Coffee as a beverage has been around for centuries. Turkey—formerly The Ottoman Empire—was one of the first regions of the world to make coffee a core part of everyday life. The Turks developed a unique take on coffee that has maintained popularity in the Middle East and the Balkans to this day, but has never quite made its way to the US.
Since it’s been enjoyed for centuries by families all throughout these regions, the methods for making traditional Turkish coffee vary a bit by region—even by household—so, I’m just going to focus on the most common attributes here.
What is Turkish Coffee?
Let’s get down to it. What makes this coffee so Turkish anyway?
First: a cup of Turkish coffee still contains the residue of the finely ground coffee beans from the brewing process. That is, the coffee grounds aren’t filtered out of the final product like most of us at least attempt to do here in the States. In this case, it’s completely on purpose and a key part of the recipe.
Second: Traditionally, Turkish coffee is made using a cezve, a small long-handled copper coffee pot. To make Turkish coffee authentically, you also need an open flame, and a pan filled with sand. Making it is a bit of a ritual, not something us Americans would usually do before running out the door in the morning. But if you already enjoy the whole experience of grinding, brewing, and crafting coffee at home, you should definitely consider adding this Turkish delight to your repertoire.
It’s known for its strong, intense flavor (described by people who’ve tried it as being pretty similar to a really thick espresso) and as such, similar to a cortado, it's often served with a palate cleanser on the side—usually a glass of cold water.
Last but not least, Turkish coffee also comes with foam on top—a bit like a cappuccino.
Making Turkish Coffee isn’t particularly difficult, but definitely requires practice to get the signature foam correct.
Ready to make Turkish Coffee at home? Let’s go!
How to Make Turkish Coffee
You’ll need:
- A cezve pot and two serving cups
- About 6 oz. cold water
- 2 rounded tablespoons of extra fine ground coffee
- (optional) Milk* and sugar, to taste
Instructions:
- Pour two serving cups filled with water into the cezve.
- Add the coffee as well as the sugar and milk (if using). Mix well. Do not stir anything after this point.
- Heat the cezve on a stovetop over medium heat. After several minutes the coffee will begin to rise and foam up.
- Before the whole thing boils, remove the cezve from the heat. Skim the foam off the top, adding a little foam to each serving cup. Then return the cezve to the heat and let it slowly foam up again.
- Pour the coffee out into the serving cups very slowly, so the foam rises to the top.
- Let the coffee sit and settle for a few minutes.
- Enjoy!
*Milk is added to the brewing pot rather than to the coffee afterwards in Turkish coffee. If you’re using milk at all, be very careful to avoid scalding it during the heating. It’s easier to try making it without milk a few times first until you have some practice under your belt.
If you get things completely wrong the first time... and the second time... don’t give up—The foam steps can be a bit tricky, but once you know how to do them, won’t it be great to invite people over and show off your unique coffee-making skills?
