The Best Pair with a Snack: Turkish Coffee
Coffee. Can’t go a day without it. Loved and drunk by almost every Turkish person, Turkish coffee has a very special place in our hearts. Being a perfect pair with our box of international snacks, let me give you more information on the most adored beverage in the world from Turkey’s interpretation.
History
Turkish coffee reaches back to the Ottoman era. Ever since those times, Turkish coffee has had such a tremendous impact on Turkish culture that even the word kahvaltı (breakfast in English) is the combination of kahve (coffee) + altı (under) which means a drink to have before eating something.
Turkish coffee made it to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2013 which prides itself on being the first beverage to be awarded this title.
Preparation
Turkish coffee is brewed with one of the oldest brewing methods in a special coffee pot called “cezve” which is made of copper to give the best taste. Although there are different opinions on how to make the best Turkish coffee with the most foam. I will give you my preparation method. There are 3 ways to enjoy this coffee. The number of sugar changes depending on your coffee choice. If you like it to be bitter you don’t add sugar, if you want it to be medium, add one sugar a cup and if you want it sweet generally two sugar is added. First, grab your cezve and add water with the number of people that will drink (There are special cups for Turkish coffee resembling espresso cups.). After the water, add a spoonful of Turkish coffee, and depending on your palate add the sugar. After all these steps, give it a little stir and start brewing. Once you see the foam rising, it is time to pour it into the cups and enjoy.
Presentation of Turkish coffee is usually made with world-renowned Turkish delight, or any tasty and chocolaty snack to have at home with a small glass of water on the side.
Hospitality
Turkish people are known for their hospitality. Rumor has it that in the olden days when a guest visited a house, Turkish coffee was served with a glass of water at the side. If the guest drank the water first it meant that they were hungry, so the owner of the house would prepare food for their guest. If they drank the coffee first it meant they were just there for a nice conversation.
Fortune-telling
Another use of Turkish coffee is here! Did you know you could make the best of Turkish coffee? After you brew your Turkish coffee the leftover coffee grounds can be used both for fortune-telling and for skin care. The fortune-telling part of it is also like a tradition and people are so into it that there are apps to tell your future when you put a photo of your coffee grounds. So, how does this fortune-telling work? After you drink your coffee, you turn your cup upside down using the plate of the cup and let it cool. Once it cools off the fortune-teller turns the cup and interprets the images they see in the cup. This is how fortune-telling with Turkish coffee works!
Wedding Tradition
Last but not least use of Turkish coffee, is a wedding tradition. There is an ongoing tradition when it comes to asking for the girl’s hand in marriage. To prove his love to the bride, the groom must drink coffee prepared with salt instead of sugar. If the groom finishes his coffee, it proves that he will do everything for her. Of course, in modern times this tradition changed a lot, the groom is not expected to finish but take a small sip from the coffee. In some parts of Turkey, some brides take this tradition a bit to extremes and add spice to the coffee as well, but we don’t need these bitter acts when such a great time starts for two newlyweds.
After all these details, I am pretty sure you would like to have a cup of delicious Turkish coffee. Well, wait no more then. Go to our snack box page and buy yourself a box including an instant Turkish coffee and enjoy it while eating our tasty treats.
