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☕ While the Coffea arabica tree probably originated in Ethiopia, its trade develops in Yemen, in the port of Moka. It was called K'hawah, meaning "invigorating". But coffee becomes really popular in the Ottoman Empire under the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. The Turks imported porcelain from the Far East to drink it. Small cups were used with a "zarf", an egg cup-shaped support, the most beautiful examples of which were decorated with precious stones. When coffee arrived in France, the cup had no handle and was used for several drinks. It was sometimes drunk from the saucer to cool it down. In 1752, the Manufacture de Vincennes invented the litron cup, ancestor of our modern coffee cup: a straight cup which height equals the diameter, resting on a hollow saucer. Since then, the coffee cup has become a stylistic exercise for designers who never stop reinventing its shape and adapting its volume, because one does not drink the same coffee in Morocco, Brazil, Italy or the United States!
About L'Institut Bernardaud:
Because the French art of living is the envy of the world, what better way than with porcelain to introduce you to the teeming world of the table... Contribute with L'Institut Bernardaud to reenchanting this convivial and so precious moment of the meal by following our various workshops and conferences. A program with a creative approach and open to the world to live an exciting adventure at the crossroads of gastronomy, art, history or decoration.
