A cup of coffee is a form of delight with its dark hue, appetizing smell, and delightful bittersweet taste! And what better than pure, unfiltered Turkish coffee? UNESCO has granted the status of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Turkey to Turkish coffee, which is renowned for its distinctive flavor and smell around the world. There’s no need to fret; you don’t need to venture to Turkey! Discussed below are some simple recipes and other historical facts about Turkish coffee:
Don’t stress if you don’t have to make it to Turkey! Discussed below are some simple recipes and other historical facts about Turkish coffee:
UNESCO has awarded Turkish coffee the distinction of being Intangible Cultural Heritage of Turkey, and it has earned a large fan base for its exceptional flavor and fragrance. No need to fret – there is no need to travel to Turkey!
This text covers some easy-to-follow recipes as well as a few facts about the history behind Turkish coffee.
History and Traditional Significance
Though coffee is often thought of in modern, urban contexts, it has a long and varied history. The coffee plant was first identified in Ethiopia in the 11th century and was later planted in more areas of the world at that time.
Coffee was initially unveiled in Istanbul when Sultan Suleiman was in power and then slowly spread throughout the Ottoman Empire, becoming an important element of Turkish court life.
In the past, brewing a cup of coffee was quite a complex process. The coffee beans underwent roasting before being ground into a fine consistency and combined with charcoal ashes, ensuing a delicious taste.
Originally a beverage saved only for upper-class people; coffee was consumed solely by the King and other aristocrats. Coffee was much more than just a drink in the past; people disclosured secrets, made and ended agreements, and even strategized wars while indulging in their beverage.
The head barista acted as a confidant to the king and played an important role in the political decisions made at court. You will come across numerous leading coffee servers or Kah EC BAs attaining the position of highly respected counselors to the Sultan.
The citizens of Istanbul very quickly became captivated by the delightful characteristics of this drink. Coffee shifted away from the royal courts of Turkey to the public streets, where people purchased raw coffee beans and roasted them in their own homes.
The beans that had been roasted were pulverized into a fine powder and prepared in either coffee machines or “cezve”. The value of a woman was judged based on the coffee she provided for her in-laws.
In the past, a woman could end her marriage to her husband if he could not give her a cup of coffee each day.
As coffeehouses became more popular, a new group of thinkers began to congregate at them to chat over a cup of coffee and engage in activities such as reading, playing chess, and talking about literature, poetry, politics, and other intellectually stimulating topics. This is strikingly reminiscent of the post-modern age many centuries later.
These coffeehouses put on puppet shows that were designed to be both fun and thought-provoking, mocking the conditions during that period. The coffee-drinking frenzy became so strong that people would rather go to cafés than attend the usual prayers in the mosque.
Coffeehouses were not just sites for social interaction and amusement; they were also venues for conversations about rebellious and revolutionary ideas. The young people gathered together over cups of coffee to converse about the drawbacks of the management structure.
This ultimately caused coffee and cafes to be forbidden completely as these social events posed a danger to the royal family. Nevertheless, even with cruel and at times cruel measures, people continued to indulge in caffeine!
It was commonplace to use Turkish coffee for astrological purposes. Remember Professor Sybill Trelawney from Harry Potter? Her fortune-telling methods took their roots in the Turkish custom of predicting the future by upending someone’s cup, and interpreting the random shapes formed by the past-brewed coffee grounds and mud. Fortune reading, known as “fal” in Turkey, is still a popular activity among women there to this day.
Coffee had a substantial influence on the city’s economy, as it was frequently shipped to European countries and then sold across the globe. Caffeine was viewed as the source of energy and excitement at parties or social events.
The highest priced and cherished coffee, known as the ‘Black Pearl’, was a beverage enjoyed exclusively by the upper class. It was a sign of importance among influential men at official gatherings and female attendees at special occasions.
A revitalizing and invigorating beverage, coffee was favored by soldiers and voyagers who would load their storage with coffee to get ready for the extended trip in front of them.
Guests were greeted with inviting cups of freshly brewed Turkish coffee to highlight the hospitality and values of the home.
Throughout the course of time, Turkey has held its admiration for coffee, and today coffeehouses can easily be spotted at each street corner around the country. Coffee is now an indispensable part of Turkish tradition. These days, coffeehouses in the city, which were generally patronized just by males, now encourage the presence of females.
Additionally, these coffeehouses present their patrons with a broad range of board and card games that are strictly for recreational purposes, not to make money.
The establishment even offers customers the opportunity to experience the traditional hookah pipes (nargile) and, in doing so, take a stroll down memory lane and feel like they are in the presence of the sultans of times gone by.
Preparing the Coffee
No matter what utensil or method is utilized to brew Turkish coffee, there are certain vital aspects that need to be taken into account in order to have a brew that is savory and has the pure taste and consistency it is supposed to have. Those aspects are featured below.
Coffee beans to make Turkish coffee should be fresh
The taste and foam of Turkish coffee is strongly influenced by how recently the beans were roasted. The ideal way to brew the perfect Turkish coffee is to purchase whole beans and grind them right before preparation. Arabica beans of a medium roast are ideal for making Turkish coffee. The freshness of the roasted beans can be preserved for anywhere between 1-3 weeks depending on the way it is stored. Once the package is opened, it is advised to place the coffee beans in a sealed glass jar and keep them in a location that is both dark and dry for a longer period of time.
Purchasing pre-ground coffee is an alternative, since not everyone may have the time to grind up the beans each time. It is best to purchase ground coffee in limited amounts that can be used up within 1-2 weeks to ensure it remains fresh. Storing it in a correct manner is essential. Once opened, ground coffee should be put into a container with a tight lid that is made from glass and kept in a room or cupboard where there is no humidity and it is not exposed to light. Below are some Turkish coffee brands that sell packaged ground Turkish coffee:
- Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi Turkish Coffee
- Hafiz Mustafa Turkish Coffee
- Elite Turkish Coffee
- Al Ameed Turkish Coffee
- Selamlique Turkish Coffee
- Osso Turkish Coffee
Roasting and grinding the beans
It is advised that you toast and crush the coffee beans right before preparing it for best flavor retention and aromatic preservation; however, you can also utilise commercially processed coffee granules but it will not be as flavorful as the newly ground beans. Turkish coffee is often brewed with mocha, Java, Viennese, or decaffeinated Arabic beans. Brown the coffee beans over a medium heat and then crush them in a mortar and pestle or grind them into a powder with an electric coffee grinder. Make sure to grind the coffee into a fine powder before continuing.
Turkish coffee typically calls for Mocha, Java, Viennese, or decaf Arabian beans. Toast the coffee beans until they reach a medium-brown color, then crush them into a fine powder with a mortar and pestle, or grind them with an electric coffee grinder. Make sure that the coffee is ground as finely as possible before going to the next step.
The grind size of Turkish coffee should be extraordinarily small, smaller than would be used for an espresso. As the coffee is ground into a finer consistency, the area exposed to the water rises which allows for the oils and flavors to be liberated from the beans and infused into the water more efficiently. The key factor that creates the rich flavor and thick consistency of Turkish coffee is this.
As stated previously, you have the option to buy either pre-ground Turkish coffee or whole arabica beans that you can grind yourself. Nevertheless, it is implausible for the majority of conventional grinders to grind beans as small as Turkish coffee mandates since they mainly grind them into an espresso fineness. So, you need to have a Turkish coffee grinder. Lately, Starbucks and La Colombe have been providing customers with the choice of a super-fine grind when buying whole beans from them.
Water should be filtered and cold
The water affects the taste of coffee a lot. Tap water typically has a flavor that includes chlorine, bleach, or other chemicals, due to the fact that these items are used to purify the water. If you make coffee with tap water, then the undesirable flavors in the water will transfer over to the coffee and detract from its flavor. It is preferable to utilize filtered or spring water that has not been treated with any chemicals when making ordinary coffee in order to keep the taste pure.
The best water to use for Turkish coffee should be cold, ideally slightly chilled. The extended cooling process of the water allows for more time for the flavors in the coffee to be extracted into the water. Cold water has a higher oxygen content, which helps to produce more froth which is a great enhancement to the pleasure of drinking Turkish coffee.
Ways to Make Turkish Coffee At Home
Traditionally, the Turkish-style of coffee was prepared in a copper vessel named a cezve placed on a bed of embers or sand. In recent times, as technology has developed, new techniques for preparing Turkish coffee have arisen. Listed below are the particulars pertaining to each of these approaches; however, certain points are shared by all of them.
When it comes to brewing coffee, there are just two components: water and coffee beans. The ratio of water to coffee is the most significant element that determines the flavor of coffee.
Some people prefer their coffee with sugar. Sugar is added at the start of brewing when preparing Turkish coffee. If you are using sugar for Turkish coffee, make sure to add the required amount to the water and coffee mixture before you begin the brewing process.
How to Make Turkish Coffee in Cezve
The customary way of brewing Turkish coffee is to heat it in a pot called a “cezve” over a low heat. A Cezve is an old-fashioned Turkish coffee maker, which is designed with a round bottom and a long handle. You can find out additional information about cezve on our blog specifically devoted to the topic.
You can use a cezve to prepare Turkish coffee in a few different ways: after a barbecue, directly over hot embers, on a stovetop in the kitchen, or with the help of one of the modern sand brewer machines. It is necessary to follow the quantity charts above when adding water, ground coffee, and sugar (if desired) to the cezve. Once the components have been poured into the cezve, gently stir them together before beginning to heat on the desired source.
Making Turkish coffee on embers
When your mixture of water and coffee is done in the cezve, you should put it directly onto glowing coals and wait until it foams and reaches the top. Then, you should grab the cezve and distribute the coffee into the mugs. Be sure to keep an eye on the cezve while you are making the coffee in order to prevent any spillage, otherwise you will waste all the foam.
Making Turkish coffee on the stove
Once your mixture of water and coffee within the cezve is prepared, you should set it on the stove and set the heat to low. You should let the coffee continue to brew until a foamy layer appears and the liquid rises to the edge of the mug. Then, remove the cezve from the heat and distribute the froth among the cups and return the cezve to the stove. When the coffee is almost boiling, remove it from the heat and pour the remaining liquid into the cups until they are full. The stove is where the second brewing must take place, since using the stove is a faster method of brewing than using embers or sand.