a very specific way. I'll have to see if I can find it. I don't think it was Arabic magicks, but rather further south in Africa.

[icymist]

2. Wow! I drink coffee all the time!

If you could find a book about casting a spell for the clarity of visionh with coffee... Wow! That would be great!

[Behind the Aegis]

3. I'll keep looking.

I am trying to move some stuff around in my house, so while I do that, I will look for it. It has more to do with the grounds, like tea reading, but there was another aspect to it. It has been so long, I can't remember where I read it (I have a shitload of books on religion, mythology, and magicks...well over 100). Feel free to remind me if I forget...you know I can be...what is that word?! Oh yea, "forgetful!" LOL!

[icymist]

4. LOL! I know how you feel about having a large library and trying to find books in it!

I have 500+ books crammed into four bookcases in my bedroom alone! My roommate, who is the real book nut here, has an entire room dedicated just to her books! That collection is so large that parts of it are in cases throughout the house! Neither of us know how many books we have... my number is an estimate after I counted 50 books on one shelf of 15, including piles of books that are stacked on top. Subjects in our collections include religion, magic, occult, politics, nursing, herbals, physics, and just good old fashion fiction!