Turkish Coffee Recipe

Although a dark roast coffee is usually used in a Turkish coffee recipe, the distinction of the term is the method of preparation. A Turkish coffee recipe is prepared in a precise way with specific ingredients which lend it the distinctive taste and appearance.

The Turkish coffee recipe calls for very finely ground dark roast coffee bean. This grind is even finer than that used for espresso. The dark roast is preferred, but a medium roast can also be substituted with good results.

The ingredients to be used in the preparation of Turkish coffee are the coffee, cold water, sugar if desired, and cardamom. The utensils include a ewer called an ibrik or cezwe which is a narrow topped boiling pot traditionally made of copper with a handle of wood. The ibrik is chosen to be close in size to the amount of water and coffee which will be prepared so that the foam won't be lost on the sides of the pot. The teaspoon is not the standard one used in most American kitchens, but is much smaller. The heating apparatus for Turkish coffee usually consists of an ordinary stove burner on which is placed a tray filled with sand to a depth of about four inches. It is important that the heat source not be too strong, as the coffee needs to brew at least five minutes. When the sand tray is used, it is heated by the burner, and then the coffee pot is placed on the sand and allowed to brew slowly. Finally, the coffee cups are traditionally handleless and are held with the fingertips or by placing in a metal holder with a handle. The size of the cups is quite small, about the size of an espresso shot.

In order to prepare the Turkish coffee, you begin by putting the required amount of COLD water into the ibrik and adding one and one half to two teaspoons of coffee and sugar. Cardamom is sometimes added to the ground coffee prior to brewing, or can be added to the finished product. The amount of sugar added depends on personal taste, but is can be quite sweet by American standards with up to two teaspoons per cup added. Easily dissolved sugar should be used since it's important to stir the sugar and coffee into cold water. The mixture is stirred until the coffee sinks to the bottom and the sugar is entirely dissolved. The stirring spoon is removed and the pot placed on the heat source. No further stirring is done, as this would tend to dissipate the foam.

The coffee is heated just until it begins to boil, at which time it is removed from the fire and poured into the waiting cups. The resulting brew will have a thick head of foam on top and will not contain obvious particles in either the foam or the liquid coffee.

A more ceremonial preparation involves preparing a sugar syrup, adding the coffee and cardamom and boiling it. Then, just before serving, it is brought to a boil a second, and sometimes even a third time.

Turkish coffee is meant to be sipped, with a glass of cold water provided to cleanse and clear the palate between sips in order to fully appreciate the flavor and aroma of the coffee. The entire cup is not emptied, but the grounds or sediment remains at the bottom of the cup.