What is coffee in Turkish?

Coffee is kahve ( KAH-va ) in Turkish.

What is Turkish coffee?

Turkish coffee is a thick, unfiltered type of coffee prepared in a cezve or ibrik using very finely ground coffee beans. The leftover ground coffee beans are not drunk. Instead, some enjoy fortune-telling activities with the grounds—usually for fun purposes only. Turkish coffee is supposed to be drunk slowly.

Where did coffee come from?

Although the coffee plant originated in Ethiopia, allegedly it was the Sufi monks of Yemen who made the first coffee drink in the 15th century. They needed a way to stay awake all night while meditating, and no doubt—caffeine must have come in handy. Then in 1517, the Ottoman Empire invaded Yemen. They brought some coffee back to the palace and the Ottomans were hooked. The very first public place serving coffee in the world is reported to be in Istanbul, by the name “Kiva Han”—which loosely translates into “coffee house” in Turkish. The culture spread quickly. Throughout the Ottoman Empire, kahvehane (modern Turkish) became a place for men to socialize, and to eventually plan a revolution.

Is Turkish coffee bitter?

Usually, Turkish coffee is very bitter. But it doesn't have to be! It can be made non-bitter by proper extraction methods outlined in the recipe.

What kind of beans to use for Turkish coffee?

The beans most widely used for Turkish coffee are medium or dark roast arabica beans from Brazil. But you can certainly use a specialty roast without fear of wasting it too. The trick is to grind the beans extremely finely, even finer than you would for espresso. Think like flour or matcha, but a bit larger. Many home coffee grinders don't have this finest setting available and the best (not to mention most aesthetic) option seems to be a hand grinder like this traditional copper one . If you only have a coarser grind available, it's impossible to make proper Turkish coffee.

Is Turkish coffee really Turkish?

Yes, and no. Controversially, if we accept that it was indeed the Sufi monks of Yemen who made the first coffee drink—then we'd have to call it Yemeni coffee... but naming historic foods or drinks is never black and white. Think of how we call Greek yogurt Greek even though many societies (including Turks) have been straining their yogurt for centuries. It's more related to marketing than historical origins. You'll sometimes hear Turkish coffee being referred to as Greek, Arabic, or Bosnian coffee as well. In fact, to avoid confusion or arguments, many coffee connoisseurs often call it “cezve or ibrik coffee”—which is the name of the vessel that it’s brewed in.

How to Make Turkish Coffee with Step-by-Step Instructions

Name: How to Make Turkish Coffee with Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 14g (2 heaping tablespoons) ground Turkish coffee (See Note 1); 120ml (1/2 cup) water (See Note 2); optional: sugar (See Note 3); optional: 1/4 teaspoon ground mastic or cardamom (See Note 4); Turkish delight (or other small sweet treat); 1 cup of cold water; Sade (no sugar); Az (lil' bit of sugar): 1/4 teaspoon; Orta (bit more sugar): 1/2 teaspoon; Şekerli (with all the sugar): 1 teaspoon

Ingredients

Scale

14g (2 heaping tablespoons) ground Turkish coffee (See Note 1)
120ml (1/2 cup) water (See Note 2)
optional: sugar (See Note 3)
optional: 1/4 teaspoon ground mastic or cardamom (See Note 4)

On the Side:

Turkish delight (or other small sweet treat)
1 cup of cold water

Notes on the Ingredients:

1. Turkish coffee is made with medium or dark-roast arabica beans. The grind size needs to be between powder and espresso.

2. Most Turkish people don't weigh their coffee or water. The most common method is to measure a heaping tablespoon of ground coffee per each Turkish coffee cup's worth of water.

It is preferable for the water to be warm (140°F) in order to minimize brewing time, but room temperature water is okay.

3. Traditionally, there are four levels of sweetness. Below are the amounts of added sugar per Turkish coffee cup (per each ~60ml):

Sade (no sugar)
Az (lil' bit of sugar): 1/4 teaspoon
Orta (bit more sugar): 1/2 teaspoon
Şekerli (with all the sugar): 1 teaspoon

4. In Turkey, coffee is mostly drunk without spices. However, the addition of ground mastic/mastic candy, or cardamom is popular in some regions.

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Instructions

1. Add ground coffee and the optional sugar/spices to a cezve, slowly pour water, then gently stir a few times to remove the clumps.

2. Place the cezve over medium heat. Refrain from stirring while the coffee is brewing.

3. The coffee will be done within two to three minutes. Look for the moment when the island of foam starts to collapse in on itself, or the foam begins to rise rapidly. Make sure not to bring it to a boil. A longer brew time will result in over-extraction (bitter taste).

4. Slowly pour the coffee into a Turkish coffee cup at an angle.

5. Allow the coffee to settle for at least one minute, then serve with a glass of water and Turkish delight, or another small sweet treat. Make sure not to drink the grounds at the bottom of the cup.

Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Category: Drinks
Method: Cook
Cuisine: Turkish