Turkish Coffee: Extracting History and Recipe for a Hot Beverage

Specialty coffee lovers will find a lot to enjoy with Turkish coffee. Cardamom and fresh coffee grounds make this the perfect coffee for anytime.Turkish coffee, with its thick foam and careful preparation is a well known specialty coffee. While any type of beans can be used, the special grinding of the beans combined with the careful and slow boiling of the water result in a coffee unlike any the Western world currently enjoys.

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History of Coffee

Coffee is thought to have its origins in Ethiopia, spreading by the 15th century to Cairo and Mecca. From there, this hot beverage was adapted and spread throughout the Middle East. What is thought of today as Turkish coffee has its origins in Arabic coffee with the Turks learning the methods of preparation during the reign of the Ottomans.Coffee as a beverage became so ingrained in Turkish culture that the word for coffee, Kahve is the root of the word breakfast, or kahvalti meaning the meal is to be served "before coffee". While regional differences affect the coffee recipes used throughout the Middle East, the careful grinding and preparation that goes into every cup remains the same.

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Variations and Flavors of Turkish Coffee

While the preparation of Turkish coffee remains fairly consistent, there are several ways to adapt the flavors of the coffee to different, regional tastes. In Lebanon, the sugar is added to the water before the coffee, resulting in a sugar syrup. The coffee is then boiled three times to maximize the flavor.

Some additions to the coffee, including sugar that may enhance the flavor include:

• Cardamom
• Ground pistachios
• Hot milk or cream
• Honey
• Grape molasses
• Ground sesame seeds 

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Grinding the Coffee

Turkish coffee does not use a particular type of coffee bean, but rather a particular type of ground coffee. The beans must be roasted and the fresh coffee ground to a fine powder. Traditional Western coffee grinders may not get the beans to a fine enough consistency, but they can get them close with the finished powder being ground by hand.To grind the coffee to the right consistency, begin with a coffee grinder set to grind to Espresso. When the beans have been ground as much as possible, transfer them to a mortar and pestle and grind them by hand until a very fine powder is formed. Alternatively, a Turkish hand grinder can also be used to get the coffee to the right consistency. The resulting powder should be used right away for best results, but can be stored for a few weeks in an air tight container.

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Turkish Coffee Recipe

To make Turkish Coffee, a Turkish coffee pot is required. This can be purchased online, or at many coffee specialty stores.

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• Enough water to fill the neck of the coffee pot
• 3 Heaping Teaspoons of Powdered Coffee
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cardamom

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Instructions

1. Add the sugar, water and coffee and cardamom to the coffee pot in that order
2. Place the coffee pot directly on a heat source, such as a stove top
3. Turn the heat on medium – low and watch the pot carefully as foam will begin to form
4. When the foam reaches the top of the coffee pot, remove the pot from the heat source
5. Stir the coffee and return it to the heat
6. When the foam reaches the top a second time, remove the pot from the heat source – this will happen much quicker the second time
7. Stir the coffee again, and return to heat
8. When the foam reaches the top a third time, turn off the heat and serve the coffee immediately
9. Pour the coffee from a height of 6 – 12-inches from the cup to help transfer the foam to the cup
10. Serve alongside Turkish Delight or Halva and drink while still extremely hot

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