History & Origin
Turkish coffee arrived in Istanbul in the mid-16th century. It changed the world — the first coffeehouses in Europe were modeled on Istanbul's. Turkish coffee is recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
Ingredients
Coffee beans ground to a powder finer than flour, cold water, sugar to taste.
Traditional Preparation
Ground coffee, cold water and sugar combined in a small copper pot (cezve or ibrik) and brought slowly to just below the boil — never boiled. Poured, foam first, into small cups.
Regional Variations
Sade (no sugar), az şekerli (little sugar), orta (medium sweet), çok şekerli (very sweet). Some regions add cardamom.
Pairings
Turkish delight (lokum), baklava, a glass of cold water on the side (traditionally drunk first, to cleanse the palate).
How It Is Served
In a small porcelain cup, with lokum and cold water. Never stirred. Drunk slowly. Grounds left in the cup — the shapes are read for fortune-telling.
Did You Know
A Turkish proverb: 'A cup of coffee commits one to forty years of friendship.'
Turkish Coffee at SkaZka Bali
Ground to order, brewed in a cezve, served with lokum and cold water. The ritual done properly.