If you’re thinking Turkish Coffee is yet another type of coffee I tried, it is not. I did try a new coffee, sure. But Turkish coffee is a way of preparing coffee and not a type of coffee. It is an unfiltered thick coffee sans milk with the coffee grounds floating freely in the cup. Not your regular cup of coffee, is it? It isn’t. You have one cup, and it will stay in your memory for a long, long time, as will the taste.
Derived from Arabica beans ground to a very fine powder, Turkish Coffee has become famous all over the world for its strong taste and special brewing method.
Coffee first came to Istanbul in 1555 by two Syrian traders. By the mid-seventeenth century, coffee had become an essential part of the Ottoman court’s elaborate ceremonies. The Sultan was ceremoniously served coffee by his coffee makers and this coffee rituals also played a role in marriage customs to an extent that women in the harem received thorough training regarding how the perfect Turkish brew was to be prepared. It is said that potential husbands would judge a woman by her Turkish coffee-making skills.
In Turkey, Turkish coffee cup-reading s a very popular method of fortune-telling. The shapes left by the coffee grounds represent the past and the future of the coffee drinker. Once you are done drinking the coffee, when the thick layer of grounds appears at the bottom of the cup, close the cup with a saucer, make a wish, and turn it over. Once the cup cools, the shapes left behind by the coffee in the cup can be read by a Falci (a fortune teller).
Turkish Coffee in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List
The special way Turkish coffee is prepared, the unique brewing technique, and the rich communal culture made it worthy of being inscribed in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2013. The tradition of Turkish Coffee is recognized as a symbol of hospitality and friendship. The local people meet at the coffeehouses to catch up over coffee, and coffee is offered to visitors as a welcoming gesture. It also has a special place in the holidays and ceremonies.
The special way Turkish coffee is prepared, the unique brewing technique, and the rich communal culture made it worthy of being inscribed in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2013. The tradition of Turkish Coffee is recognized as a symbol of hospitality and friendship. The local people meet at the coffeehouses to catch up over coffee, and coffee is offered to visitors as a welcoming gesture. It also has a special place in the holidays and ceremonies.
The Arabica Turkish Blend by Marc’s Coffees
Marc’s Coffees in Auroville are certified organic coffee roasters. They also have a cafe in Auroville. They focus a lot on sustainability and delivering the best quality coffee to its customers.
One of the coffees I bought from them is the Organic Arabica Turkish Blend. This coffee is 95.3% Arabica coffee with 4.7% cardamom. The coffee is certified organic. The coffee for this blend is sourced from Coorg and Pulneys, and the cardamom is sourced from the jungles of Wayanad. The coffee is sun-dried, washed, and monsooned. It is a light roast. It pairs best with butter croissants, dried fruit cakes, oat cookies, and biscottis.
Normally, Turkish Coffee is made using an Ibrik Cezve, which is a Turkish coffee pot with a narrow mouth and a long handle. I don’t have an Ibrik, so Marc from Marc’s Coffees guided me on how to make it without one.
How to make this Turkish Coffee without an Ibrik Cezve
I took a small pan with a long handle. Normally, my coffee mug is about 350-400 ml. However, for Turkish Coffee I was guided to use lesser water, equivalent to a standard demitasse. This would be about 100-150 ml.
I took the water, added 1 tbsp of coffee to it. I added about half a tbsp of sugar to it as well. Then I mixed it all well. This is all done before I put the pan on the stove.
Once I have mixed it well, I put it on the stove and bring it to a boil. I stir it intermittently so the ground or the sugar don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Once the mixture comes to a boil, I take it off the stove and allow it to cool and settle. Once it is cooled a little, I put it back on the stove and bring it to a boil again. This would be the second boil.
In the same way, I allow it to cool and then bring it to a boil again. This would be the third boil. The three boils would help bring out the flavor and forms a unique technique of brewing the cup as well as generating a lovely foam on top of the coffee. That is why it helps to have a narrow-mouthed pan.
After the third boil, I take it off the stove and then pour it into my cup. The coffee is ready! The coffee will have a great foam on top.
Wait for about 4-5 minutes before consuming the coffee. Serve it with a spoon and a glass of water at ambient temperature (not chilled). The water is used as a palate-cleanser, which would help you relish experience the flavor better and prevent the clouding of your taste buds. The spoon is to be used to stir coffee from time-to-time. By doing this, you ensure you don’t consume a weaker coffee and get the full flavor in every sip.
My experience of having this Turkish Coffee
This coffee has a delicious coffee aroma, coupled with a heady aroma of cardamoms. This makes the aroma of this blend very appealing. The moment I open the packet, I breathe in the refreshing, pleasing, and enticing. Full marks for the aroma.
As the Turkish Coffee is not filtered, the coffee is big on mouthfeel and body. Most of the grounds will settle at the bottom, some could also come along in your mouth as you sip, but it doesn’t feel unpleasant. It gives the Turkish blend a unique body and mouthfeel.
The taste is point on. I brewed my coffee a little strong as that’s how I prefer mine. But at no point did the coffee feel overpowering or unpleasant. It is a clean cup with a smooth flavor profile, perfectly roasted and processed. The coffee does not overpower the cardamom notes in the cup or vice-versa. The flavors are well-balanced. It is something new to try, and I enjoyed every sip.
If you would like to try out the Turkish Coffee blend I had, visit the below link to purchase your stash:
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