Coffee Classics: Turkish Coffee (Turkey)
Turkish coffee is less a drink and more a ceremony — a slow, deliberate unfolding of aroma, warmth, and anticipation. It is said that centuries ago, merchants in Istanbul brewed coffee not for speed, but for meaning. They simmered finely ground beans in small copper pots over gentle heat, allowing the coffee to thicken into something closer to velvet than liquid.
In Ottoman households, serving Turkish coffee was a symbol of hospitality and refinement. Romances were judged by how well a prospective bride brewed it. Friendships were sealed over tiny porcelain cups. Stories, secrets, and fortunes were told in the patterns of the remaining grounds.
Turkish coffee is not hurried.
It asks for patience.
It invites you to taste time itself — slowly cooked, deeply extracted, and shared with intention.
Ingredients
1 heaping teaspoon finely ground coffee (powder-like)
60–70 ml cold water
Sugar to taste (optional)
Optional: a pinch of cardamom
Equipment Needed
Cezve (Turkish coffee pot)
Demitasse cups
Small spoon
Heat source (stovetop or hot sand heating bed)
Method
Pour cold water into the cezve.
Add coffee and sugar (if using), but do not stir yet.
Place over low heat and stir gently as it warms.
Allow the foam to rise slowly — just before it reaches the top, remove from heat.
Spoon some of the foam into each cup.
Return the cezve to the heat briefly, then gently pour coffee into the cups.
Let the grounds settle before sipping.
Notes
The grind must be extremely fine — almost like flour.
Turkish coffee is meant to be sipped slowly; the grounds remain in the cup.
Traditionally served with a glass of water and something sweet, like lokum.
