Turkish Coffee for Beginners!

Turkish Coffee for Beginners!

            Have you ever taste Traditional Turkish Coffee? If your answer is “no”, or only if you are wondering about the basic tips and tricks about preparing and drinking Turkish Coffee, we believe this post will help you much!

DEFINITION

Turkish Coffee is the name given to a type of coffee whose preparation and brewing techniques were invented by the Turks. It has a unique taste, froth, aroma, brewing technique and presentation… in other words it has its own identity and tradition.

The first coffee was made in the Arabian Peninsula by boiling coffee cherries. The new method invented by the Turks revealed coffee’s true flavour and peerless aroma. The Turks introduced coffee to Europe where for many years it was prepared and consumed as Turkish Coffee.

Turkish Coffee is made from high quality arabica coffee beans from Central America and Brazil that are blended and carefully roasted, then very finely ground. The coffee is mixed with water and the desired amount of sugar and cooked in a “cezve”, or Turkish coffeepot. The coffee is served in small cups. The coffee must be left to stand for a short time after serving to allow the grounds to settle at the bottom of the cup.

HISTORY

Istanbul was introduced to coffee in 1543 by Özdemir Pasha, the Ottoman Governor of Yemen, who had grown to love the drink while stationed in that country.

Prepared in a cezve or “güğüm” (copper vessel) using the technique invented by the Turks, the drink became known as Turkish Coffee.

The Turkish public became acquainted with coffee through the establishment of coffeehouses; the first coffeehouse opened in the district of Tahtakale in 1554 and others rapidly cropped up all over the city. Coffeehouses and coffee culture soon became an integral part of Istanbul social culture; people came here throughout the day to read books and beautiful texts, play chess and backgammon and discuss poetry and literature.

As coffee became a staple in palace cuisine as well as in private homes, its consumption increased dramatically. The raw beans were roasted in pans and then ground in mortars. The coffee was then brewed in cezves and served with great care to esteemed friends.

Thanks to the efforts of merchants and travellers who passed through Istanbul, and even Ottoman ambassadors, Turkish Coffee’s renown soon spread to Europe and ultimately to the whole world.

CHARACTERISTICS

Turkish Coffee is the world’s oldest coffee brewing method. Consists of foam, coffee and grounds.

·                  

          Remains on the palate longer than all other types of coffee thanks to its soft and velvety foam.

·        

         Remains hot for a long time thanks to its delicious foam, which keeps its form for several minutes after the coffee is poured.

·         Cools much more slowly than other varieties of coffee as it is served in thin cups, thus prolonging the drinking pleasure.

·         Has an unforgettable flavour thanks to its thick, syrupy consistency that stimulates the taste buds.

·         Is thicker, softer and more aromatic than other types of coffee.

·         Is easily discernible from other types of coffee due to its unique aroma and foam.

·         Is the only coffee that can be boiled.

·         Is the only coffee that can be used to predict the future. Cafedomancy: The use of coffee grounds to cast fortunes.

·         Is unique in that its grounds are left in the cup: the coffee is not filtered or strained because the grounds settle at the bottom of the cup.

·         Does not have to be sweetened after it has been poured as the sugar is added during preparation.

PREPARATION

With a Cezve (Turkish Coffeepot)

It only takes two minutes to prepare Turkish Coffee.

·         Original finely ground Turkish Coffee is traditionally prepared in a ’cezve’, a small long-handled pot. For medium-sweet coffee, add one teaspoon full of sugar per cup.

·         Place the cezve on a low heat with one heaped teaspoon of coffee per cupful of water and sugar to taste.

·         Heat slowly, stirring gently until the sugar dissolves.

·         When the coffee begins to froth up, remove from heat, pour a little of the froth into each cup and return to the heat.

·         Let the coffee rise once more - but without letting it come to boil - and serve.

·         Be careful not to stir after serving or you will disturb the sediment and the coffee will taste gritty. Each cup should be frothy and deliciously aromatic.

·         It is customary to serve Turkish Coffee with a glass of water. The water prepares the mouth for the coffee’s flavour.

·         When serving a large group, it is best to prepare semi-sweet Turkish Coffee.

·         It is a tradition to serve Turkish Coffee with a piece of Turkish Delight. (or a piece of chocolate)

With a Turkish Coffee Machine

            Another method of brewing Turkish Coffee involves using a specially designed coffee machine.

            Of course we can’t compare the taste with a Turkish Coffee which prepared in cezve. But nowadays modern Turkish Coffee Machines are making seriously good and fast Turkish Coffee.

            You can find different models and sizes of Quality Turkish Coffee Machines at our grandturkishbazaar.com shop.

         Useful Information

·         Always use clean drinking water. Chemicals in tap water such as chlorine affect the flavour of the coffee.

·         Always use high quality, freshly roasted Turkish coffee that is ground and packaged immediately after roasting. (You can check and buy our quality and fresh Turkish Coffee Brands at grandturkishbazaar.com

·         Always store the coffee in a sealed container.

·         If you store your coffee in a jar or other such container after purchase:

–        Always make sure the container is kept clean.

–        Do not add new coffee to the container until the original coffee has been finished.

–        Do not use a wet or damp spoon when dipping into the jar.

·         Always make sure your coffeepots are clean.

·         Do not use soap or detergent on your coffeepots. If you have to use detergent, make sure to thoroughly rinse the coffeepots with fresh water, making sure that no traces of cleaning products remain. Any traces will affect the coffee’s aroma and taste.

·         Try to use unscented soap when cleaning coffee cups and rinse thoroughly with plenty of water.

·         If you use a machine to prepare your coffee, be sure to follow all the cleaning recommendations found in the product’s manual.

·         Brew the coffee when you need it using the amount you require. If the coffee is allowed to sit too long after brewing, it will cool and lose its aroma.

TURKS AND TURKISH COFFEE

Drinking coffee is a unique pleasure for Turks.

A cup of Turkish coffee is endowed with a variety of important connotations for Turks: friendship, affection and sharing. This is best illustrated in the old saying: “A single cup of coffee can create a friendship that lasts for 40 years”. Turkish coffee is such an intrinsic part of Turkish culture that it has given its name to the word for breakfast, “kahvaltı”, which translates as “before coffee”, and is derived from the words “kahve” (coffee) and “altı” (before).

Serving a cup of Turkish Coffee is also a way of sealing a friendship. The preparation and care taken by a host in serving Turkish Coffee to his guests is an important aspect of hospitality. In Turkey, it is traditional for a prospective bride to serve coffee to her suitor and his family when they come to ask for her hand in marriage. Accepting a cup of coffee is a source of pride to the person who offers it. This is illustrated in the Turkish expressions “his coffee can be drunk” and “I would drink a cup of your coffee”.

Nothing compares to long, friendly conversation over a cup of frothy Turkish Coffee, followed by having your fortune told.

FORTUNE TELLING

Love, success, money, fortune:  the art of reading coffee grounds is as old as coffee itself. Coffee fortune telling was born out of Turkish Coffee and is an inseparable part of the pleasure and conversation associated with coffee.

This ritual spread to Europe at the end of the 17th century when it became fashionable in Paris, from where it spread to Austria, Hungary and Germany.

After the coffee is drunk the cup is placed upside down on its saucer. The person whose fortune is to be read says, “Let my fortune match my state”. After the cup has thoroughly cooled, the fortuneteller examines the patterns formed by the grounds. The aim is generally to impart good news and to promote a positive outlook on the future.

The shapes and patterns left by the grounds on the cup and saucer have various symbolic meanings.

TRADITIONAL TOOLS

There are several stages involved in preparing traditional Turkish Coffee: roasting, cooling, grinding, cooking and serving. The traditional tools used in these processes have for the most part fallen victim to the passage of time and modernization; today, they can only be found in museums, private collections and the windows of antique shops. In the order of their use, they can be described as follows:

Two types of roasters were used, a “tava” (pan) or a “tambur” (cauldron). The pans were made either from beaten iron or, more rarely, from fired clay. The pans had long handles, some of which could be folded. Some of the large pans were mounted on wheels to make it easier to pass them over the fire. Others had roasting spoons attached to the pans by a chain. Roasting was performed over a stove or grill. Cauldron roasters were made from sheet iron and consisted of a hand turned cylinder fitted onto a small, square grill.

In the past, coffee was roasted at home on roasting pans.

A roasting pan used in the palace and in grand mansions.

We hope you enjoyed and got informed more about Turkey’s Turkish Coffee culture, tradition and history as well as preparing, serving, drinking and fortune telling.

You can check our grandturkishbazaar.com store for delicious Turkish Coffees, Coffee Pots, Turkish Coffee Machines or even for many different tastes of our “delightful” Turkish Delights and other traditional Turkish Tastes!