How To Make Turkish Coffee: A Guide To Making An Authentic One

Turkish coffee is not just a beverage actually it holds a deep cultural significance in Turkish culture representing their traditional culture and behavior. From generations, it has been a part of social interaction, hospitality, and traditions in Turkish society. Interestingly, the preparation of coffee is like a ritual in their culture and they use a special pot called cezve to make coffee and serve in small cups thereafter.

Turkish coffee plays a major role when there are gatherings with friends and relatives and with every sip of coffee, there comes a unique gossip and stories making the moment special and memorable.

Not just that, Turkish coffee is tied with unique traditions and culture such as fortune telling from coffee grounds and serving it during marriage proposals. Isn't that amazing? Hence, the rich brew of Turkish coffee is a symbol of respect, love, care, and deeply rooted culture. One must try this coffee no matter what country and culture, they represent.

Making Turkish coffee is definitely a cheerful task that requires some ingredients and tools for the best result. You can collect the following things before getting started. The availability of these tools will make your task easy and quick. So make arrangements for them first.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you need for making Turkish coffee, have a look:

Finely Ground Turkish Coffee

Turkish coffee is a star ingredient in itself, however, it should be finely grounded for the best result. So, you need to make sure that the coffee you choose is finely grounded and has the best quality.

Cold Water

Water is another important ingredient in this recipe. It is recommended to use cold water for a better taste and texture. Avoid already boiled water or chlorinated one.

Sugar (optional)

If you like your coffee sweet, then you can add sugar too. Since it is an optional ingredient, you can skip it to make your coffee strong.

Cardamom

You can also use a pinch of ground cardamom to enhance the flavor. However, it is optional.

Tools Required

The availability of the right kitchen tools will help you get the best result as well as make your task quick. So, here are the required kitchen equipments to make this Turkish bliss:

• Cezve (Ibrik): This is a special pot or vessel that is designed to make traditional Turkish coffee. It is often described as a small pot having a long handle.
• Demitasse cups: These are small cups that are used especially to serve Turkish coffee. There is no use of big cups in their culture especially for this coffee.
• Coffee spoon: A small spoon is needed while making this coffee. It is used to stir and measure the coffee.
• Heat Source: You can use either a stove or an open flame as a heat source.

You will find the task of making Turkish coffee quite easy and effective once you review the below segment properly. Here I have mentioned the best guide to help you get the desired result while making this Turkish bliss.

Ingredients

• Finely ground Turkish coffee (about 1 heaping teaspoon per cup)
• Cold water (about 1 demitasse cup per serving)
• Sugar (optional, to taste)
• Optional: A pinch of ground cardamom for added flavor

Instructions

Once you have collected the above ingredients with the required measurement, you should follow the step-by-step guidance below:

Step-1 Measure Water and Add Coffee

First of all, you should measure the cold water using the demitasse cup. You need to add one cup of cold water into the cezve for each serving. Make sure you use the water as per your serving needs.

After that, you should add a heaping teaspoon of finely ground Turkish coffee for each serving. The coffee you are using must be finely grounded just like flour.

Step-2 Add Sugar (optional)

Now, it is time to add sugar to the mixture you have made. Depending on your sweetness desire, you can balance the sugar level in this coffee. For instance, you can make sade or no-sugar coffee.

To make it a low-sugar coffee, you should add just half a tablespoon of sugar. Similarly, you should add a tablespoon of sugar if you prefer a medium sweet and add 2 tablespoons if you like sweet coffee.

If you have used sugar then you need to stir the mixture well so that sugar completely dissolves in it. Let me tell you, this is the only time you stir the solution.

Step-3 Heating

Then, we should move toward the heating process. In order to do that, you should place the cezve on a low flame. Interestingly, making coffee in low heat for a long time is the key part of making this coffee. This allows to development of the complete flavor.

Step-4 Distribute Foam

While the coffee starts to heat, a foamy layer is formed on the pot. Similarly, the foam will literally rise at the top surface until it boils. Before the foam moves out of the pot, you should remove the heat from the pot.

You should not stir that, instead, you can gently put that foam on each serving cup. But make sure you do not stir the pot while taking out the foam. Actually, the foam offers a thick consistency in the coffee.

Step-5 Reheat

After you have distributed the foam to each cup, you should reheat the coffee and make a boil again. You need to repeat this process 1-2 times to get a thick and rich flavor.

Step-6 Pour

Once the coffee is heated and foam has been distributed, you need to pour coffee into each cup. While pouring coffee, it is necessary to ensure that the ground remains at the bottom of the cezve.

Before you start drinking, you should let the coffee sit for a minute or 2. This helps the ground to settle on the bottom of the cup.

Step-7 Serve

Finally, your Turkish bliss is ready. It is traditionally served with a glass of cold water, the significance of which is to cleanse the palate before drinking. You can also serve it with a small sweet treat, like Turkish delight (lokum), for a complete experience.

Following the above steps you will get a perfect Turkish coffee at home.

You will get a fantastic result when you follow each step mentioned above. However, having an idea of some of the useful tips definitely makes your task quick and effective. Kindly follow the tips below and get the desired result:

Before Brewing

• Choose fresh and finely ground coffee just like flour or powdered sugar.
• Use cold and filtered water for a clean taste. If you use chlorine water or water with any kind of additives, then it affects the taste and texture.
• Adjust the sugar at the same time before you move to the brewing process.
• Properly stir the mixture with the help of a spoon or spatula. 

After Brewing

• Once you have placed the cezve in the heat, you should avoid stirring the solution as it hampers the foam formation process. Avoid high heat.
• As foam starts to form, you should not let the coffee boil. Instead, remove the heat and make sure there is no ruin of the foam.
• Reheat the coffee and continue the process of froth and rise in it. Do this 1-2 times to get the deep and rich flavor.
• Pour coffee slowly without affecting the foam distribution. Also, make sure the ground remains at the bottom of the pot while pouring coffee into cups.
• Turkish coffee is often served with a glass of water to cleanse the palate before sipping. This is a typical practice in their society, so you can do the same to experience the Turkish heritage.

Lastly, it is better to use a cezve made up of brass or copper. This makes sure the coffee gets even heating and this also enhances the authentic experience.

Besides the authentic Turkish coffee recipe made at home, there are other methods also, which give the best result. Depending on your needs and desires you can opt for any of the methods. However, you must follow every step properly along with keeping in mind the useful tips.

Alternatively, you can go with the sand brewing method, moka pot adaption method, Turkish coffee machine method, and microwave method. Some of these methods need special tools and skills, while some are absolutely easy to proceed.

As per the availability of tools and devices in your kitchen, you can plan the method.

Have you heard about the sand brewing method for Turkish coffee? If not then, let me tell you it is a traditional method in which coffee is brewed in hot sand. Well, the method is both appealing to the eyes and fabulous in taste.

It is mostly popular in Middle Eastern parts and Turkish cafes. You can start this process with the instructions below:

Ingredients

• Finely ground Turkish coffee
• Cold water
• Sugar (optional)

Tools

• Cezve (Ibrik)
• Hot, fine sand (often in a specialized tray or container)
• Heat source (to keep the sand hot)
• Demitasse cups

Instructions

1. First, you should prepare the sand, and for that take a wide, shallow tray or container and heat the sand in that container in an open flame.
2. You need to make sure the sand is hot enough to cook coffee but don't make it too hot to prevent scorching.
3. Now, you need to bury the container partially in hot sand.
4. Then, allow it to cook slowly in the sand. As it starts heating, foam starts appearing.
5. As the foam starts forming, you should remove the pot instant from the sand and distribute the foam in cups. 
6. After that, reheat the pot and continue this process for at least 2 times. This helps to get the thick and dark flavor.
7. You should now pour the coffee in demitasse cups also allowing the grounds to settle at the bottom. 

This method is unique and offers a real traditional flavor. You must try this method if you want to explore the Turkish heritage closely.

Tips

• It is better to maintain a proper sand temperature. Just make sure, it is hot enough to boil coffee slowly.
• The use of fine sand offers even heating around the cezve.
• Pre-measure ingredients before you get started. This helps in a smooth process.

By using a Turkish coffee machine, you can break the traditional way to brew coffee. This also ensures that the taste and flavor are maintained as of the traditional method. Here are the instructions you need to proceed with this method:

Ingredients

• Finely ground Turkish coffee
• Cold water
• Sugar (optional)

Tools Required

• Turkish coffee machine
• Demitasse cups

Instructions

1. First, you should measure cold water and pour it into the machine’s water reservoir. There may be marks to indicate the number of servings.
2. Then, add one heaping teaspoon of ground coffee per serving. If you like sweets, then add sugar directly into the coffee compartment.
3. You may need to stir water, coffee, and sugar inside the machine. Also, some machines do this automatically.
4. Your machine may have different settings (e.g., coffee strength or foam level), so you need to choose preferred options.
5. Now, press the heat button and the machine will start to brew coffee slowly just like a traditional method. Interestingly, this also creates a foam at the top.
6. After the coffee is properly brewed, you should pour it over each demitasse cup. Also, you need to make sure the foam is evenly distributed in each cup along with the coffee.
7. Lastly, you should clean the coffee chamber and other removable parts. This helps to maintain the machine’s performance.

Tips

• You can experiment with the settings of the machine. So, choose the right setting as per your taste preference.
• As the choice of coffee matters the flavor, you should better choose properly ground authentic Turkish coffee beans.
• For proper brewing, you should not overfill the machine. Thsi also prevents spilling out on boiling.