Turkish Coffee in Turkish Culture

Coffee is such a large part of Turkish culture that for the Turks, the term Turkish coffee is quite superfluous. For them, coffee IS Turkish coffee. They were introduced to the beverage four and half centuries ago when the governor of Yemen brought back Coffee Arabica beans from Istanbul.

This resulted to the mushrooming of coffeehouses all over the Ottoman capital, and the establishment of coffee as an integral part of the Turkish way of life.

For the Turks, the preparation of coffee is more on the traditional side, the way coffee connoisseurs do it. For them, it is like a ritual and very unlike the harried way most people prepare and drink their coffee. A real coffee lover can tell the difference between a properly-prepared Turkish beverage and one that is prepared the way fast food restaurants do it.

To make a great cup of the coffee that would satisfy the demanding tastes of a coffee-loving Turk, you will need coffee beans (Turkish, of course) a cezve (Turkish coffee pot) and fincan (Turkish coffee cups). You may need a kahve degirmeni (Turkish coffee grinder) if your electrical grinder cannot produce extra fine ground coffee.

Put cold water in the pot, using one cup of water for each cup of coffee that you plan to make, plus an extra half cup. Add a teaspoon of the ground coffee per cup of water. Stir. Make sure not to fill the pot too much. Add sugar is preferred.

Heat the pot slowly. Turkish coffee demands slow boiling. The coffee will taste better if it is heated slowly.

As soon as the water boils, pour some of the coffee in equal amounts between each cup. Each should be filled about a quarter of the way. This is necessary so that each drinker will get a share of the foam on top of the coffee pot. Without the foam, the coffee pretty much loses its taste. Heat the pot some more until it boils again.