Do you want to find out how to make Turkish coffee? This drink is unique from how it is made to how it is delivered and enjoyed. When you make this straightforward Turkish recipe, your house will smell like coffee, which you will love.
The most popular hot drinks in Turkey are Turkish tea and coffee. People drink tea as often as they drink water, but they only drink one small cup of coffee. This is because coffee has a lot of caffeine.
Turkish coffee is a thick, rich drink best enjoyed slowly and with good company. It is made in a copper kettle called a cezve with ground coffee that looks like powder and is sweetened to each person’s taste. A great way of showing your coffee-making skills is to make a lovely cup of Turkish coffee.
What is Turkish Coffee?
First, let it be known that Turkish coffee beans do not exist. Arabic coffee beans are ground to a fine powder and used to prepare coffee. Rather than brewing, this is more like cooking.
Turkey’s distinctive brewing method is known as “Turkish coffee.” Before it is brewed, the coffee doesn’t even appear like conventional coffee beans. When you first encounter it, you might mistake it for cocoa powder.
Cezve or ibrik coffee pots are used to brew the ground coffee with water and sugar (optional). Using these pots, you’ll be able to produce the best cup of coffee possible.
Stainless steel, ceramic, brass, and even glass pots are now as ubiquitous as little copper pots with a long handle. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The tiniest can hold just one serving, while the biggest can hold up to six.
Because of the short neck and wide bottom, these little, deep pots produce a lot of foam in the coffee. The coffee is boiled with water in these pots on the stove’s lowest setting or, more traditionally, over hot sand.
An intensely flavorful cup of coffee results from this method. It is served in Turkish coffee cups with a lot of foam and has a distinct Turkish flavor. You should be able to produce enough foams to demonstrate your expertise in the art of coffee-making.
How to Make Turkish Coffee at Home
Ingredients
There are just two or three components needed for this foolproof coffee recipe. You must have:
- Water: The greatest foams are created with cold water. Water that is too hot or too warm should never be used.
- Super fine grind coffee: If at all feasible, purchase it directly from the supplier. If not, go with the most well-known online retailer’s brand. Don’t use ground coffee to create this coffee.
- Sugar: This is not required. It all comes down to personal preference. Alternatively, you can leave it out entirely or add half to two sugar cubes to the mixture.
Procedure
The following are the procedures that need to be taken to create this coffee at home, and it is effortless to do so:
1. Measure the Water with a Small Coffee Cup:
One small cup of water is enough for one person, two cups are plenty for two people, and so on. Directly into the little pot cezve, and pour the solution.
2. Measuring Ground Coffee:
One cup of cold water and two teaspoons of coffee is the ideal ratio for the appropriate consistency. In the coffee pot, add the ground coffee.
3. Mix Coffee and Water:
In a Turkish coffee pot, combine cold water and ground coffee and stir well until incorporated. Sugar can be added to your coffee if you prefer it to be sweeter.
As a host, you should always inquire about your guests’ preferences for the sweetness of their coffee. There are several options available to you:
- Unsweetened (with no extra sugar) – Sade
- A little sugar (add a half cube of sugar) – Az sekerli
- A little sweeter (add one cube of sugar) – Orta sekerli
- Extremely sweet (add two cubes of sugar) – Sekerli
Note: One coffee cup is used in this calculation. Depending on the number of people you serve, you may want to prepare each cup of coffee with a varied amount of sugar.
4. Prepare the Coffee:
Let it simmer for a few minutes on low heat, stirring only twice or thrice. Please remove it from the heat as soon as the bubbles form and the foam rises.
Each Turkish coffee cup should include a portion of the foam, so divide it with a teaspoon. Re-heat the pot to a medium setting. Remove it when it reaches a rolling boil. Pour the coffee into each cup and serve it to the guests.
Serving
Turkish coffee is traditionally served in a specific manner. Turkish coffee is a one-of-a-kind beverage. Demitasse cups, or kahve fincanı in Turkish, are little cups. Like espresso cups, they are.
A refreshing drink of water is always available on the side. Before your first sip of coffee, take a sip of this to sanitize your palate. As a result, you’ll get a more accurate sense of the coffee’s flavor.
As a side dish, it’s common to serve it with a dessert such as Turkish delight or chocolate. It’ll look even more impressive if you serve it with a classic sweet like kunafe or baklava.
It’s like a sacred ceremony to grind, cook, and serve this coffee. For Turkish people, drinking this unique beverage is a means to connect.
Iced Turkish Coffee
Have a desire for something cold? Make some iced Turkish coffee and serve it.
You need to pour a cup of freshly brewed coffee over ice and then top it off with the non-dairy milk of your choice. A highly non-traditional take on iced mocha is achieved by finishing it with a dusting of cacao powder.
How to Make Turkish Coffee Without Ibrik
Turkish coffee has a rich, creamy froth and a robust flavor. However, not everyone enjoys coffee and has a spare ibrik, a Turkish coffee pot, sitting around. Turkish coffee may be made without an ibrik!
Equipment
- A small pot or saucepan
- Grinder for coffee beans
- A spoon made of wood
- Cups of espresso (or coffee mugs)
Ingredients
- Beans for coffee, four tablespoons
- 16 ounces of water
Instructions
- Use the finest coffee grinder setting possible. The consistency of Turkish coffee grinds is similar to that of flour. Please don’t hold back on the fineness of the coffee grind for Turkish coffee; people don’t believe it’s possible. For every cup of water, use two to three tablespoons.
- Fill a little pot or saucepan with 16 ounces of water. For two cups of coffee, use this recipe.
- Mix the coffee into the water with a whisk. Starting with two tablespoons is good, although other people prefer three. You may want to start with a lower dose of Turkish coffee because it’s a little more potent.
- Over medium heat, bring the coffee to a boil. Towards the end of the brewing process, the coffee will begin to foam. As soon as you notice froth forming, take the coffee off the heat and wait for the foam to dissipate. Before the coffee comes to a boil, turn off the heat.
- Once the foam has set, begin the process again, heating the mixture over a medium flame until you notice foam developing. You can omit this step and merely do one heating stage if you are concerned about the bitter coffee.
- Turkish coffee is traditionally served in small coffee mugs; however, a full-sized cup can be substituted. To avoid chewing your coffee, let it take a few minutes to settle in the cup before taking a sip.
Turkish Coffee: A Brief History
Sufi monks of Yemen reportedly produced the first cup of Turkish coffee in the 15th century. Caffeine helped them remain awake all night during meditating. Ottomans invaded Yemen in 1517. The Ottomans loved the coffee they brought to the palace.
The name “Kiva Han,” which roughly translates to “coffee house” in Turkish, is widely believed to be the first public coffeehouse in the world. Throughout the country, the culture quickly expanded. Men used kahvehane (modern Turkish) throughout the Ottomans to socialize and organize revolutions.
On the other hand, women were barred from going to coffee shops and could only partake in the ritual at home. So, the men ensured that their spouses had enough coffee.
The Sultan’s proclamation allowed the wives to divorce their husbands if they didn’t comply, which was unheard of at the time.
Fortunately, Turkish women have been permitted to obtain a divorce for any cause since 1926, not simply a shortage of coffee. However, women are still discouraged from entering most traditional coffee establishments.
Facts About Turkish Coffee
The Coffee Beans
For Turkish coffee, medium – dark roast arabica beans from Brazil are most commonly utilized. However, you need not be concerned about wasting a specialty roast. The secret is to ground the beans finely—even more refined than espresso. Imagine something somewhat more significant than flour or matcha.
The best choice appears to be a manual grinder like a vintage copper one because many home coffee grinders do not have this more refined setting. Making authentic Turkish coffee is impossible if all you have is a coarser grind.
Turkish Coffee: Cezve or Ibrik?
Turkish families often carry numerous sizes of cezve to prepare coffee for different servings. Because vessel shape impacts foam, the ingredients should reach the thin section of the vessel. Thus, creating one serving in a larger cezve can be difficult.
A small saucepan will do for those who don’t have access to an ibrik or cezve. Getting taller and thinner is ideal.
Bitterness
Bitterness is unnecessary. “Authentic” Turkish coffee is created by churning and boiling it to get extra foam. Over-extraction causes bitterness. Most individuals add sugar or spices to their daily cups. It masks the taste.
It’s worth noting that a specific sort of Turkish coffee known as “mırra” exists. It’s recognized for its bitterness and the fact that it takes at least a few hours to produce! Be sure to use your time in that region of Anatolia if you ever find yourself there.
Tips: Turkish Coffee How to Make
- Traditional Arabica coffee is made using dark-roasted beans. You can also use other coffee beans; a mix of light and dark roasts tastes excellent together.
- Turkish coffee is distinguished by its delicate, powdery grind. It’s better to master this brewing procedure with pre-ground Turkish coffee because it’s difficult to achieve with the usual household grinder.
- A thick layer of foam should be created on top. The foam will collapse if you stir or allow the coffee to boil. The bitterness of boiled coffee can be amplified even more.
- Be patient and keep the temperature in check. The time it takes depends on your stove type, but it should take around seven and ten minutes.
- It’s easier to boil two cups of coffee at a time because of the small capacity of the cezve. For each “cup” of water, utilize one tablespoon of coffee from a larger cezve.
- Use the tiniest saucepan you can find if you don’t have access to a cezve.
- Turkish coffee cups can be replaced with espresso cups or miniature teacups.
- Control the flavor and strength of the coffee by varying the amount of ground coffee used.
- As a general rule, “least sweet” (Az sekerli) uses only half a teaspoon of sugar in each cup, “moderately sweet” (Orta sekerli) uses one teaspoon of sugar, and “extremely sweet” (sekerli) uses two teaspoons per cup. You don’t have to consume any sugar at all.
- One can make a creamier cup of coffee by replacing the water with milk; however, great caution should be taken to prevent scorching.
- Add green cardamom pods or 1/8 teaspoon of ground cardamom to the cezve, along with the coffee and sugar for a spicy kick.
FAQs
How do you say coffee in Turkish?
Turkish people call kahve (pronounced KAH-va).
How bitter is Turkish coffee?
A common complaint about Turkish coffee is how bitter it can be. This need not be the case, though. The extraction processes indicated in the recipe will remove the bitterness.
Does Turkish coffee have more caffeine than espresso?
Turkey coffee, espresso, and both are much more flavorful and caffeinated than your average cup of joe. It’s not quite apples to apples to compare the two. Because it is unfiltered, Turkish coffee has a more robust flavor than espresso.
On the other hand, espresso typically contains more caffeine. About 50 mg of caffeine can be found in a 2-ounce cup of Turkish coffee, while anywhere from 58 milligrams to 185 milligrams can be found in a double shot of espresso.
Is Turkish coffee stronger than regular coffee?
Yes! Flavors in Turkish coffee tend to be intense and dominant. The coffee grinds settle to the bottom of the cup during the brewing process, and the liquid on top drinks. Compared to coffee made using other methods, the caffeine concentration of unfiltered coffee is significantly higher.
Is it possible to make it with milk?
Turkish coffee is traditionally prepared without milk due to its strong scent. If you want a light flavor, use milk, but don’t count on it being frothy.
Why is it provided with water?
The reason is that coffee tastes better if your taste buds have been primed beforehand. Water is traditionally consumed first, followed by coffee, so the latter may be fully appreciated for its aroma.
Adding a tiny slice of apple or a rose petal to your water will provide a delicate fruity or floral flavor without overwhelming the drink.
Conclusion
The unique process used to prepare Turkish coffee results in a robust and flavorful cup of joe. A unique pot called an ibrik is used to brew Turkish coffee, but if you don’t have one at home, you can still have a cup of the stuff. You only need a tiny pot, some coffee, and a cautious eye to avoid a massive mess in the kitchen.
We trust you will appreciate this dish and try it out for yourself. The process is simple, and there are many ways to customize the final product to suit your taste in coffee.