The infidels’ drink : coffee encounters and transformations in early modern Malta

Abstract

The early modern Maltese archipelago provides an interesting background to explore the pioneering nature of coffee consumption in the Catholic world. The coffee experience in Malta is rather unique, especially since its introduction happened through the interests of slaves captured during corsairing activities rather than the interest of European merchantmen involved in Levantine trade. Furthermore, the brew was quickly adopted by the common people of the urban towns who visited the slaves’ prisons regularly to have a taste of this novel drink. Against this background, this study attempts to explore what could have intrigued the imagination of the Maltese when the brew was still relatively unknown on mainland Europe. The discourse related to coffee experiences will be discussed through the concept of ‘embodied imagination’: sensory perceptions, socio meanings and material culture.