محمص القهوة | The Coffee Roaster of Casablanca
"A coffee roaster discovers passion with a food writer exploring Morocco's café culture."
محمص القهوة
The Coffee Roaster of Casablanca
الفصل الأول | Chapter One
أُحَمِّصُ القَهْوَةَ فِي الدَّارِ البَيْضَاءِ مُنْذُ خَمْسٍ وَثَلَاثِينَ سَنَةً.
I have roasted coffee in Casablanca for thirty-five years.
مَحْمَصَتِي الأَقْدَمُ فِي المَدِينَةِ.
My roastery is the oldest in the city.
جَاءَتْ كَاتِبَةُ طَعَامٍ تَكْتُبُ عَنْ ثَقَافَةِ القَهْوَةِ.
A food writer came writing about coffee culture.
الفصل الثاني | Chapter Two
كَانَتْ فِي الخَمْسِينَ، ذَوَّاقَةً لِلنَّكَهَاتِ.
She was in her fifties, a connoisseur of flavors.
"رَائِحَةُ قَهْوَتِكَ تَمْلَأُ الحَيَّ!"
"Your coffee's aroma fills the neighborhood!"
"هَذَا سِرُّ النَّجَاحِ."
"That's the secret of success."
الفصل الثالث | Chapter Three
أَرَيْتُهَا كَيْفَ أُحَمِّصُ.
I showed her how I roast.
"الحَرَارَةُ وَالتَّوْقِيتُ... كُلُّ شَيْءٍ."
"Heat and timing... everything."
"مِثْلُ الحُبِّ؟" مَزَحَتْ.
"Like love?" She joked.
الفصل الرابع | Chapter Four
"رُبَّمَا... لَمْ أُفَكِّرْ فِي ذَلِكَ."
"Perhaps... I hadn't thought of that."
"أَنْتَ تُفَكِّرُ فِي القَهْوَةِ فَقَطْ."
"You only think about coffee."
"وَفِيكِ الآنَ."
"And in you now."
الفصل الخامس | Chapter Five
تَوَقَّفَتْ عَنِ الكِتَابَةِ.
She stopped writing.
"مَاذَا قُلْتَ؟"
"What did you say?"
"قُلْتُ: أَنْتِ مِثْلُ قَهْوَةٍ نَادِرَةٍ."
"I said: you are like rare coffee."
الفصل السادس | Chapter Six
"زَوْجَتِي مَاتَتْ قَبْلَ عَشْرِ سَنَوَاتٍ."
"My wife died ten years ago."
"وَأَنَا فَقَدْتُ زَوْجِي أَيْضًا."
"And I lost my husband too."
"القَهْوَةُ أَبْقَتْنِي حَيًّا."
"Coffee kept me alive."
الفصل السابع | Chapter Seven
تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةَ، بَيْنَ أَكْيَاسِ البُنِّ.
That night, among coffee sacks.
"رَائِحَتُكِ أَجْمَلُ مِنَ القَهْوَةِ."
"Your scent is more beautiful than coffee."
"وَلَمْسَتُكَ تُوقِظُنِي كَالكَافِيينِ."
"And your touch awakens me like caffeine."
الفصل الثامن | Chapter Eight
نَشَرَتْ كِتَابَهَا عَنِ القَهْوَةِ المَغْرِبِيَّةِ.
She published her book about Moroccan coffee.
وَمَحْمَصَتِي عَلَى الغِلَافِ.
And my roastery on the cover.
"قَهْوَتُنَا... وَحُبُّنَا."
"Our coffee... and our love."
الخاتمة | Conclusion
القَهْوَةُ تُصْنَعُ بِالصَّبْرِ.
Coffee is made with patience.
وَحُبُّنَا نَضِجَ بِبُطْءٍ.
And our love ripened slowly.
طَعْمُهُ أَغْنَى مَعَ الوَقْتِ.
Its taste richer with time.
من حكايات الدار البيضاء From the Tales of Casablanca