Understanding the art of Turkish coffee

Coffee, the invader

You could say the custom — or rather ritual — of drinking coffee is as old as Istanbul's oldest mosques, going back more than 500 years. It was then, around the fourteenth century, that the mighty Ottoman Empire conquered its small neighbour Yemen. Yes, the very same Yemen that, as you know, was already arguing with Ethiopia about who brewed the better little black coffee.

Through a somewhat forced cultural exchange, the Ottoman invaders encountered a stimulating infusion made from the roasted seeds of small red fruits. It conquered their palates and, as a kind of spoil of war, reached the sultan's court. There it immediately became a celebrity, especially among dervishes, who used its stimulating properties during their mysterious rituals of “prayer through dance”.

Interestingly, coffee also conquered countries in Western Europe through military events. After the famous Relief of Vienna in 1613, sacks full of coffee beans were among the most coveted spoils. Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki was particularly keen on them: a man who first helped save Vienna from the Turks while serving in the army, then effectively surrendered it to the enemy by opening the city's first Turkish coffeehouse. From elegant Vienna, Turkish coffee began its triumphant march through the other capitals of Europe...

Caffeinated Istanbul

Since then, coffee-drinking culture has spread to every continent, but that does not mean it was forgotten in its homeland. Quite the opposite: over the centuries, more “coffee houses” appeared in every self-respecting Turkish town, and enjoying the thick, caffeine-filled brew became a daily ritual for the Ottoman Empire's inhabitants. It remains so today. Along the Bosphorus, people drink coffee almost as they did centuries ago, usually brewing high-quality beans from Ethiopia or Kenya and following a few simple rules. So how do you enjoy truly authentic Turkish coffee?

Above all, calmly, never on the run. Ideally, sit with a friend in a little café and have a conversation that may last for hours. Although Turkish coffee is extremely intense in flavour and resembles a thick, concentrated espresso in body, you should never drink it in a hurry, let alone standing up. Instead, sip it slowly in small mouthfuls from a miniature cup warmed in your hands. Notice its shape and form, too: Turkish coffee cups are often little works of art. Their distinctive shape is broad at the base, rounded in the middle and narrower at the top. Delicately decorated with colourful paint, they are almost as pleasing to the eye as the brew inside.

How do you traditionally prepare the coffee itself? In a small copper vessel called a cezve, pronounced “jez-veh”, resembling a pipe with a long handle. The recipe is simple: cover two teaspoons of coffee, ground to a fine powder in a burr grinder, with water in a ratio of 1:9. Stir the mixture with a spoon and place it over a heat source. When it comes to the boil, take it off the heat, gently remove the foam and bring it to the boil again. Repeat this little ritual three times before finally pouring the coffee into cups.

One dilemma remains: what should you have with Turkish coffee? Sugar, to soften its intense taste a little? Why not! Or perhaps lokum, that “sweetness of sweetness”, the traditional Turkish delicacy? The choice is yours — and your friend's, with whom you will enjoy it...