How to make Turkish Coffee

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Thursday 30 October, 2014 by Uncle Spike

Hands up, how many of you have been to Turkey?

Ok, so not many. All right, how many have had Turkish Coffee in a restaurant over the years?

Hmm… well for those who have had the pleasure, let me ask this. How many tried back home to knock up a brew, and then almost died from the experience coz you just didn’t know how to make it?

Well, I was one of those who tried, failed, and didn’t touch the stuff for years, lol. So if you are one of the few who do fancy trying the genuine stuff, here’s how.

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Step one

To make Turkish coffee, you don’t need anything special, but what I’ve used here are traditional, albeit modern utensils.

> Turkish coffee, or Greek or Arabic. Most ethnic foods sections at city supermarkets stock it, either in cans like this, or a small sachet of say 100 grams, or 3.5 oz.

> Small cooking pan; something like a small milk pan might do if making for two people.

> Small coffee cup/saucer – gotta taste better from the real thing’ I reckon.

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Step two

Pour into the pot 80ml, or 1/3rds of a ‘cup’, or 2.7 fl oz, of cold water PER PERSON.

If you are using Turkish coffee cups it’s even easier; just add one cup full of water PER PERSON.

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Step three

Add one heaped small teaspoon of Turkish coffee to the water PER PERSON.

IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT STIR.

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Step four

Add sugar to taste using this guide. Remembering if making for TWO, both will have to have the same, or make separately:

BITTER – This means no sugar, easy.

SLIGHTLY SWEET – add ONE cube/teaspoon PER PERSON.

MEDIUM SWEET – add ONE+HALF cubes/teaspoons PER PERSON.

SWEET – add TWO-THREE cubes/teaspoons PER PERSON.

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Step five

Turn on a very low heat.

IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT STIR.

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Step six

Leave the heat on for maybe a couple of minutes.

The coffee will gradually sink.

If the coffee doesn’t seem to be sinking, you may stir once (no more).

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Step seven

Keep at a low heat until the water looks like it might be ready to boil, but DO NOT LET IT BOIL.

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Step eight

Pour and ‘slop’ some froth into each cup, until half full.

Return to the same low heat for another 5 seconds; again do not let it boil.

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Step nine

Gently pour more into each cup, filling to almost the top.

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Step ten

Serve immediately to your guests.

Provide them with an accompanying glass of cool water.

(water is sipped before, and after drinking the coffee)

To really impress, serve with 2 small pieces of genuine Turkish Delight. 

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TOP TIP

Never provide a spoon to your guests !!  

Turkish coffee should never be stirred. When drinking, STOP just before you hit the sludge. That’s how you can spot a tourist – they stir and swill the coffee around, drink the lot… and almost choke on the grout 🙂

ENJOY !

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* FLASH NEWS *

As you may recall, I’m pretty well caffeine intolerant these days. Take one small coffee and my heart races like a steam train for 2 hours. BUT… even here in Turkey, we can now buy decaf Turkish coffee (from specialist shops, not normal stores or café’s yet), and take it from me, it still tastes the same. So after 5 years with not being able to join Aunty Spike for a Sunday morning coffee, I’m now happily sorted 🙂

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This post is dedicated to Sue, from the excellent blog: Travel Tales of Life. Now that she now has some genuine Turkish Coffee (I know, we sent it over to Canada), I guess we’ll hear in due course how the experiment went 🙂

SPIKE

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