MAKKAH: A 1716 publication titled “Voyage de l’Arabie Heureuse” (“Journey to Arabia Felix”) offers some of the earliest European documentation of coffee production and consumption in southern Arabia, according to Omar Murshid, an antiquarian specializing in local art, heritage and rare historical artifacts.
According to Murshid, the 1716 book, written by French merchant and traveler Jean de La Roque, provides early written evidence connecting products from southern Arabia’s highlands to Europe’s coffeehouse culture.
Speaking to Arab News, Murshid explained that La Roque traveled with missions of the French East India Company to the Red Sea region between 1708 and 1713.
‘Voyage de l’Arabie Heureuse’ by French merchant and traveler Jean de La Roque provides early written evidence connecting products from southern Arabia’s highlands to Europe’s coffeehouse culture. (Supplied)
His account is considered one of Europe’s earliest systematic examinations of coffee cultivation, trade, and societal influence.
