With having expanded our coffee range to include one of the oldest forms of coffee enjoyment - here is a brief introduction to the art of preparing Turkish coffee:
Turkish coffee (also known as "Arabic coffee", "Greek coffee", "Egyptian coffee" etc...depending on the region or specific preparation) actually refers to a method of preparation and not a specific type of coffee.
Turkish Coffee - the Degree of Grinding
The coffee is ground as finely as possible, one can almost speak of coffee dust.
Most common grinders are not able to achieve this fine degree of grinding - this is how coffee is used or you use coffee that has already been ground accordingly.
The Preparation of Turkish Coffee
There are many variations of the preparation.
However, they (almost) all have one thing in common: the coffee is heated in hot water - which is not yet boiling - until the aroma can fully develop.
Amount of Coffee & Water
The amount of water is measured in cups, with approx. 7g of coffee per cup is used. Normally, the water is poured into the pot first, followed by sugar and coffee. The coffee and sugar are then stirred until the coffee has sunk and the sugar has dissolved. Now the coffee pot is heated over a low flame.
Heating and Cooking
Caution: if the flame (heat) is too high, the coffee will boil too quickly without the aromas having time to unfold. Do not stir under any circumstances, as this would dissolve the foam that forms!
Now comes the most exciting moment: when the coffee starts to boil, the cooker is removed from the stove. Allow to cool down briefly - the residual heat from the cooker now continues to work. Then boil it up once or twice more.
The Pouring
The crown of this coffee preparation is to achieve the thickest possible layer of coffee foam. One way is to lift it slightly up the maker when pouring the coffee into the cup. Regardless of the technique, the cup with the thickest foam is considered the best! A well-prepared Turkish coffee is characterized by its thick coffee foam, its homogeneous consistency and the absence of coffee particles. Another variant of the preparation is to wait a short time (approx. 20 seconds) while the coffee is boiling in order to extract a little more aroma.
However, the foam would be completely lost in this case. Therefore, with this method, the foam is poured into the cup(s) in advance and the rest is boiled up again. However, it is important to ensure that only the froth, and not the coffee particles, get into the cup when pouring.
Serve and Enjoy
These are just two of the many methods of preparation that have evolved over the centuries. They should serve as an introduction to this fascinating world of coffee. The coffee is drunk hot. It is usually served with a glass of cold water to refresh the palate before enjoying the coffee. It is typically served with Turkish sugar and can be flavoured with spices (such as cinnamon, mastic, cardamom).
All of the coffee is poured into the cup, but not all of it is drunk - the coffee grounds are left on the bottom. These ground coffee can then be used to read the famous "coffee grounds": the cup is placed on the saucer, left to cool and your future can now be determined based on the pattern. With that, we wish you a lot of joy and enjoyment while preparing your Turkish coffee!