BeanScene Magazine

Most people around the world have heard of “Turkish Coffee” but few have ever tasted it unless it has been part of their cultural upbringing. Yet, it is the oldest, easiest and most economical way to make a wonderful cup of delicious coffee!

It is very exciting that it is finally beginning to get some more general attention around the world.  People from Japan to Brazil are discovering the taste and coming to appreciate the tradition.  Actually, it has been part of western culture for a long time, but people are just not aware of it.  For example, the oldest coffee house in Europe “Café Baum” in Leipzig, Germany opened its doors in 1694. The sandstone sculpture above the doorway is especially famous, where an Ottoman offers cupid a cup of coffee. It symbolises the meeting of the Christian western world with the Islamic east.

Café Baums’ regular guests included Goethe, Lessing and Bach.  It is now one of the most important coffee museums in the world.

So, where did it all begin? There are many variations to the story of how coffee evolved, but most agree that it was first discovered by shepherds in Ethiopia. They observed goats eating berries from the coffee plant and subsequently they couldn’t settle at night and seemed very spirited.  Some people started to eat the berries by mixing them with their food and others boiled them in water.  The word spread to Yemen, where the brew was further enhanced by boiling the beans (without roasting), with spices such as cardamom, for several hours and then serving it in small cups. This method is still used today by some Arab communities and it is called a “mirra” style.  It became known as qahwa - a term formerly applied to wine and ultimately, to Europeans - as “the wine of Islam.” It was popular among the Sufi Moslems because it helped them to stay awake during their night dhikr, or the remembering of God.

By way of pilgrims, traders, students and travellers, coffee spread throughout the Islamic world.  During this time, the Ottoman Empire was also expanding and it stretched from the gates of Vienna to Yemen. Eventually its fame reached the center of Ottoman cuisine in Istanbul, where the imperial cooks and the metropolitan elites had a tradition of bringing together elements of regional cuisines from across the empire.  It was a place to experiment and invent new dishes before they were served to the Sultan. Here they developed what we know today as Turkish coffee. Coffee beans were roasted over a fire, ground into a powder using flourmills, then mixed with water and cooked slowly over ashes. The result was a thick, syrupy and aromatic beverage that was delicious. In the Topkapi palace, there were over 40 coffee makers just to make and serve this brew! With this new brewing method, coffee drinking quickly spread within the empire. Soon after, Genovese merchants introduced it to Europe and ultimately to the whole world. 

What makes drinking Turkish coffee so special?

It forces you to stop and rest. This is simply because you have to sit down first before you can even take a sip. Otherwise it will spill on you due to the tiny cups. In other words, it is not the kind of a beverage you just grab and run or drive with! 

It teaches patience. You have to cook it slowly for the best results. The process requires about five to10 minutes of preparation time (depending on the quantity).  It cannot be rushed, but it is worth the wait!

It makes you relax. When you are ready to sit down to have your brew, you will generally be pretty calm
due to anticipating a period of rest and relaxation - a perfect mindset to enjoy a delicious cup of foamy coffee, sip by sip!

It encourages conversation. In the Turkish tradition, freshly brewed coffee is typically shared with someone you care about such as family members, friends, business acquaintances etc.
The idea is to sit down together, savoring the flavors and the friendship while you converse!

The Characteristics of Turkish coffee:

• It remains on the palate longer than any other type of coffee due to its velvet-like texture.
• Remains hot for a long time because of the foam, which acts as a lid for several minutes after coffee has been poured.
• Cools much more slowly than other varieties of coffee as it is served in thin porcelain cups, thus prolonging the drinking pleasure. 
• Has an unforgettable flavour thanks to the thick, syrupy consistency that stimulates the taste buds.
• Is thicker and more aromatic than other kinds of coffee.

It also makes a fantastic after meal drink because it is known to help in the digestion process. The word for “breakfast” in Turkish means “before coffee”.

How to make Turkish coffee

You will need to have a Turkish coffee pot, a spoon, sugar and coffee that has been ground to a fine powder.  The deceptively simple Turkish coffee pot, also known as “cezve” (jazz-ve) or ibrik, is pivotal in making the brew.  Its hourglass shape is crucial for developing foam, without which, the brew is considered sub-par and not acceptable.
It really does not matter what kind of coffee you use, but it should be light to medium roast, because you will actually roast it again while making it. This is the only method of coffee making where coffee is roasted twice. You can get Turkish coffee in several different ways. Either purchase a special Turkish grinder (regular electric grinders with blades spinning at a high speed will not do the job) and grind the coffee yourself. 

 
Or, grind it at your local grocery store or roaster (most professional grinders have a Turkish coffee setting). The third choice is to buy it ready made from a local store that sells it. 
Preparation

1. Measure the amount of cold water you will need.
2. Place your pot of water on the stove and turn the heat to low to medium setting.
3. Add about 1 tablespoon of Turkish coffee per demitasse cup (3 oz).  Do not stir it yet. Just let the coffee “float” on the surface because if you stir it now you might cause it to clump up.
4. Add sugar to taste. Do not stir it yet. Let the water warm up little bit first.
5. When the coffee starts to sink into the water and the water is warm enough to dissolve your sugar, stir it several times.  You may stir it up until your brew starts to foam.
6. When you see a “ring” of bubbles forming on the surface, pay close attention to your brew.
7. From this point on watch your coffee carefully. Do not let the temperature get hot enough to start boiling. NEVER LET IT BOIL! Many instructions on how to make Turkish coffee use the term “boiling” but this is totally inaccurate. The key idea is to let the coffee build a thick froth and that occurs around 158 farenheit or 70 degrees celcisus. That is, much cooler than the boiling point of water which is 212 F or 100 C at standard pressure. If your brew comes to a boil, you will not have any foam because it will simply evaporate!
8. Keep it at the “foaming” stage as long as you can without letting it come to a boil. You might even gently stir your brew a little bit at this stage. The more froth, the better it will taste. In addition, your coffee must be fresh or it will not foam as well. If your brew gets too hot and begins to “rise,” then move it away from the heat or just turn it down. You are almost done.  Repeat this process until your foam has “raised” and “cooled” at the most a couple of times, (NOT 3 to 4 times like some instructions. Even once is enough.) Then pour into your cups - quickly at first to get out the foam, then slowly - while making sure that each cup has an equal amount of foam! If you are serving several cups then you might be better off spooning the foam into each cup.

Drinking

1. Turkish coffee is always served with a glass of water. You need to drink water first to cleanse your pallet!
2. Wait about half a minute or so to let the grinds settle to the bottom of the cup.
3. Find a comfortable spot in which to savor your delicious coffee and drink this Turkish treat sip by sip. Stop when you get to the grounds at the bottom. Then turn your cup upside down and find someone who can read your fortune!

(see following article for fortune telling tips).

A Modern take on making Turkish coffee

In 2006, a Turkish appliance manufacturer Arcelik developed the world’s first automatic Turkish coffee machine. This is truly an amazing machine - a technological marvel! It makes delicious Turkish coffee in a few minutes with lots and lots of foam every time; with just the push of a button!

With this machine, it is possible to achieve the traditional Turkish taste, delivering the right experience practically and quickly. It also makes it possible to prepare coffee for four people at once. This high-end technology product, “tells” the user when the coffee is ready and thus eliminates the trouble of waiting, stirring, and adjusting to achieve the best possible taste.

A Quick Pictorial Guide to making Turkish coffee

A cup of Turkish coffee has a variety of important connotations for the Turks: friendship, affection and sharing. This is best illustrated by a Turkish proverb that says; “The memory of sharing a single cup of coffee will last for 40 years”.

Unfortunately, I cannot share a
cup of coffee with you all due to distances but I would like to offer BeanScene readers a discount of
15% off on your entire order until
the end of 2010 on my web site at
www.turkishcoffeeworld.com
Please use code: AUZE15