Due to the unique aroma that fills homes, cafes, offices and streets, Turkish coffee is one of the most pleasant experiences you can have during your trip to Turkey.
In Turkey, coffee is a social mediator that brings people together, connecting them and inviting them to socialize. The role of coffee in Turkey is so important that the most important meetings and conversations after dinner always start with the same question: “What kind of coffee do you drink?”
The unique taste and traditional value of coffee included it on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013. Since then, December 5, the date Turkish coffee was entered on the UNESCO list, is marked and celebrated as “World Turkish Coffee Day”.
Centuries-old heritage
Turkish coffee has been at the center of social life since it was first brewed in the 16th century. The fragrant drink spread throughout the Ottoman Empire and traveled the world with its rituals, traditions and role. Coffee is central to Turkish culture, and the Turkish word for breakfast is “kahvaltı”, which literally translates as – “before coffee”. Whenever you visit friends or family in Turkey, you will always be offered Turkish coffee as a welcome drink. This also applies to wedding celebrations, engagements, births and almost all social events.
What kind of coffee do you like?
The method of brewing Turkish coffee has remained unchanged for centuries, and this is one of the features of its uniqueness. Turkish coffee is prepared by boiling finely ground and powdered coffee beans in cold water in a vessel called “Cezve” in Turkey. After boiling, the coffee foams, and then it is poured into cups in which a velvety foam forms on the tops. Unlike some other coffees, Turkish coffee is poured into cups with its grounds and always served with a glass of water, rahat-lokum or another sweet.
Methods of preparation
Turkish coffee differs according to the method of grinding and preparation, depending on the ingredients and the habits of the population of different regions of Turkey.
Mastic trees, which can be found throughout the Aegean region, carry with them the tradition of making Turkish coffee with mastic. Menengiç coffee, prepared by drying the beans of the “Pistacia terebinthus” tree, is very popular in Gaziantep, which is the “Turkish homeland of pistachios” in the southeast of the country. Dibek coffee, usually ground in a stone pot, has become popular as a unique alternative to Turkish coffee due to its mild aroma and as a Turkish coffee that can be served with milk. Mırra coffee is known as strong and bitter coffee and is usually preferred in the southeastern provinces of Turkey, Sanliurfa and Mardin.
