Turkish Coffee in the Country of Origin
Turkey is the country that introduced to the world the coffee known as Turkish coffee (“Turk kahvesi”). It takes the first place in our coffee reviews by country as a respect for its contribution to the whole subject. Turkey is also responsible for all the utensils that appeared during coffee’s preparation. The recipe’s details as well as the traditional accompanied Turkish delights are all invented by the Turks. The rest of the given names are just modifications of the unique one.
THE ORIGINAL TURKISH COFFEE RECIPE
The coffee beans of the Turkish coffee are mostly Arabica. They are sometimes blended with Robusta beans of high quality. Every manufacturer has a “secret” recipe for blending and roasting coffee beans. Both procedures are considered essential for distinguished aroma. In Turkey, the most preferable roasting type of beans is the dark one. Some medium blends are also available in some regions.
The making method of the coffee still remains the same from the historical times. Pulverized coffee is put in a coffee pot. This is a specialty utensil for Turkish coffee. It is hand-made copper pot with designs from the Turkish culture. Fresh water and sugar/spices if used are added. The pot is put on low flame until foam rises to its lips. This procedure is repeated at least 3 times.
The Turkish coffee recipe is copied and altered accordingly by other countries that used to be under Ottoman Empire. In Turkey though, the knowledge of how to make Turkish coffee still retains all these minor details that make it distinctive. Preparation and serving is viewed as a ritual rather than just a shot of caffeine burst.
The authentic Turkish coffee is without any sugar (“sade”). Since people became accustomed to sugar a few levels of sweetness became available in coffee ordering. Orders could include phrases like “with a little sugar” (“az shekerli” = ½ teaspoon), “medium amount of sugar” (“orta shekerli” = 1 teaspoon) or “with a lot of sugar” (“shekerli” = 2 teaspoons).
In certain regions of Turkey aromatic spices are also used in the coffee. The most popular are cardamom and mastic. The spices are added with the sugar. There is a tendency to let the whole seeds float on the top of the cup instead of not pouring it into the cup at all.
MEHMET EFENDI TURKISH COFFEE BRAND
In the early stages of Turkish coffee history the coffee beans were roasted at home. They were then grounded by hand mills. In 1871 Mehmet Efendi started roasting and grinding coffee beans in his premises for commercial use. That was the beginning of an era coffee consumption domestically. Later on, it was successfully spread internationally. Nowadays, Mehmet Efendi Turkish coffee brand is considered as the best Turkish coffee globally.
Check our complete aStore GLOBAL TURKISH GROUND COFFEE for the most popular varieties of Turkish coffee from TURKEY and other countries as well.
TRADITIONAL TURKISH COFFEE UTENSILS
The traditional must-have utensils to make and serve Turkish coffee are the Turkish coffee pot (cezve / ibrik) and the Turkish coffee cups. Most Turkish households though also have a Turkish coffee grinder (“kahve degirmeni”). Grinding fresh roasted beans increases the aroma of the coffee compared to ready-made. A special coffee tray (“kahve tepsisi”) with two side handles or a bell-top is a necessity for every house.
 Coffee cups from our webpage |
 Coffee grinders from our webpage |
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| Turkish coffee pots |
Turkish coffee cups |
Turkish coffee grinders |
Check out our suggestions for special Turkish coffee trays.
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| Small - Brass |
Large - Brass |
Large - Nickel plated copper |
Large - Nickel plated copper |
Coffee is served in demitasse cup sets. The best ones are made of porcelain. They are usually produced in Iznik or Kutahya. Traditionally the cup sets carry motifs or other drawings. In the old times the cups did not have any handles. Filigree or jeweled cup holders were widely used. Most of the Turkish households own at least one Turkish coffee set for serving their special guests.
Check also our complete aStore TURKISH COFFEE SETS & GIFTS for the best options available from different Turkish manufacturers.
THE COMPLIMENTS OF TURKISH COFFEE
Michael Short
Allposters.com
The coffee is always accompanied by a glass of water. Occasionally something sweet goes with it as well. The Turkish delight is the most common one. Other choices include Turkish baklava and other specialty sweets. Among of the best Turkish delight producers are names such as Divan, Hazer Baba & Haci Bekir.
Check out our suggestions for Turkish Delights & Baklava, Specialty Sweets.
 Turkish Delights from Tulumba.com |
Baklava & Specialties from Tulumba.com |
| Turkish Delights |
Baklava |
FORTUNE TELLING THROUGH TURKISH COFFEE GROUNDS
Turkey’s culture comes from Islamic roots. Women gather together in houses for coffee. Men go to coffee shops. It is a usual custom, in these female meetings, after the consumption of the coffee to turn the cup upside down on the saucer. After letting it cool and dry, the hostess or any other “qualified” person performs a fortune reading (“fal”).
