If you belong to those who will never miss the opportunity to spend some time sipping on a steaming cup of coffee, you should definitely check out the Dubai Coffee Museum situated in the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood. Spreading over two floors of a 150-year-old Emirati family house, the museum invites everyone to dive deep into the history of coffee and coffee culture.
It is Mr. Khalid Al Mulla, the owner of the coffee company Easternmen & Co, who founded the museum. Al Mulla says he came up with its concept while taking part in a trade show. He put a historic piece about coffee in front of a stand, and it drew much attention. Al Mulla started collecting coffee-related artefacts and, when visiting a museum dedicated to the beverage in Hamburg, Germany, decided to do something like that in Dubai.
On the ground floor of the museum are the Majlis and the Middle Eastern Antique exhibition. Here, one can delve into the origin of coffee, which dates back to the legend of Kaldi (a goat herder who found the bean) and how it made its way into the region from Ethiopia. The exhibits are coffee grinders, which include natural stone grinders and grinders from the First World War made out of cast bullets; roasters, pots, kettles, weighing scales, sorting trays, and other relics related to coffee production and consumption. Coffee beans from Brazil, Guatemala, and other Latin American countries are also on view.
In the Majlis room, which is restored paying close attention to the details and filled with carpets, dallahs (traditional Arabic coffee pots), and pillows to sit around, the visitors can enjoy their coffee in the traditional Emirati style. Although the UAE is not a traditional coffee producer, an Emirati’s passion for this beverage and the role it plays in the Arabic culture are well-known worldwide. “The way we have been brought up, coffee has continuously engaged a vigorous space in our culture,” says Al Mulla. “We serve coffee to our guests to welcome them.”
Apart from learning about the roasting and brewing methods typical for the UAE, the guests can also familiarise themselves with methods from other parts of the world. In a corner of the museum, they have a chance to participate in the Ethiopian coffee drinking ritual. According to Ethiopian tradition, the beverage is served with popcorn. Another method of live brewing available at the museum is the Egyptian one.
The first floor houses a coffee brew bar and a small library section with various books and maps about the global history of the coffee and coffee plantation workers. The section, for example, features such a remarkable item as the original print of Johann Friedrich von Pfeiffer’s encyclopaedia Corrections published in 1784. On display are also some documentaries about roasting and brewing techniques from the start of the era of Ethiopian legends to today’s procedures.
To get more information about the museum, please visit its official website.
You might be also interested in visiting Miraj Islamic Art Centre and Museum Hub featuring UAE antiques.
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