Anyone who's ever stepped foot onto Saudi soil, or into a Saudi airplane or home, will likely be greeted by the aroma of the ubiquitous Saudi coffee with cardamom before they are greeted. Coffee is a national pastime in Saudi, drunk before and after meals, several times a day. It is always served unsweetened, with dried dates instead of sugar, to balance the taste. A small porcelain eggshell size cup full and a few dates have the power to restore both the spirits and the senses. One of my favorite smells and drinks in the world, Saudi Arabian coffee is even featured on the cover of my Arabian Delights cookbook.
My Saudi friend, Awatif Al-Keneibet returned to Washington this month to visit. She mentioned that despite having lived here for years while her husband worked at the Saudi Embassy, she had never been to Virginia Beach. I told her that I would take her since it's not far and my parents live there. Awatif is a highly educated woman who owned a private secondary school in Saudi, and after putting her three daughters through college in the states, went back to college to get a Master's Degree in Fine Arts from Howard University. Since then, she became an accomplished sculptress and has opened her own gallery and artists' group in Riyadh.
Awatif is friendly and personable, and I knew that she wouldn't mind the ride, the accommodations, or the food. Worrying that she would miss her (and my) beloved coffee, I packed a traditional pot along with Saudi coffee mixed with cardamom with Saudi coffee cups, Turkish coffee and cardamom with demitasse (for the Egyptian guests we were expecting), and double checked that my parents' stove top espresso Moka was still in good shape and that we had espresso on hand. Even though we were only going for a night, I wanted to make sure Awatif was treated as well as I was when I was in Saudi Arabia. There were a lot of variables involved with Virginia Beach, but I figured the coffee would be easy to pull off, and meaningful to her.
When I arrived at her daughter's apartment to pick her up, she had handed me a bag and said; "It's full of coffee and dates. ..so I can make Saudi coffee for your parents!" She also prepared a ceramic dish (one of her own designs) filled with three different kinds of dates, sesame balls, and Saudi Date Dome Cookies (see below)
for them to try. She wrapped the entire dish in tissue paper and attached a little Saudi flag on top ( a practice she began years ago as a diplomatic spouse). She also brought my parents a beautiful hand made table cloth and place mats. Her gift was more than thoughtful, it was like Saudi in a package.
for them to try. She wrapped the entire dish in tissue paper and attached a little Saudi flag on top ( a practice she began years ago as a diplomatic spouse). She also brought my parents a beautiful hand made table cloth and place mats. Her gift was more than thoughtful, it was like Saudi in a package. Which got me thinking...if I had to represent my country on a plate and the edible goods had to be portable and non-perishable (at least for a few weeks), what would I give? Any suggestions?
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