The art of making Turkish coffee

THE most important part of Turkish coffee is its preparation. But Turkey doesn’t grow its own coffee beans and relies on imports from Arabia, in particular, Yemen.

Traditionally, the Arabica coffee beans are ground using mortar and pestle which produces fine coffee powder, but one can also use burr grinders.

Sometimes, folks also grind cardamom and star anise with the coffee beans to add flavour and aroma to the coffee.

Storebought Turkish coffee powders can also be used for convenience, although nothing beats homemade coffee.

“Turkish coffee is best made from freshly roasted beans, ground just before brewing,” says Kaan Yilmaz, attache at the Turkey Embassy Tourism and Information Office in Kuala Lumpur.

Each cup is prepared individually in a cezve ( small hand- held kettle) and served in elegant demitasse and saucers – which hold about 30ml coffee.

To make the coffee, coffee powder, sugar and cold water are added into the cezve.

“The sweetness of the coffee is determined even before it reaches your table, so it’s best to inform the coffee maker just how much sugar you want in your drink,” advises Yilmaz.

There are three levels of sweetness to Turkish coffee – sade ( no sugar), orta sekerli ( medium sweet), and çok sekerli ( very sweet).

“Normally, Turkish coffee is enjoyed without sugar, but many people find it too bitter. Therefore, sade is generally served with a sugar cube or Turkish delight.

“You can eat the delight or sugar cube first before drinking the coffee. Some coffee shops also serve mint chocolate with sade,” explains Yilmaz.

Coffee and sugar are then stirred until the coffee sinks to the bottom of the kettle and the sugar dissolves.

The pot is removed from the heat just as the coffee comes to the boil. It is usually kept off the heat for a few minutes, and then brought to boil a second and a third time.

If the heat is too high, the coffee comes to the boil too quickly and that would give off an unpleasant burnt aftertaste.

The coffee is not stirred after the second boil, as it would dissolve the foam produced by the coffee powder.

“Well- prepared Turkish coffee has a thick froth on the top. It should be filled right to the brim. No spillage is allowed, especially when you carry the cups,” says Yilmaz.

There is an unwritten rule in the Turkish coffee ceremony which dictates that if foam is absent from the surface of the coffee, it is not a good cup of coffee.

“Getting the thickest possible layer of foam is a great achievement and the host takes pride in that cup of coffee,” says Yilmaz.

“When done right, Turkish coffee is black, intense, and possibly the best cup of coffee you will have in your lifetime.”