How To Make Turkish Coffee
A Rich and Ancient Brew Common to the Entire Middle East Cuisine
Legend has it that, Prepared Properly, Turkish Coffee Should be as Black as Hell, as Strong and Death - and as Sweet as Love. Learn to Prepare This Classic Drink.
There is an old saying that, properly prepared, Turkish Coffee should be: “black as hell, strong as death, and sweet as love.” While sometimes confused with its Mediterranean cousin, Espresso, they are actually, very, very different brews. Espresso is the product of steam meeting packed finely ground coffee bean in a pressurized situation. A cup of the Turkish brew has a rich, organic, almost chewy quality, when the powdery grind is married with water, and varying degrees of sugar and (sometimes) spice in a copper or brass Ibrik. Prepared in the traditional way throughout the Middle East, it is probably the oldest way of brewing the bean.
Coffee comes originally from Yemen or Ethiopia, where it is assumed that nomadic people discovered that by roasting the green beans over a fire and then crushing them and boiling them in water, a pleasant drink was produced that could keep a tired shepherd or camp guard awake through a long night’s duty. It would also stave away hunger when food was scarce.
By the late 15th or early 16th century, its popularity had spread to the major cities throughout the Middle East, where it was regarded as a gift from God. As early as 1555 there was, in fact, a coffeehouse in business in Constantinople, as reported by the ancient Ottoman writer, Ibrahim Pecevi.
Until 1980, when that ubiquitous product known as instant coffee began to be marketed in Turkey, the real thing was known simply as “kahve.” Today, it usually is further distinguished as “Turk kahvesi.” While the drinking of it is usually more casual today, there are almost as many rituals surrounding the preparation of Turkish Coffee, as the Japanese have in connection with their tea ceremony. In the times of the sultan, it was part of elaborate court ritual, requiring many hands to prepare and young women would receive intensive training in the art of making the perfect cup. Even into modern times, prospective brides would be judged on their ability to wield a mean ibrik – although when the bride was reluctant to wed the man of her family’s choosing, she could be known to sabotage the brew with salt or serve it with ungracefulness to her prospective in-laws!
Men and women in Middle East are equal opportunity coffee drinkers, although the men tend to partake of the brew in public coffeehouses, as they socialize and play tabli and women tend to drink at home with their friends and often play a fortune telling game, called “fal,” with the grounds at the bottom of the cup.
How to Make Turkish Coffee
Equipment Needed:
- Ibrik (a long handled pot, smaller on the top and wider on the bottom) that comes in various sizes and is traditionally made of copper or brass).
- teaspoon in the Turkish measure (NOTE: American/European teaspoons are 1 cm long in the cupping part, Turkish ones are 0.5 cm long. So figure that you need 1 American teaspoon measure for each Turkish one).
- Heating source
- Turkish Coffee Mill (optional, but the coffee must be ground/pounded to a very fine consistency).
- Turkish Coffee or Espresso cups and saucers
Ingredients:
- Freshly roasted coffee, the darker the better, ground to a “Turkish Grind,” or a very fine consistency, finer even than for Espresso.
- Sugar in an easily dissolvable form
- Cardamom, Cinnamon or Allspice (optional)
- Cold water, enough for each cups being prepared
To Prepare:
- Measure 1 Espresso/Turkish cup of cold water for each cup you want to prepare and place into Ibrik
- Measure 1 American/European or 2 Turkish heaped teaspoons for each cup and place into Ibrik
- Put in desired sugar and spices.
- Stir the coffee, water and desired sugar over the fire until the sugar is completely dissolved and all the coffee has sunk to the bottom of the Ibrik.
- Remove the spoon from the Ibrik and not stir beyond this point, as it will dissolve the much-desired foam that will begin to form as the mixture heats and bubbles.
- m>Just as the coffee has come to a boil, remove it from the fire, spoon some foam into each cup and then gently pour in a portion of coffee, being careful not to destroy the foam now in the cup.
: With Turkish Coffee, there are four degrees of sweetness and they are very individual in taste. (no sugar), kerli (a little sugar or 1 American/European teaspoon per cup), -ekerli (medium sugar or 2 American/European teaspoons per cup) or ekerli (lots of sugar or 3 –4 American/European teaspoons per cup). The spices are very optional and totally to taste.
A well-prepared cup of Turkish Coffee has a thick foam on top called “Kopuk.” This should be smooth and rich, with no coffee or other particles within it. The best way to get this foam is to start with very cold water and a low heat, giving the grounds ample time to settle and for the foam to form.
Turkish Coffee is always served with sweet Turkish treats, such as Lokom , Kadaif or Loz and is served almost any time of day when there is ample time to socialize to enjoy each others company. It is said, “To drink one cup of coffee together guarantees forty years of friendship.”
Read my Blog about Turkish Coffee !
