Turkish Coffee

Cafe Society
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I had Turkish Coffee for the first time yesterday (along with falafel, which I think merits a thread of its own, but not today).

It was about the most unusual cup of coffee I’ve ever had. It was strong, almost syrupy. Lots of very fine grounds in it. The thing that got me, though, was the manner of serving. The tiny brass pot of coffee, and a tiny little (about half the size of a shotglass) coffee cup. I felt a bit like I was having a tea party with a four-year-old girl.

All that being said, it was about the best damn cup of coffee I’ve ever had. I’ve been looking up recipes for homemade, and there’s quite a bit of paraphrenalia involved. Anyone else made this stuff at home?

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Turska kava has long been a staple in our house. Very common Balkan drink, though some call it ‘Greek Coffee’ and whatnot.

When you are done with your coffee, you flip the cup over on the saucer, and your fortune is revealed in the pattern of the grounds. Well, that’s what Grandma says, though I have my doubts…

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Love the stuff=)

Link to all things turkishcoffee=)

We have a couple ibriks, from a small 2 person one to a 12 cup version, but that one needs re-tinning=(

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Ibriks are the coolest looking coffee gadgets! I love my ibrik.

I learned to drink Turkish coffee when I lived in Croatia for a spell, and got totally hooked on it. I remember the first time I saw someone making it in an ibrik, I thought “What the hell are you doing?! Coffee isn’t supposed to boil!!! That’s bad!” Well, it is, but not with Turkish coffee.

It’s easy enough to make. Get yerself an ibrik and the finest possible grind of coffee you can get. A Turkish grind is actually a bit finer than an espresso grind. You can also find tins of ground Turkish coffee at some ethnic stores (Polish, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Greek, Turkish, etc…) Better yet, if you have a Turkish or Greek shop nearby, you should be able to get freshly ground coffee there that’s suitable.

Now, in your ibrik, put three heaping teaspoons of coffee and three heaping teaspoons of sugar. Add cold water and stir. Bring to boil. As the water boils, it will begin to froth up and rise to the lip of your ibrik. Take it off the burner and let stand for a minute. Return to burner and allow to rise again. Take it off the burner and let it stand for another minute. Repeat once more and serve. Allow a minute for the grounds to settle.

The boiling process helps remove some of the grinds from your coffee. They get trapped in the tapered part of your ibrik.

Now, some people add the coffee grounds after the first boil. I was taught to start with cold water, coffee, and sugar. You can also add a cardamom pod to spice it up a bit (I do recommend it, but I don’t always have cardamom lying around.)

Traditionally, Turkish coffee is always drunk very sweet, except for sombre occassions (like funerals.)
As a side note, Polish folk (like my family) traditionally drink coffee in the Turkish manner, but with a different method of preparation. One simply puts a heaping teaspoon or two of very finely ground coffee in a glass and pours boiling water over it. (As if you were making instant coffee.) Stir. Let stand for a couple of minutes, and the grounds will settle to the bottom of the cup by themselves.

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Good stuff, y’all. Now, if I only had a stove to make it with.

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I have an ibrik and when I have the time, I make myself some Liquid Crack. :smiley:

I learned how to brew it from a former neighbor who had emigrated from Croatia. She used to top the coffee with a teaspoon of boiled milk for those new to it.

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I imagine you can do it on a hotplate, too.