The best varieties of Turkish coffee

What distinguishes "Turkish coffee" from coffee in general? .. How does its preparation differ from the recipes of Italian, French or, say, American coffee? Is it because of advertising or because Turkish coffee really has a special taste? Answering these questions will help you find five facts about Turkish coffee that you probably didn't know before.

Turkish coffee

1. Turkish coffee comes from South Ethiopia, not Yemen

It is believed that the birthplace of coffee is Yemen. But do we really know everything about the true origin of this drink? According to history books, it was first used in Kaffa, southern Ethiopia. Of course, Ethiopians did not drink coffee at that time. They mixed coffee beans with other seeds and made dough out of this infernal mixture for use in food preparation. It was only many years later that coffee began to be cultivated in Yemen.

2. Turkish coffee is an invention of a Muslim cleric, although later coffee was banned as contrary to the teachings of Islam

The first to open coffee for Turks and the whole world was Ebu'l Hassan Şazeli, the founder of the Sufi order of Shazeli. According to legend, during a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1258, Sheikh Shazeli brewed a drink from coffee beans - however, it is not known exactly what recipe and where he got it from. However, coffee sellers consider the Sheikh to be their patron - because of this, in the last decades of the Ottoman Empire, every coffee house had a poster that read “His Holiness Sheikh Shazeli”

According to the records of the Ottoman chronicler Solakzade, after the Egyptian expedition of Sultan Selim, the Gloomy Grains of coffee began to reach Istanbul from Yemen, Cairo and Alexandria. Coffee was introduced into everyday life in the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. Thanks to the ambassadors of the Western powers in the Port, coffee quickly made its way to European cities, from Paris to Vienna. The drink earned worldwide fame and quickly spread throughout the Old World.

But coffee shops also created a new environment for social relations and helped spread free thought. Therefore, even during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent Sheikh al-Islam Suud Efendi issued a decree in which he declared pastime in coffee houses not in accordance with the spirit of Islam. About 70 years after him, Sultan Murad IV not only banned coffee, but also demolished all coffee shops in Istanbul.

3. The Arabica variety is now mainly grown in Brazil, not in Arab countries

The most common type of Arabica beans for Turkish coffee is “Rio Minas Gr. 5th type Arabica ”This name indicates that the seeds of the plant originate from Brazil and not from Yemen. The main reason for this state of affairs is the low price of Brazilian coffee. But the flip side of this cheapness is the low processing standards of the grains and, as a result, the taste of the finished drink.

4. Turkish coffee: the quality of the beans is not high

According to coffee experts, Rio Minas tastes salty and cloudy. But over the years, consumers have become accustomed to this taste and consider it the norm! ..Real coffee tastes bitter - which is why many growers have long tried to reduce bitterness over many years of breeding. And this is the reason why the Turks do not like the taste of "real coffee" - and all over the world for Turkish coffee, the demand among lovers is not very high.

5. Efforts are being made to improve the taste of Turkish coffee

Many people who have dedicated their lives to the coffee business are looking for higher quality Turkish coffee beans. Many associations and groups are constantly working to create a new standard for this drink and make delicious coffee available to people who are used to other varieties. One of them is Istanbul-based restaurateur Mehmet Gürs, who has set himself the task of “improving the quality of classic Turkish coffee”. But he also realizes that established technologies and consumer habits are very difficult to change.

Perfect Turkish coffee

Bonus: how to make the perfect Turkish coffee

The main advice from Beşir Ayvazoğlu, author of the book "What coffee do you want? .." - good Turkish coffee should be brewed slowly, preferably on coals or in hot sand. While the coffee slowly boils, it starts to foam. You will have to brew the drink very carefully so as not to damage this foam and prevent it from falling off. In addition, if it occurs to you to do fortune telling on coffee, the foam will play an important role - for example, tiny bubbles in the foam are interpreted as an evil eye. Coffee pots (Turks) must be made of copper in order to brew coffee of the desired consistency.

How do you make the perfect coffee?

• when you start boiling coffee, the water temperature should be 60 degrees at the beginning of the process and should not exceed 88.5 degrees at the end. According to experts, you need a thermometer for accurate calculation.
• the correct proportion of strength - for 1 gram of coffee 7 grams of water.
• Turk (cezva) should be made of copper and, if possible, should be covered with silver inside. The top of the vessel should be narrow, and the bottom should be wide - the ratio of the wide to narrow parts is about 1 to 3. Coffee should be stirred only with a wooden spoon.
• the finished coffee should sit in the cezve for about two minutes after it is brewed.
• right before drinking, you should clear your throat with a sip of clean water. When you're done drinking, eat a slice of Turkish Delight to sweeten the bitterness from the drink.
• according to experts, foam plays an important role in the perception of coffee, but does not affect the taste.
• water is very important in coffee. Better to use purified water and filtered water.
• the grinding of the coffee affects the taste. Finely ground one bean for Turkish coffee produces between 15,000 and 35,000 particles. For espresso, this figure is only 3,500.
• after roasting the coffee, it is not correct to brew it right away. It is best to wait five to six days before using.
• the thick at the bottom should be thick enough. In Turkish culture, if the grounds are not sufficient for fortune telling, the coffee is considered to be of poor quality.

Now you know enough to taste real Turkish coffee - just like in Istanbul. Better yet, share your favorite coffee recipe with your readers! ..

Planning an independent travel to Istanbul is easy, our article on how to buy tickets to Istanbul at a bargain price will help you with this.

There is no such person who would not try or, at worst, would not hear about this divine drink - like coffee.

But everyone knows its history, and even more so the cooking recipes.

In our article, you will get acquainted with Turkish coffee and learn how to prepare it correctly.

…

Turkish drink review

Turkish coffee is the national drink of Turkey, which has gained worldwide popularity precisely because of its exquisite taste and fantastic aroma.

Basically, Turkish coffee is prepared according to a recipe that is easy to prepare, but at the same time has its own secrets and important nuances.

For the first time, Turkish coffee appeared in the 16th century under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and was served only in the highest circles of the nobility. Later, the first coffee houses began to appear in 1564 in the city of Istanbul.

There are many rituals and traditions associated with coffee in Turkey. Drinking coffee together was considered a matter of respect and friendship.

In coffee houses, people loved to spend time during the day for socializing, playing chess, discussing politics, etc.

How to make real Turkish coffee, watch the video:

Vessel selection

The most important thing when choosing a Turk is the conical shape and small volume of the container. The most common type of coffee turk is the metal turk.

Such a Turk is very easy to use, durable and easy to handle. Metal Turks are made from aluminum, silver, copper and stainless steel.

Among these four types of material, the Turkish stainless steel and aluminum are the most unfortunate options to purchase, as the coffee in them will turn out to be inferior in taste and consistency.

Silver and copper Turks are the best options for both aesthetic and functional aspects of making Turkish coffee. Nevertheless, the best coffee comes from the copper turk.

Due to the fact that copper has a high thermal conductivity, the Turk heats up evenly and this contributes to the correct technology for preparing the drink. At the same time, it is necessary that the bottom of the Turks is covered with tin, because copper can release substances harmful to the human body.

In addition to metal, there are other types of Turks that are less common on the market, but are also traditionally used to make Turkish coffee.

For example, ceramic Turks are characterized by thick walls that retain heat and are of good quality.

Much less common are Turks made of Yixing clay, which enriches coffee with oxygen due to its porous structure. However, such Turks are very fragile and may prove to be short-lived.

When buying a turkey, you will be helped by professional advice on the video:

How to choose coffee?

The best type of coffee is Brazilian Arabica. Coffee must be bought in beans and grinded on its own before the very process of preparation, as finely as possible, literally into dust.

There is also Luwak coffee, a very specific coffee according to the method of its production, which is very peculiar, but at the same time it is recognized as the most expensive and delicious coffee in the world.

What types of coffee are there and how to choose the right one, you will learn from the video:

How much water is poured?

Cold drinking water is poured at the level of the neck of the Turks. It is necessary to achieve minimal contact with air to fully saturate the drink with the aroma and taste of the coffee beans.

Sand

The sand is used to create uniform heating throughout the turk. Such coffee is prepared on a specialized roaster, on which sand is poured.

It is better to choose quartz sand, since it is the finest, ideal for making coffee.

A turk is placed on top, and then coffee is prepared by analogy with the classic recipe.

For the classic preparation of Turkish coffee on the sand, see the video:

How to cook in a Turk?

Mehmet Efendi is a major Turkish coffee producer with a renowned name and rich history. How to brew Turkish coffee in a Turk - is it a vessel in which Turkish coffee is brewed? To make Turkish coffee in a Turk according to Mehmet Efend's recipe, you will need the following.

Ingredients:

• water - 150 ml.;
• ground coffee - 2 tsp;
• sugar to taste.

Cooking method:

1. pour all the ingredients into the Turk. Coffee is brewed over low heat, it is necessary to stir constantly.
2. After raising the coffee level a second time, you can divide it in half and pour ½ part of the drink into the coffee cup.
3. The second half should be boiled for another half a minute and poured together with the coffee grounds into a cup. In half a minute, the thickets will settle.
4. Traditionally, Turkish coffee is served with a glass of water.

How to make coffee according to Mehmet Efendi's recipe, see the video:

General Tips

1. Observe the grinding technology.

   If you use the grinder incorrectly, grinding the beans for too long can cause overheating and spoil the taste.

2. Store coffee in a dry sealed container.
3. Take out the coffee with an exceptionally dry, clean spoon.
4. Rinse the turkey thoroughly after washing so that there is no detergent residue.
5. Brew coffee strictly before serving, as it can cool down and lose its properties, taste and aroma.
6. Roasted grains are stored for no more than 2 weeks, since after this period they lose their aroma and flavor.
7. The foam that appears on the surface of the drink when heated must be whole and without cracks.
8. The coffee should not be allowed to boil, you just need to wait until the foam rises up to 2 times and then immediately pour it into a cup.

The process of preparing Turkish dishes is simple, make sure of this if you try to cook dishes such as gyuvech, babaganush or Turkish eggplant.

Recipes with photos

Next, we will analyze the most popular methods of making this wonderful drink.

Classical

Here is the classic Turkish coffee recipe.

Ingredients:

• ground coffee - 2 tsp;
• water - 150 ml.;
• sugar to taste.

Preparation:

1. it is necessary to fill the Turk with coffee, cold water, sugar.
2. Put on a slow fire, wait for the foam to rise, then remove from the heat, wait until the foam settles and put it on the fire again.
3. After raising the crema a second time, pour the coffee into a Turkish coffee cup and serve.

For home

You will learn how to make Turkish coffee at home by carefully reading the article below.

Ingredients:

• nutmeg - 1 tsp;
• water - 150 ml.;
• ground coffee - 2 tsp;
• sugar to taste;
• cream - 30 ml.

Cooking method:

1. Pour coffee into a Turk, pour water, cook until the second rise of the froth, pass it through a filter, separating the thick.
2. Separately heat the cream and sugar. Combine coffee and cream in a cup. Decorate with ground nutmeg and sprinkle over the coffee.

With garlic and honey

Ingredients:

• ground coffee - 2 tsp;
• water - 150 ml.;
• honey - 1/3 tsp;
• garlic - 1/3 clove;
• sugar to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Place the garlic and coffee in a Turk, add water. Add sugar and put on low heat.
2. Keep on fire until foam appears, then remove from heat and wait until foam settles.
3. Put the second time on the fire and so repeat up to 3 rises of foam. You can then pour it into a cup along with the coffee grounds. Add honey and serve.

Making coffee with garlic is shown in the video:

What to add?

In Turkey, spices are often added to the main recipe, which are important to combine well with each other. For example, the combination of cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla is very popular for home-brewing this drink.

You can diversify your coffee preparation by adding cream or milk.

The coffee aroma, according to the inhabitants of Turkey, is enhanced by the addition of a small amount of salt before serving.

It has recently become very popular in coffee houses to serve coffee with syrups for every taste and color. Such options are very different from the original, but in order to please visitors, Turkish coffee can also offer very unusual options for serving with whipped cream and mashmello, which is a very popular option today.

For lovers of Turkish cuisine, there are several recipes for delicious dishes: imam bayaldi, gubadiya, achma, lahmajun, kyufta.
See how to diversify Turkish coffee in the video:

Conclusion

Turkish coffee has become a cult in its historical homeland for a reason, because it is distinguished by its invigorating effect, helps to instantly collect thoughts, relieves stress and improves mood. Another popular drink in Turkey is ayran, the recipe can be found here.

Turkish coffee is made in a Turk and is very easy to prepare.Now you know not only how to make Turkish coffee, but also how to drink it. And most importantly, such an exquisite drink can be drunk in unlimited quantities without leaving home.

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Please advise. please have a good ground coffee to make yourself. can bring home for interest.

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From that sho they sell the most edible
this

Agree))

But it is only suitable for brewing Turkish coffee, it is not suitable for Italian coffee pots.

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Please advise. please have a good ground coffee to make yourself. can bring home for interest.

there is no such thing.

our stores sell coffee many times better.

What's the point of buying coffee there? In our specialized stores, coffee is much better in quality, you can simply buy it ... from Cuba, yes ... I was carrying half a suitcase of coffee beans, but from Turkey ... what's the point?

O … Tourist 77 outstripped me ... with the same thought ...

Thanks for answers. After all, I was not going to carry in bags, but for the sake of local flavor. No, and no trial.

For color, you were advised correctly - mehmet effendi with a man on the package
We usually take a few small packages for souvenirs to friends

in kemer I bought now in a state supermarket 100g 2.99 lira
a tin can of 250gr cost 9.65 lire

Byaka, not coffee in Turkey !!!

I don’t know about coffee, but I want to buy a Turk for making coffee.

Quote:

there is no such thing.
our stores sell coffee many times better.

- I join !! They also bought in cans and bags, as in the photo above - garbage! Ours is better, more fragrant. There is no point in bringing coffee from Turkey.

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mehmet effendi with a man on the package

Average coffee is sour for my taste. I bought it in Istanbul at the spice bazaar

Thank you all, we are leaving tomorrow.

Coffee in Turkey is neither bad nor good: it is different. It is not intended for coffee makers: you run the risk of blowing up a carob espresso forever (there is a sad experience). This coffee is very finely ground. It can only be cooked in a Turk, over fire or sand. At the same time, do not rush to remove from the fire. Despite all the warnings that coffee cannot be brought to a boil, the Turkish must be allowed to "rise", a little, of course. Then all the particles will settle to the bottom and will not interfere with the delight of the drink. It will turn out to be unique: thick in the truest sense of the word. You will not taste this kind of coffee anywhere else. In Europe and in our country, everything is different. By the way, the Turks do not bring it to a boil and therefore serve a glass of water to wash off the plaque from the "grains" remaining in the mouth.

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By the way, the Turks do not bring it to a boil and therefore serve a glass of water to wash off the plaque from the "grains" remaining in the mouth.

Well, the Turks can drink water for this, and normal coffee lovers take a sip of water so that the taste buds, with a new sip of coffee, again feel the whole bouquet of this drink))) and not at all to wash off the grains)))

And I really liked the coffee mehmet effendi. I cook in a Turk, let the foam rise a little and set it aside, so 3 times. You can tell fortunes on it 🙂
We ask you to add cardamom when it is crushed, it’s also okay.

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I liked the coffee mehmet effendi very much

And I love him. At work, I just pour boiling water in a cup, cover it with a saucer to settle and enjoy)

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And I really liked the coffee mehmet effendi

I drank it in Paloma Renaissance, I really liked it. I also bought it at home.

oh, I don’t understand cho, but I really like Turkish coffee. Last time in Cyprus, during a trip to Famagusta, I bought Turkish coffee in small bags. Very tasty. In any case, you cannot compare it with the Greek.
I always buy it when I am in Turkey, including in bazaars.You are delighted with one smell.
I confess that I have never tasted Cuban and the rest of the exotic.

Tea in Turkey is sold in shops and markets. In stores there are well-known brands of tea (Dilma, Lipton, etc.). Black and pomegranate teas are sold by weight on the market.

Black tea

Black tea is grown on the Black Sea coast in Rize. It has a bright and rich taste without any additives. Traders usually display it in large linen bags. You can go up and smell the tea, look at the amount of litter in it and the size of its sheets. Cheap teas usually cost $ 10-15. Expensive tea, which is really worth buying, costs $ 20-25. When bargaining, you can reduce the price by 10-20%, depending on how much tea you buy. The best time to buy Turkish black tea is early May. Since at this time it is sold well dried, but not stale.

Pomegranate tea

Pomegranate tea is tea made from dried pomegranate peel. It is produced in the southern regions of Turkey (regions of Antalya, Izmir). Contains many vitamins and minerals that help with inflammation and poor metabolism in the body. It is sold both in markets and in stores. There are manufacturers who produce pomegranate tea packaged in packages of 100 and 200 grams. It is better to buy tea in such packages as a gift to relatives. You can buy pomegranate tea everywhere, but if you need to bring more of it, it is better to buy it at one of the tourist markets. There, as a rule, it is sold both in packages and by weight, and you can buy it in any quantity and in any package. Sellers make a 5-25% discount if you buy several packs of tea or from 0.5 kg or more. It is better to buy pomegranate tea in December, when the peels of the freshly harvested pomegranate are dried.

How to buy coffee?

Coffee in Turkey is not only a drink, but also a national tradition. The Turks began drinking coffee in the 15th century in Istanbul, after which ceremonies for drinking coffee at various events were formed. Some elements of such ceremonies have survived to this day. For example, if you have chosen an expensive item in a shop and want to bargain, the seller will certainly offer you a cup of coffee while sitting on the couch.

But how to choose good coffee in Turkey that has a pleasant taste and aroma? To begin with, you need to know that there are two types of coffee - shop coffee, in bags of 100 grams and in iron cans of 250 and 500 grams, and market coffee, which is sold on the market by weight. Store coffee, as a rule, is sold ground, and due to the tight packaging it is impossible to smell it. The most famous coffee brand in Turkey is Mehmet efendi. This coffee is drunk by the Turks themselves and is recommended for preparation in local recipe books. Therefore, despite the density of the package, Mehmet efendi coffee can be bought without fear of being deceived. The only thing worth paying attention to is the expiration date, so as not to acquire stale powder. In the bazaars, coffee is sold in beans, which the seller can grind at the request of the buyer. Such coffee can be smelled, touched and, if you take a lot (from 2kg), even try it. Buying coffee on the market is ideal if you are purchasing beans for yourself.
For true connoisseurs of coffee and tea, Turkey will be a pleasant discovery, because there is a wide range of products that will satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur of these drinks.