It will continue until the 22nd of this festival

Hot competitions with a taste of authenticity and Arabic coffee in «Al-Hosn»

• 33 male and female contestants were selected after the final qualification to participate in the tournaments.

  From the source

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On the sound of mortar beats or “biased and guided”, the Arab Coffee Championships competitions continue in their third session as part of the activities of the Al Hosn Festival, which continues in the heart of Abu Dhabi until the 22nd of this month, organized by the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi.

The "Coffee" competitions this year will witness the participation of 33 contestants in the three tournaments that will continue until the end of the festival, which are the coffee maker, the coffee roaster, and the best innovative drink with Arabic coffee.

It is noteworthy that the participation is not limited to the people of the Gulf countries or the Arabs only, as it attracted participants from different nationalities, whether within the contestants or the arbitration committees, who were associated with Arab culture and its symbols, especially Arabic coffee.

A member of the Heritage Arbitration Committee in the tournaments, an expert in folklore, Fatima Al-Mughni, told «Emirates Today», her happiness at the return of the tournaments after they were stopped due to the Corona pandemic, noting that she has participated in the arbitration of the competition since its inception in 2019 until now, pointing to what is distinguished This year's competitions are characterized by the enthusiasm of the contestants, and the distinguished participation of the female component in particular.

Pride and pride

Fatima Al-Mughni added: “We feel proud that the UAE is the founder of this type of tournament, especially after the inclusion of coffee in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2015, which contributes to preserving the value of coffee as a symbol of hospitality and authentic Arab generosity. And the associated traditions inherited ».

Regarding the change that the tournaments witnessed throughout its three sessions, she indicated that there are many developments, the most important of which is the event’s move to the Al Hosn area, with its originality and historical and heritage value that makes it the most suitable location for the nature of the tournaments, in addition to what it gives the participants a sense of the value of what they do. From a work that carries an important message, and that they are located in a place that witnessed a large part of the history of Abu Dhabi, and from the life of the late founder, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul.

She noted that the development also includes the high level of organization that characterized the competition, the level of the contestants, and the diversity of their age groups, expressing her hope that the upcoming sessions will witness the opening of participation for school students so that they will witness participants under the age of 20, in a way that enhances these groups with their heritage and their pride in it.

categories

For his part, the presenter of the tournaments, the artist and journalist Yasser Al Neyadi, explained to «Emirates Today» that the competition includes three tournaments, in which 33 contestants will participate, who were chosen after the final qualifiers. Then the coffee roasting championship, which is also divided into two categories: blonde coffee and medium dark roast, with the participation of 13 contestants. The third is the championship for the best innovative drink with Arabic coffee, with the participation of seven contestants.

Al Neyadi - who has been presenting the tournaments since its first round - indicated that the coffee maker is the biggest competition because it brings together all the skills and traditions related to this drink, and includes more than one task, including roasting coffee on a wood fire in the traditional way, then presenting the roasted coffee beans to the tasting committee. To evaluate it, then the contestant makes a presentation to prepare coffee in front of the heritage jury, and therefore the prize for this category is the largest among the three tournaments, amounting to 100 thousand dirhams for the first-place winner, and 50 thousand for the second-place winner.

The Arabic Coffee Roasting Championship for the blonde and medium-dark roast categories offers prizes of 25 thousand dirhams for the first place, and 15 thousand dirhams for the second place in the two categories, and participation in it is open to all nationalities, even non-Arabs, as long as the contestant is familiar with Arab culture and customs associated with coffee and hospitality.

Al Neyadi pointed out that the Arab Coffee Championships are among other initiatives launched by Abu Dhabi following the registration of coffee in the UNESCO list, with the aim of preserving and sustaining this heritage. Certified coffee professionals.

He stressed that the tournaments achieve more development every season, provide new lessons in the field of Arabic coffee culture, and give the participants and attendees information, experiences, and an explanation of the criteria by which the competition is judged, noting that winning does not only require skill in preparing coffee, but it must be The contestant is speaking, sharing his experiences, information, ideas, and even his personal stories during his presence before the judging panel. The high rating is not for those who make coffee well, but for those who can convey the culture and traditions of coffee to the public and future generations through their personal experience.

• "Winning the competition does not only require skill in preparing coffee, but the contestant must be a speaker and share his ideas and even his personal stories in front of the jury."

• 100,000 dirhams for the first place winner in the Coffee Maker Championship.

Fatima Al-Mughni:

• "The competition is characterized by enthusiasm and distinguished participation by the female component in particular...and the tournaments contribute to preserving the value of coffee as a symbol of Arab generosity."

Evaluation Criteria

The Arab Coffee Championships arbitration committees are divided into three committees: Heritage arbitration, which includes: Abdullah Al-Yamahi, Mohammed Al-Sharhan, Rashid Al-Mansouri, Abdullah bin Kulaib, and Fatima Al-Mughni.

It depends on evaluating the contestants on several criteria, including preparing the best cup of Arabic coffee using pre-roasted and ground coffee beans, in addition to testing their presentation and presentation skills, and their knowledge of the history and traditions of the heritage of Arabic coffee.

The second committee is the tasting arbitration, which includes: Osama Al-Awam, Nouran Al-Bannai, Amna Al-Harmoudi, Sarah Al-Ali, Suleiman Al-Alawi, Muhammad Al-Hassan, and Rainer Herbert.

As for the third committee, it is the arbitration of the competition for the best innovative drink of Arabic coffee, and it includes: Maryam Al Mansouri, Silva Gutiérrez, and Jerry Flores, and the evaluation depends on creativity, modernity, and ingenuity.

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