The fame of Turkish coffee (Türk kahvesi) stretches far beyond the reaches of either the Republic of Turkey or the former Ottoman Empire. It is known for it's strong, sweet flavor, and the coffee grounds lying at the bottom of the cup, ready to surprise any unknowing tourist with a mouthful of dry grinds. An exchange student in Turkey would be doing their blog followers a huge disservice by not providing them with the full knowledge on this legendary drink, and so I bring to you my blog post dedicated to the delightfulness of Turkish coffee.
I will start with the making of the coffee. There are different methods you can use to make the drink. The more traditional way is in a little pot on the stove, the next way is using a similar, but faster, electrical pot that plugs into the wall, and the last, and easiest, is the machine which does everything for you. If you are using the pot-on-stove method, or the electrical pot method, you will use much the same process of preparation. The first step is to put a scoop per person of grinds in the pot drinking, and a Turkish coffee cup of water per person in. It is important that all people drinking coffee from the same batch drink the same level of coffee (sade-plain-no sugar, orta-middle-one cube of sugar, sekerli-with sugar-2 cubes of sugar). A sade drinker cannot drink from a batch of coffee made with sugar in it, and an orta drinker cannot drink coffee from a batch made with no sugar, or too much sugar. The same can be said for sekerli drinkers. So if you have five sade drinkers, and only one orta drinker, you still must make two separate batches of coffee. When you have put the correct amount of coffee, water, and sugar into the pot, you will stir the contents, and then wait. What you are waiting for is a very specific moment where the coffee is almost boiling, but not quite at the rolling boil that one associates with cooking pasta. If the coffee boils too much it will lose the foamy top coat that makes it so delectable, and, of course, if it doesn't boil at all it won't be fully ready. The electric pot boils in a relatively short time, and with no notice, so you must keep a close eye on the state of the coffee. Using the machine is much less focus requiring. You simply put the correct amount of coffee and sugar into the provided cup, slip it into the slot, make sure there is enough water in the machine, and pushe the start button. The only thing to remember with the machine is that it has the capacity to make just two coffees at a time, so you must remember not to put more than that amount of coffee in the cup. After the drink is ready, you will pour it into the small coffee cups used for Turkish coffee. The coffee is served on a tray, and although it isn't necessary, my host sister taught me to point all the handles to your left so that when the person drinking takes the cup and saucer off the tray the cup is already in position to pick up. The first two methods of making Turkish coffee take some learning, and are slightly daunting as to what people will do if you make a mistake (they will still drink the coffee by the way), but once mastered it is a task performed without thinking.
The second part of Turkish coffee, actually drinking it, is the enjoyable part. The taste differs depending on the level one is drinking. Sade is pure, strong coffee that takes a true coffee lover to drink. Orta is sweet, but with the perfect amount of coffee taste as well (I drink orta). Sekerli is incredibly sugary, usually leaving a tiny drop of actual coffee taste. Keep in mind, however, that each restaurant, each house, and each type of coffee grinds produces a different taste of coffee, so the amount of sugar versus coffee taste will change from cup to cup. For instance, most of the time orta coffee is relatively sweet, but in my house, due to the grind of coffee we use, orta coffee tastes almost sugarless. So be flexible in your taste for coffee. You may not always receive exactly what you hoped for! And never forget to stop drinking before the bottom of the cup. My first night in Turkey I was drinking coffee with my host parents, and I drank all the way down to the bottom. They cracked up when they saw my face, and I couldn't help but laugh along as I was trying to force it down. What you get is a mouthful of thick, sandy grinds that you feel the whole time you are swallowing them. It blots out the delicious taste the rest of the coffee has left behind. JUST SAY NO!
The third and last part of Turkish coffee is the fortune telling, and has nothing to do with how it is made or how it tastes, instead with the person drinking the coffee and the person reading the fortune. You start by drinking the coffee down to the grinds (not drinking the grinds of course). You then turn the cup upside down on it's saucer, hold it between your thumb and forefinger, turn it three times in a clockwise circle (this is how my friend has had me do it, I don't know if it is a rule or not), and then set it down with the cup upside down until the coffee has cooled. The reader then picks the cup up and reads the signs on the cup and on the saucer, telling you your present and future. I will not tell what has been foretold for me, for me it is like a wish, if I tell it won't come true. Have your fortune read from your coffee is a must after drinking Turkish coffee, not every time (living in dreams does no good for anyone), but every once in a while it's a nice treat to see what great romances or losses you will have in your life!
Turkish coffee and Turkish baths have spread their fame and wonder across the world. So sit tight for my post on the baths, I have yet to attend, but I will not leave this country without paying a visit! Goodnight for now!
Xoxo, Izzy
I will start with the making of the coffee. There are different methods you can use to make the drink. The more traditional way is in a little pot on the stove, the next way is using a similar, but faster, electrical pot that plugs into the wall, and the last, and easiest, is the machine which does everything for you. If you are using the pot-on-stove method, or the electrical pot method, you will use much the same process of preparation. The first step is to put a scoop per person of grinds in the pot drinking, and a Turkish coffee cup of water per person in. It is important that all people drinking coffee from the same batch drink the same level of coffee (sade-plain-no sugar, orta-middle-one cube of sugar, sekerli-with sugar-2 cubes of sugar). A sade drinker cannot drink from a batch of coffee made with sugar in it, and an orta drinker cannot drink coffee from a batch made with no sugar, or too much sugar. The same can be said for sekerli drinkers. So if you have five sade drinkers, and only one orta drinker, you still must make two separate batches of coffee. When you have put the correct amount of coffee, water, and sugar into the pot, you will stir the contents, and then wait. What you are waiting for is a very specific moment where the coffee is almost boiling, but not quite at the rolling boil that one associates with cooking pasta. If the coffee boils too much it will lose the foamy top coat that makes it so delectable, and, of course, if it doesn't boil at all it won't be fully ready. The electric pot boils in a relatively short time, and with no notice, so you must keep a close eye on the state of the coffee. Using the machine is much less focus requiring. You simply put the correct amount of coffee and sugar into the provided cup, slip it into the slot, make sure there is enough water in the machine, and pushe the start button. The only thing to remember with the machine is that it has the capacity to make just two coffees at a time, so you must remember not to put more than that amount of coffee in the cup. After the drink is ready, you will pour it into the small coffee cups used for Turkish coffee. The coffee is served on a tray, and although it isn't necessary, my host sister taught me to point all the handles to your left so that when the person drinking takes the cup and saucer off the tray the cup is already in position to pick up. The first two methods of making Turkish coffee take some learning, and are slightly daunting as to what people will do if you make a mistake (they will still drink the coffee by the way), but once mastered it is a task performed without thinking.
The second part of Turkish coffee, actually drinking it, is the enjoyable part. The taste differs depending on the level one is drinking. Sade is pure, strong coffee that takes a true coffee lover to drink. Orta is sweet, but with the perfect amount of coffee taste as well (I drink orta). Sekerli is incredibly sugary, usually leaving a tiny drop of actual coffee taste. Keep in mind, however, that each restaurant, each house, and each type of coffee grinds produces a different taste of coffee, so the amount of sugar versus coffee taste will change from cup to cup. For instance, most of the time orta coffee is relatively sweet, but in my house, due to the grind of coffee we use, orta coffee tastes almost sugarless. So be flexible in your taste for coffee. You may not always receive exactly what you hoped for! And never forget to stop drinking before the bottom of the cup. My first night in Turkey I was drinking coffee with my host parents, and I drank all the way down to the bottom. They cracked up when they saw my face, and I couldn't help but laugh along as I was trying to force it down. What you get is a mouthful of thick, sandy grinds that you feel the whole time you are swallowing them. It blots out the delicious taste the rest of the coffee has left behind. JUST SAY NO!
The third and last part of Turkish coffee is the fortune telling, and has nothing to do with how it is made or how it tastes, instead with the person drinking the coffee and the person reading the fortune. You start by drinking the coffee down to the grinds (not drinking the grinds of course). You then turn the cup upside down on it's saucer, hold it between your thumb and forefinger, turn it three times in a clockwise circle (this is how my friend has had me do it, I don't know if it is a rule or not), and then set it down with the cup upside down until the coffee has cooled. The reader then picks the cup up and reads the signs on the cup and on the saucer, telling you your present and future. I will not tell what has been foretold for me, for me it is like a wish, if I tell it won't come true. Have your fortune read from your coffee is a must after drinking Turkish coffee, not every time (living in dreams does no good for anyone), but every once in a while it's a nice treat to see what great romances or losses you will have in your life!
Turkish coffee and Turkish baths have spread their fame and wonder across the world. So sit tight for my post on the baths, I have yet to attend, but I will not leave this country without paying a visit! Goodnight for now!
Xoxo, Izzy
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| A traditional coffee cup from the outside |
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| What the coffee looks like |
