Turkish coffee is a traditional coffee brewing method that originated in the Ottoman Empire. It is typically made with a fine grind of coffee beans and water, and often includes spices to enhance the flavor.
Common spices that are used in Turkish coffee
- Cardamom: This is the most common spice used in Turkish coffee. It adds a unique and complex flavor to the coffee and is believed to aid digestion.
- Cinnamon: This spice adds a warm, sweet, and slightly spicy flavor to the coffee. It is often used in combination with cardamom.
- Cloves: This spice adds a warm, sweet, and slightly spicy flavor to the coffee. It’s often used in combination with cardamom and cinnamon.
- Nutmeg: This spice adds a warm and nutty flavor to the coffee. It’s often used in combination with cardamom and cinnamon.
- Allspice: This spice adds a warm, sweet, and slightly spicy flavor to the coffee. It’s often used in combination with cardamom and cinnamon.
- Black pepper: This spice adds a warm, slightly spicy flavor to the coffee. It’s often used in combination with cardamom and cinnamon.
Keep in mind that these are the most common spices used in Turkish coffee. The exact combination of spices used may vary depending on the recipe and personal preference.
Some people like to add also a small quantity of ground ginger, mastic and/or mahlab to the mixture.
What type of coffee do you use for Turkish coffee?
For Turkish coffee, a very finely ground coffee bean is traditionally used. The coffee beans used are usually Arabic coffee beans, which are known for their strong and robust flavor. These beans are roasted dark, to bring out the full-bodied flavor, and then ground to a powder consistency. The grind should be so fine that it’s almost like a powder, so it will dissolve quickly in hot water and create a thick, rich foam on top of the coffee.
This type of coffee brewing is called “cezve” or “ibrik” and it’s a traditional method of brewing coffee in Turkey, the Middle East, and parts of Eastern Europe. The coffee is brewed with sugar and spices and brewed over low heat to make a thick and strong coffee.
It’s important to note that any type of coffee bean can be used for Turkish coffee, but Arabic coffee beans are considered the best for this method of brewing because of their strong and robust flavor.
Simple Turkish coffee recipe
Here is a basic recipe for making traditional Turkish coffee:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of water
- 1 heaping teaspoon of finely ground coffee beans
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of sugar (or to taste)
Instructions:
- Start by heating a small pot (called “cezve” or “ibrik” in Turkish) over medium-low heat.
- Add the water, coffee, cardamom (if using) and sugar to the pot and stir everything together.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, but do not let it boil. Once it starts to foam, reduce the heat to low.
- Continue to simmer the coffee mixture for 2-3 minutes, or until it starts to thicken and turn a darker color.
- Remove the pot from the heat and pour the coffee into small cups, leaving the grounds at the bottom of the pot.
- Serve the coffee hot and enjoy!
Note: Be careful when pouring the coffee, as it is very hot. Coffee grounds are not filtered out so there will be grounds at the bottom of the cup.
Also, you can adjust the amount of sugar to your taste if you choose to add it.
Finally, you may add a pinch of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice or clove for extra flavor.
How to drink Turkish coffee
Traditional Turkish coffee is typically made with very finely ground coffee beans so there will be some coffee grounds left in the cup. The coffee grounds are not strained out before serving, and are usually left at the bottom of the cup.
It’s considered traditional to drink the coffee slowly to avoid ingesting the grounds, but some people may choose to drink the coffee and grounds together for a stronger flavor.
When serving the coffee, it’s important to be careful when pouring it into cups, as the grounds will settle at the bottom of the cup. Some people prefer to let the coffee sit for a minute or two before drinking, so that the grounds settle to the bottom of the cup and the coffee is less cloudy.
Additionally, some people use a special spoon to remove the grounds from the cup, before drinking.
It’s also worth mentioning that there is a variation of Turkish coffee that is called “filtered Turkish coffee” which is made with a special device that filters the grounds and makes the coffee clear and less cloudy.
As seen above, you can also choose what spices to add to your Turkish coffee. Experiment with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, all spice and black pepper which are the common ones.
Enjoy your delicious and traditional Turkish coffee!
And if you’d like to learn more about Turkish cuisine in general, check this article called What Is Biber Salcasi Sweet Pepper Paste?