The Delights of Turkish Coffee
Turkish coffee is specific method of producing a cup of coffee and, as you might expected given its name, the technique comes from Turkey, a country that has a rich heritage when it comes to the bean.
The city of Istanbul, which straddles the Bosphorus, was first introduced to coffee in the middle of the 16th century thanks to Özdemir Pasha, the Ottoman Governor of Yemen, who experienced the delights of the drink during his stay in Middle-East.
The technique of making Turkish coffee was dreamt up within the palaces of Istanbul: the beans would first be initially roasted over a fired before being finely ground and then slowly cooked with water over the ashes of a charcoal fire in a specialist coffeepot known as a ‘cezve’ or the ‘ibrik’ as it is more commonly known in the English tongue.
Coffeehouses were immensely popular during this time period and it is presumed that the majority of the Ottoman public would have come into contact with coffee through these establishments. The first dedicated shop that was opened was called Kiva Han and was located in the Tahtakale district of Istanbul and spawned a number of replica entities.
Coffee soon became an integral part of the social culture associated with Istanbul and still today Turkish coffee is an accompaniment for every occasion and activity.
Ingredients
- Finely ground coffee beans (very finely ground)
- Water
- Sugar (to taste)
- Ground spices such as cardamom, cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)
Method
- Place a heaped teaspoon of coffee into an ibrik. (Failing that, a very small saucepan will suffice)
- Add sugar to taste and a small cup of cold water for each serving that you are going to make.
- If you like spices, add them into the ibrik.
- Mix well with a whisk or fork.
- Place the ibrik over a low heat and slowly bring the coffee to a boil.
- As it boils, the froth will bubble. Transfer this as it develops into the cup.
- Remove from the heat and pour the coffee, grounds and all, into the cup
Photo: StellarD, used under Creative Commons