She considered drinking Turkish coffee with loved ones to be a daily need. For her, it was more about being among her friends and family than anything else. She spent much of her time working, but on the few days she was able to relax at home, she hosted morning coffee for her friends.
She would have me prepare two trays, one with Turkish coffee cups and the other with water glasses, before they arrived. Something sugary to accompany the coffee was always on hand. Although honey is the more traditional accompaniment to Turkish delights, my mother frequently used chocolate.
It was my responsibility to prepare and serve coffee whenever she had guests around. After saying hello, I’d inquire as to their preferred method of consuming coffee before heading straight to the kitchen to prepare it. When I emerged from the kitchen carrying the tray, it was a source of great pride for my mother.
Contents
HIstory of Turkish Coffee
Despite the fact that the coffee plant itself originated in Ethiopia, legend has it that it was 15th century Yemeni Sufi monks who brewed the first cup of coffee. They probably could not have stayed awake meditating all night without caffeine.
The Ottoman Empire subsequently attacked Yemen in the year 1517. Once the Ottomans tried the coffee they brought back to the palace, they were hooked. According to legend, Istanbul is home to the world’s first coffee shop, known as “Kiva Han,” which translates roughly to “coffee house” in Turkish.
There was a rapid dispersal of the cultural norm. The Ottoman Empire’s kahvehane (modern Turkish meaning “tavern”) culture served as a meeting ground for male revolutionaries.
Is Turkish Coffee Turkish
Both, actually. Naming historical foods or drinks is never black and white, but if we agree that it was actually the Sufi monks of Yemen who prepared the first coffee drink—then we would have to call it Yemeni coffee.
Consider the fact that several cultures (among them the Turks) have been straining their yogurt for centuries, but we still refer to it as Greek yogurt. It has more modern marketing roots than ancient ones. Turkish coffee is also known as Greek coffee, Arabic coffee, and Bosnian coffee.
How to Make Turkish Coffee
Follow the steps mentioned below to make turkish coffee:
Ingredients
- Five to six ounces of ice water
- 2 tablespoons of finely ground coffee, such as Turkish coffee from the Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi brand
- Sugar (optional): 1–3 tablespoons
Steps to Make Turkish CoffeeÂ
Step 1: First, in a cezve, combine ground coffee with sugar or spices (optional), then slowly pour in hot water while stirring gently to break up any clumps.
Step 2: Second, heat the cezve to a medium temperature. While the coffee is brewing, please do not stir the contents.
Step 3: Three minutes is all it takes to make the coffee. Try to time your arrival at the spot where the foam island begins to sink in on itself or where the foam begins to rise sharply.
Step 4: Don’t let it get too close to a boil. When you over-extract (make the coffee taste bitter) by brewing it for too long.
Step 5: Slowly pour the coffee at an incline into a Turkish coffee cup.
Step 6: Serve with a glass of water and some Turkish delight, or any little sweet treat, after the coffee has had a minute to settle. Avoid ingesting the grounds that have settled to the bottom of your cup.
Conclusion
Drinking Turkish coffee leisurely with good company is rewarded with a rich, thick, and delicious beverage. Coffee is pounded into a powder and brewed in a cezve (jez-VEY), a copper coffee pot, and then sweetened to taste.
It’s a great opportunity to show off your coffee-making talents to make a flawless cup of Turkish coffee. Turkish coffee is a regional and home specialty in the Middle East and the Balkans, and its preparation has evolved slightly over the years. The foam on top of a potent brew is easy to achieve in theory but takes practice in practice.
