great article omer aziz, but you yourself minimized the role ethiopians played in inventing coffee and giving it to the world. you mentioned that fact only in passing. also, equating muslim with 'brown' (people) is also a bit problematic. the inventors of coffee were black, and so are millions of muslims worldwide. ramadan kareem.
Amazing article. But on a side note, I would like to point that you've also left out Ethiopia's crucial history when it comes to coffee. Wouldn't that be considered as disregarding their role by the author who is asking why there is crucial historical fact that's left out of the story?
I just learned about the true history of coffee a few days ago and can confirm I shared your rage. But I felt heartbreak as well. If a rich history such as this has been (possibly deliberately) omitted from our collective memory, who knows what other histories have been distorted. We cannot deny the power of the past, or our perceptions of the past, in shaping the power dynamics that in turn fashion our modern existence. The problem is that eurocentricism and its central domain, modernity set the terms of what is even deemed intelligible or worth knowing. Faced with this, how can we, the historically marginalized respond? It is as if we exist outside of time lacking the agency to effect change or make history. It is a problem, one that appears to lack a sense of urgency for many, but nonetheless a problem that deeply permeates our collective consciousness.
The quote included form Gopnik's article further (and more insidiously) implies, to me, that "coffee" spread to the Christian world and "coffeehouses" became a cornerstone in that region only. The structure of his sentence implies that coffee began outside Europe, but coffeehouses inside. It is a subtle implication, but it is present in the language.
Amazing article but the photo is from Ethiopia. With Ethiopian art style, Ethiopian culture, and Ethiopian language on the photo. It’s not Islamic it’s Ethiopian.
Many stories omit Islamic origin! Just look through an English dictionary for words with an Arabic origin. The culture of Europe is packed with examples of food, art and science that traveled northwest into Europe. Just for starters look for words that begin with the prefix al- (corrupted to ar- in some instances): alcohol, albacore (tuna), artichoke, algebra, alcove. There are many such stories to be properly told and your article is a very good example.
Yeah but you know Yemen and Ethiopia were the same? Habesha they migrated from Yemen and you had the Himyarite Kingdom and before that Kingdom of Aksum.
Great article. I’d have to echo the comments below however about the Ethiopian part of the story being glossed over. This articles makes it seem like the story of coffee really begins in Yemen with the sufis, when in reality coffee(buna) and coffee ceremonies are an integral part of Habesha (Ethiopian/Eritrean) culture, and was so before it travelled elsewhere.
You say the best coffee you’ve had has been in the Levant and Turkey. Have you tried Ethiopian Coffee? If not I’m sure your local Ethiopian Resturant does a great job.
In 1991, at the oldest university in the capital city which lies fartherist from every other capital city in the world, I and about a dozen other 2nd and 3rd year students studied Islam when Islam was scarcely a threat to society. We learned the history of Islam, the tenants of Islam, the important Arabic words, and amongst other things, we were set research essays on the fatwas relating to coffee. Was it OK for a Muslim to drink coffee, or as it was becoming an excellent trade item, should it simply be grown and traded with non-Muslims. Different sheiks set different rulings, after all, you can nibble coffee beans and there is coffee flavoured toffee which packs a punch. Our lecturer was thorough with our education and I have been eternally grateful to him for the education I received that semester that enabled me to learn about Islam without bias. - Mind you I then went on to specialise in terrorism so go figure - maybe I just like the dangerous and esoteric.
It is natural that in a review of a 200 page book, few pages on the role of Muslims would be mentioned in one paragraph .... what the outrage!!
I also take issue with your insistence to tightly tie the religion of Islam to something that developed 7-8 centuries later .... especially given the fact that you mentioned "Islamic" religious authorities have issued fatwas banning coffee according to their interpretation/understanding of Islam!
On the other hand, unfortunately, willful cultural blindness to the contribution of the "others" is pervasive among human and not limited to Western Europeans!!
Awesome corrective. I can't stand eurocentric hegemony & habits. I appreciated Gopnik's critique of capitalist/racial exploitation of coffee, but his historical ethnocentrism is intolerable.
great article omer aziz, but you yourself minimized the role ethiopians played in inventing coffee and giving it to the world. you mentioned that fact only in passing. also, equating muslim with 'brown' (people) is also a bit problematic. the inventors of coffee were black, and so are millions of muslims worldwide. ramadan kareem.
I love it. I would be careful to not erase Africa from this narrative, and would include ‘black’ along with Muslim and brown children...
Amazing article. But on a side note, I would like to point that you've also left out Ethiopia's crucial history when it comes to coffee. Wouldn't that be considered as disregarding their role by the author who is asking why there is crucial historical fact that's left out of the story?
I just learned about the true history of coffee a few days ago and can confirm I shared your rage. But I felt heartbreak as well. If a rich history such as this has been (possibly deliberately) omitted from our collective memory, who knows what other histories have been distorted. We cannot deny the power of the past, or our perceptions of the past, in shaping the power dynamics that in turn fashion our modern existence. The problem is that eurocentricism and its central domain, modernity set the terms of what is even deemed intelligible or worth knowing. Faced with this, how can we, the historically marginalized respond? It is as if we exist outside of time lacking the agency to effect change or make history. It is a problem, one that appears to lack a sense of urgency for many, but nonetheless a problem that deeply permeates our collective consciousness.
Omer Aziz do you plan to write a letter to the New Yorker just for the record?
The quote included form Gopnik's article further (and more insidiously) implies, to me, that "coffee" spread to the Christian world and "coffeehouses" became a cornerstone in that region only. The structure of his sentence implies that coffee began outside Europe, but coffeehouses inside. It is a subtle implication, but it is present in the language.
Amazing article but the photo is from Ethiopia. With Ethiopian art style, Ethiopian culture, and Ethiopian language on the photo. It’s not Islamic it’s Ethiopian.
Many stories omit Islamic origin! Just look through an English dictionary for words with an Arabic origin. The culture of Europe is packed with examples of food, art and science that traveled northwest into Europe. Just for starters look for words that begin with the prefix al- (corrupted to ar- in some instances): alcohol, albacore (tuna), artichoke, algebra, alcove. There are many such stories to be properly told and your article is a very good example.
Salam. Thanks for your wonderful writing!
In the same vein, though not particularly about coffee, we recently made a short video entitled Our Memory, Our Selves: Real vs Re-Written History.
Yeah but you know Yemen and Ethiopia were the same? Habesha they migrated from Yemen and you had the Himyarite Kingdom and before that Kingdom of Aksum.
We are inviting you to taste the Sulu Coffee..southern island of the Philippines.
It is strong and dark but creamy!
Great article. I’d have to echo the comments below however about the Ethiopian part of the story being glossed over. This articles makes it seem like the story of coffee really begins in Yemen with the sufis, when in reality coffee(buna) and coffee ceremonies are an integral part of Habesha (Ethiopian/Eritrean) culture, and was so before it travelled elsewhere.
You say the best coffee you’ve had has been in the Levant and Turkey. Have you tried Ethiopian Coffee? If not I’m sure your local Ethiopian Resturant does a great job.
In 1991, at the oldest university in the capital city which lies fartherist from every other capital city in the world, I and about a dozen other 2nd and 3rd year students studied Islam when Islam was scarcely a threat to society. We learned the history of Islam, the tenants of Islam, the important Arabic words, and amongst other things, we were set research essays on the fatwas relating to coffee. Was it OK for a Muslim to drink coffee, or as it was becoming an excellent trade item, should it simply be grown and traded with non-Muslims. Different sheiks set different rulings, after all, you can nibble coffee beans and there is coffee flavoured toffee which packs a punch. Our lecturer was thorough with our education and I have been eternally grateful to him for the education I received that semester that enabled me to learn about Islam without bias. - Mind you I then went on to specialise in terrorism so go figure - maybe I just like the dangerous and esoteric.
It is natural that in a review of a 200 page book, few pages on the role of Muslims would be mentioned in one paragraph .... what the outrage!!
I also take issue with your insistence to tightly tie the religion of Islam to something that developed 7-8 centuries later .... especially given the fact that you mentioned "Islamic" religious authorities have issued fatwas banning coffee according to their interpretation/understanding of Islam!
On the other hand, unfortunately, willful cultural blindness to the contribution of the "others" is pervasive among human and not limited to Western Europeans!!
Do read ‘Coffee, the epic of a commodity’ by HE Jacob . First published in 1935, reprinted in 2015. A great book for coffee lover
Awesome corrective. I can't stand eurocentric hegemony & habits. I appreciated Gopnik's critique of capitalist/racial exploitation of coffee, but his historical ethnocentrism is intolerable.