How to Make (and Drink) Authentic Turkish Coffee
What makes Turkish coffee so exceptionally delicious? It’s actually quite simple - the grind.
Think of it this way - a properly ground coffee bean for a drip brewing system will be ground into approximately 100 particles. For espresso coffee, each bean is ground into approximately 3,000 particles, resulting in a much stronger and bolder flavor.
With Turkish coffee, each bean (when prepared properly) is ground into approximately 45,000 particles. As a result, the Turkish coffee brewing method extracts more flavor from the grounds than any other brewing method. Even with all the most complex and technologically sophisticated gadgets the market has to offer, there’s nothing that can recreate the extraordinary fragrance and flavor of true Turkish coffee.
How to Make Turkish coffee
Right off the bat, there’s no point bothering with DIY Turkish coffee if you don’t have the right equipment. Hence, you’ll want to invest in a proper Turkish coffee pot and a Turkish coffee spoon. Not to mention, the highest quality arabica coffee beans you can lay your hands on - ideally light to medium roast.
Unless you have a specialist Turkish grinder, you’ll need to ask your coffee store to grind the beans for you. The reason being that most grinders (at least 99% of them) cannot grind beans nearly as finely as you’ll need to get the job done. Ready-made Turkish ground coffee is also available, though should be of the highest possible quality.
Here’s a basic overview of how the process works:
- Heat the required amount of cold water on the stove over a medium-high heat
- When the water is warm but nowhere near boiling, add around 1 tablespoon of around Turkish coffee for every 3oz (approx. 90ml) of water
- Don’t be tempted to stir the mixture at this point, as to do so will result in a lumpy texture
- Add the required amount of sugar and let everything float on the surface as the water warms
- When the coffee begins sinking to the bottom and the water is warm enough to dissolve the sugar, give the whole thing a good stir and turn the heat right down
- Stir several more times until the mixture begins to foam, after which a ring of bubbles will begin forming on the surface
- When your coffee reaches the foaming stage, you’ll want to hold it at this precise temperature for as long as possible - never allowing it to come to a boil
- After a couple of minutes when there is plenty of rich foam on the surface, pour the coffee into Turkish coffee cups and ensure each has an equal amount of foam
How to Drink Turkish Coffee
Before diving into your decadent brew, always give it around 45 seconds to enable the sediment to settle on the bottom of the cup. In addition, Turkish coffee is always served with a small glass of water, which should be used to cleanse and refresh your palate before drinking the coffee - not after.
Other than this, it’s simply a case of taking your time, enjoying the experience and remembering that even a small cup of Turkish coffee can pack quite a punch caffeine-wise!
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