Tea and Coffee Rivalry Takes Centre Stage at Baghdad Festival

The third edition of Iraq’s Coffee and Tea Festival in Baghdad brought a longstanding cultural rivalry into focus, with participants and visitors reflecting on the place of both drinks in Iraqi society.

The festival put tea and coffee side by side, turning attention to a competition rooted in heritage as much as personal preference.

Participants’ observations and visitors’ impressions offered a window into that rivalry, highlighting how the choice between the two drinks carries meaning beyond taste.

Rather than settling which drink holds the upper hand, the gathering renewed the debate over their competing appeal. No clear winner emerged from the accounts, leaving tea and coffee to share the spotlight.