Turkish coffee reading

Since I've started to write this blog, I've been receiving many emails, comments and messages from visitors to read their cups. Tough I tried my best to answer all those requests, it reaches to an almost impossible point to reply all of them.

On the other hand, It really became hard to keep this blog live without support.

To solve both of these problems, here is the solution. Please make a donation to my blog, if you want me to read your Turkish coffee cup. After the donation, please send me photo or video of your cup with and indication of the donation date. I hope you understand and support me.

Thanks. :-)

Coffee Gene: A new coffee portal in Turkish

There are good news in Turkish coffee scene. I just explored that a new coffee portal in Turkish was launched.

The name of the project is so lovely: Coffee Gene, Kahve Cini in Turkish. The coffee portal aims to provide information on all main subjects regarding coffee culture.

Unfortunately, Turkish coffee market is heavily dominated with instant coffee. It is so ironic for a country that presented a very special coffee brewing, Turkish style, to the world.

I wish you all the best for Coffee Gene. Hope they will help to improve coffee market in Turkey.

Turkish coffee experience in Skopje, Macedonia

We received a message from a Turkish coffee lover in Skopje, Macedonia. Her message is as following:

Turkish Coffee Blog is a great website about this amazingly delicious coffee. Thanks for the good work! :) Turkish coffee is very popular in Macedonia. We call it "турско кафе" (pronounced as "tursko kafe").

In Macedonia, we prepare this coffee as it is done in Turkey.

The cup in the photo below is just like a traditional Turkish one, as I got that one in old Turkish town in Skopje. Actually, our Turkish coffee cups are really bigger comparing to Turkish ones.

Best,
Maria.

Zarf Coffee Cup Holder

In Ottoman Empire days, Turkish coffee used to be served in coffee cups without a handle. So, how could people hold the cups? The answer lies on special coffee cup holders called "zarf".

Silver zarfs of Sultan Selim III (1789-1807)



A zarf can both keep coffee cup safe and protect coffee drinker against heat of hot cup. Traditionally, zarfs are mainly made of silver. However, many other materials are used too. For instance, there are zarfs made of brass, copper, tombak (an alloy of copper and zinc), and even gold.

Golden zarf decorated with diamonds - 19th century

Another golden zarf from 19th century

Rarely, there are also zarfs made of tortoiseshell, ivory, and horn. There are even wooden zarfs that are made of woods such as agallochum, coconut, ebony, and beech.

Since the coffee cup is not visible, decorating zarfs had become a special area of art. Expensive zarfs are decorated with chasing, engraving, niello and studded with valuable things like gems and coral.

A zarf from late 18th century made of gold and decorated with emerald

Today, you can find beautiful examples of those zarfs in Turkish museums or private collections.

Golden zarf and porcelain coffee cups from 19th century - Such a coffee cups set was known as "wife & husband cup" and bride served the very first coffee to her husband with those cups.

A coffee cup that is going to be used with a zarf can be made of many materials, such as porcelain, china, glass, and even wood. They have to be without a handle, so they can perfectly fit into their holder zarfs.

Two zarfs from 19th century

Cocktail Recipes with Turkish Coffee

In cocktail world, coffee flavored liqueurs are used to prepare some popular cocktails such as B-52, Baby Guinness, Black Russian, Mudslide and White Russian.

Kahlúa and Tia Maria are the most known coffee flavored liqueurs used in those cocktails.

Actually, there are some very good Turkish coffee flavored liqueurs that can also be used in cocktails. For example, Mey Icki, which is a Turkey based liqueur company, produces good quality Turkish coffee flavored liqueur under "Hare" brand.

Turkish coffee cocktails are very similar to common coffee cocktails.

Cocktail Recipes with Turkish Coffee Liqueur

(cl means centilitre and 1 cl equals to 0.338 oz)

Turkish White

Ingredients

• 4 cl Turkish Coffee Liqueur
• 2 cl Vodka
• 3 cl Milk
• Ice

Preparation

• Cover edge of a whisky glass with ground Turkish coffee.
• Pour ingredients into your glass and stir gently. Add ice.
• If you want to strengthen the coffee taste, then you may add a few coffee beans.

Turkish Black

Ingredients

• 5 cl Turkish Coffee Liqueur
• 2 cl Vodka
• Ice

Preparation

• Same as Turkish White.

BanaTurk

Ingredients

• 5 cl Turkish Coffee Liqueur
• 1 cl Banana Liqueur
• 2 cl Vodka
• 3 cl Milk
• 1/2 Banana
• 2 cl Chocolate syrup
• Ice

Preparation

• Put all the ingredients into a blender.
• Mix it until consistence of frozen.
• Pour mixture into a cocktail glass and add a banana slice to decorate it.

TurkAlmond

Ingredients

• 5 cl Turkish Coffee Liqueur
• 2 cl Almond Liqueur
• 3 Almonds

Preparation

• Fill a whiskey glass with ice.
• Pour liqueurs one by one into the glass and stir.
• Add almonds.

Choco Nut

Ingredients

• 5 cl Turkish Coffee Liqueur
• 2 cl Vodka
• 5 cl Milk
• 1 cl Hazelnut Syrup
• 5 Hazelnuts

Preparation

• Same as TurkAlmond.

Ice Cream w/ Turkish Cofee

Ingredients

• 5 cl Turkish Coffee Liqueur
• 4 cl Milk
• 2 cl Chocolate syrup
• Vanilla Ice Cream
• Vanilla Stick

Preparation

• Put all the ingredients into a blender.
• Mix it until consistence of frozen.
• Pour mixture into a cocktail glass.
• Add vanilla stick.

Flying Turk

Ingredients

• 2 cl Turkish Coffee Liqueur
• 2 cl Irish Cream (such as Baileys)
• 2 cl Orange Cognac (such as Grand Marnier)

Preparation

• Pour all liqueurs into a shot or sherry glass as it will be layer over layer. To do it, you can use a cold bar spoon. After pouring Turkish coffee liqueur, pour Irish Cream very slowly over the back of the spoon. Be careful, you should avoid disturbing the lower layer. Repeat the same process for the orange cognac.
• Serve with a stirrer.