The Twitchin Kitchen

Full Version: Turkish Coffee
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This recipe serves one. You can get pots to make more and serve more, just increase the recipe as needed.

Kahwa
Turkish Coffee

Ingredients:

1 very heaping teaspoon pulverized coffee
1 heaping teaspoon sugar, or less to taste
1 small coffee cup worth of water

Although it is more common to boil the water with the sugar alone first and then add the coffee, it is customary in some families to put the coffee, sugar and water in the kanaka or pot (a small saucepan can be used but its not as successful), and to bring them to a boil together. By a 'very heaping teaspoon' of coffee, it's meant in this case, so heaping that it is more than 2 teaspoons. A level teaspoon of sugar will make a 'medium' coffee.

Bring to a boil. When the froth begins to rise, remove from the heat, stir, and return to the heat until the froth rises again. Pour immediately into little cups, allowing a little froth (wesh) for each cup. The froth is forced out by making your hand 'tremble' as you serve. But if you are making a larger amount of coffee in a big kanaka, it's easier to distribute the froth equally between the cups with a spoon before pouring.

Serve very hot. The grounds will settle at the bottom of the cup. Do not stir them up or drink them!

In my family one of my dad's cousins used to read fortunes in the coffee grinds at the bottom of the cup. When you finished the coffee you would turn your cup upside down to allow the grinds to coat the cup. She would then read your fortune from the pattern of the grinds.

Variation:
Try flavoring the coffee with cardamom seeds (heil), or a little cinnamon, or a pinch of ground cloves, added at the same time as the coffee.
Or pour in a drop of orange blossom or rose water before serving.