HOW TO MAKE TURKISH COFFEE - TÃœRK KAHVESÄ° |
Let me start writing about Turkish Coffee with an age-old Turkish Proverb - "Coffee should be Black as Hell, Strong as Death & Sweet as Love." It's a Cup which tells your fortune, decides War, Empire and even Romance & Life. If I say, I drink more Coffee than its history, it might prove wrong for this simple cup of Turk Kahvesi. I have read more and long enough, rather than that I have just had only a few cups of Turkish Coffee. So as they say A Cup of Turkish Coffee is worth Forty Years of Friendship, but mine was a secret love for this Coffee.
After long years of wait - For a Cup of Turkish Coffee, here I am writing about it. I fell in love with this Turkish Coffee even before I tasted it. I always knew I would love it, so was my love for a Coffee as such and even more was my obsession for the Turkish Coffee Pot alias Ibrik/Cezve. The moment I caught my eye on it, I deeply knew I wanted to own one. To say, my trail for a Turkish Coffee (actually the Ibrik) got deeply enrooted in my mind in early 2000s from an article in an Indian Magazine. Though not a fancied or an extremely expensive item, but the period of time I set eyes on it, was neither accessible nor available, in my terms. Least I had an idea where I could source the Coffee pot or the Coffee. Left alone, then and there, I kept it locked within my long, want to buy list.
Though in recent years I had easy access to buy an Ibrik, and also there was one such occasion where I almost bought one and my conscience pricking, Strict Appicer, said, don't buy, it is way far expensive for its original price. And there, with a heavy pang, I left the Ibrik, and she promised me that she would buy me this Coffee pot. So I set my mind that I would buy it when time comes.
So, the story of my Turkish Coffee and my most loved Ibrik/Cezve, took a twist when I travelled to Dubai recently. The street markets or the Souks were lined up with these Brass and Copper Ibriks. Least to mention my enthusiasm and with the looks of my all-knowing husband & daughter, I bought my long wanted - Ibrik. Some things bring a kind of satiated happiness after buying them and this Ibrik bought a thought of happiness(I should say, I got a Massive Dopamine fix!!!) and I felt, it was worth the wait. Least to mention the numerous shapes and sizes of antique Ibrik/Cezve, I saw in the Dry Bridge Market at Tbilisi, Georgia later. My hands were literally itching to get hold of a few, which I strictly controlled, convincing myself to pick it up during my next visit to the place. Hopefully...
HOW TO MAKE TURKISH COFFEE - TÃœRK KAHVESÄ° |
Now, let's talk about Turkish Coffee!
Turkish coffee! It's a strong cup of caffeine made in a special pot called a Cezve/Ibrik. In some places, the coffee pot is called Dallah, that's of a different shape as such. The fine Coffee grounds are boiled along with water on an open fire until it thickens & then the coffee is served in a small cup. It is usually made with extra finely ground coffee beans. This gives the drink a much stronger and bolder flavour than filtered coffee.
Is Turkish coffee Turkey?
Though it is called Turkish Coffee, the drink didn't originate from Turkey, but was introduced to an Ottoman governor
stationed in Yemen. The Ottoman governor then
recommended it to Sultan Suleiman, who popularized it in Istanbul, Turkey, as well as nearby countries and
regions. And, as the people in each region put their own spin on the recipe,
new drinks were born despite similarities to the Turkish coffee
preparation method.
Taste & Smell of a Turkish coffee:
Turkish coffee has a strong, bold, bittersweet taste. It has a concentrated and gritty body due to the way that it's brewed. The use of extra finely ground coffee and direct contact with boiling water throughout the cooking time effectively extracts the flavour compounds. And it isn't filtered, so the bottom of the cup will have a noticeable layer of sludge and the coffee grounds will float freely around, giving it a much heavier body and concentrated feel.
HOW TO MAKE TURKISH COFFEE - TÃœRK KAHVESÄ° |
Generally, Turkish coffee smells rather nutty, burnt, and spicy, especially when it's brewed with cardamom (which I personally like). However, it will depend on what type of beans you use, too.
Brewing Method:
Turkish Coffee is made with a special pot called Cezve or Ibrik. And in Arabic Regions they use a Coffee Pot called Dallah. These Coffee Pots have a very narrow neck, with a pouring spout. Without this feature, the foam that forms during the brewing process can't be built up and sustained, which gives its ubiquitous & infamous concentration. The Cezve also has a long handle to help the user handle the brewer more easily.
DALLAH |
Turkish Coffee Beans:
Traditional Yemeni
Mocha beans are used to make Turkish Coffee, but any type
of Arabica coffee beans fits well into the suit. In terms of grind size, make sure to get it extra fine, even powder-like. I got hold of a fine ground from Georgia, suitable for making Turkish Coffee, well, that's what the package suggested. And it does a decent job, too.
Water:
HOW TO MAKE TURKISH COFFEE - TÃœRK KAHVESÄ° |
Optional Add-ons:
Sugar
This is absolutely optional. Feel free to add sugar to make it sweet. With little or moderate sugar - az şekerli kahve, orta şekerli kahve or orta kahve, as it's colloquially called in Turkish or a Sweeter version of çok şekerli kahve. But anyway, as I mentioned at the beginning of the post - "Coffee should be Black as Hell, Strong as Death & Sweet as Love." And my love is always for the unsweetened 'Sade Kahve'.Turkish Coffee is traditionally served with along something small & sweet Turkish delights or dates.
Flavourings:
Cardamom - I love my Turkish Coffee with a note of Cardamom in it.
It is sometimes flavoured with
Mastic, a resin taken from the Mastic Tree also, known as the Tears of the Chios. The flavour is bitter at first, but after some chewing, it releases a refreshing flavour similar to pine and cedar.
Salep, is a flour made from the tubers of the orchid genus Orchis & it contains a nutritious, starchy polysaccharide called glucomannan. Salep flour is consumed in beverages and desserts
Ambergris is a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull grey or blackish colour produced in the digestive system of sperm whales. Freshly produced ambergris has a marine, faecal odour. It acquires a sweet, earthy scent as it ages.
HOW TO MAKE TURKISH COFFEE - TÃœRK KAHVESÄ° |
Turkish Coffee Recipe
Turkish coffee yields a thick, concentrated, and aromatic brew that's very easy to make. Simple steps to make this strong caffeine drink using extra fine grounded beans over a stovetop.
Recipe Type - Beverage
Difficulty - Medium
Serves - 2 Small Cups
Brewing Time - 8–10 Minutes
For more COFFEE TALKS, Click here...
HOW TO MAKE TURKISH COFFEE -
TÃœRK KAHVESÄ°
HOW TO MAKE TURKISH COFFEE - TÃœRK KAHVESÄ° |
INGREDIENTS:
For Turkish Coffee:
Fine Ground Coffee Powder - 25–30 GramsWater - 500 ml
Optional Ingredients:
Cardamom Powder - 1 Teaspoon (Optional)Sugar - 4 Teaspoons (Optional)
- Fill the Cezve with water until it reaches the neck of the pot. My Cezve holds about 2 Cups - 500 ml of Water.
- Add ground coffee to the Turkish coffee pot.
- Add the Cardamom Powder & Sugar if you like it sweet
- Heat the Cezve over low or medium heat until it's about to boil.
- When it starts to foam up, remove the Cezve from heat.
- Scoop out the foam with the spoon and either add it to your serving cups or discard it.
- Stir the Turkish Coffee in the Cezve and return the Cezve to heat.
- Boil it again for a few minutes until it foams up, and again remove it from the heat.
- Remove the Foam and repeat the above steps for two more times.
- During the last round, remove the foam, and you don't need to return it to the heat.
- Slowly pour the Turkish coffee into your serving cups and let the sludge settle down before drinking.
- Serve Turkish Coffee with a piece of Turkish delight, a type of Turkish confection, and a glass of water for the most authentic experience.
HOW TO MAKE TURKISH COFFEE - TÃœRK KAHVESÄ° |
NOTES:
- The brew is on a slightly strong side, which I prefer personally. Adjust the amount of Coffee Powder to suit your taste.
- You can adjust it by adding more or less water to suit your style of Cuppa.
- Sweeten your Turkish Coffee with your choice of Sweetener, or have it as it is.
- Flavouring the Turkish Coffee with Cardamom is purely optional.
- Serve it hot, unfiltered.
*As a thumb rule - Practice makes things perfect and the rule goes for a Turkish Coffee too & I would like to say, stick onto your preference when it comes to recipes like this.
Read more on original source: https://www.honestfoodtalks.com/turkish-coffee-recipe/
Read more on original source: https://www.honestfoodtalks.com/turkish-coffee-recipe/