Posted Sun Nov 20, 2005, 7:53am Subject: Re: Brewing Turkish Coffee
Thanks Mark. My vowels were way off. My pronunciation had way more to do with personal possessiveness and terracotta building materials. :-) So what about the scientific/artistic/chemistry lesson that we love to call an "in depth" look at the Turkish method? Any possibilities of that happening?
chris_haake Senior Member Joined: 15 Jan 2005 Posts: 15 Location: Grand Forks, ND, USA Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Sun Nov 20, 2005, 12:00pm Subject: Re: Brewing Turkish Coffee
Great article! I've been brewing Turkish coffee for about ten years now. An old friend used to own a Turkish import store (he's from Turkey), and he sold me the equipment and taught me how to brew it. It took a little practice, but eventually I was able to savor delicious Turkish coffee any time I wanted (usually after a large meal).
One thing I'll point out is this: in the article, it says to grind the coffee with a hand mill or a good burr mill. I've never seen a burr mill that could grind the beans finely enough. For Turkish coffee, the grounds need to be POWDER...that is, almost like talc. This will not only release the flavor properly, but the finest of the powder will suspend in the water and give Turkish coffee that heavy body that makes it so distinctive. Having extremely fine grounds also means that most of the powder will settle into a dense mat on the bottom of the cup, staying out of your mouth (provided you don't stir the cup). Most burr grinders are really only capable of going down to a fine expresso grind.
Gobs Said:
y future mother-in-law also said that in some areas in Europe that serve Turkish coffee, they give you a sweet soft cube sort of candy (not s sugar cube) to suck on. This softens the taste of your coffee without sugar or milk.
This is what we call "Turkish delight." I don't know what it's called in Europe of the Middle East. It's lightly flavored, sometimes with saffron. It's basically the same type of candy as those fruit-slice jellies one sees in candy shops...you know, the ones that look like slices of orange, water melon, and so forth, except that in my experience Turkish delight isn't as sweet. Cheers, everyone!
Gobs Senior Member Joined: 5 Sep 2004 Posts: 41 Location: Hr Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Sun Nov 20, 2005, 4:27pm Subject: Re: Brewing Turkish Coffee
chris_haake Said:
This is what we call "Turkish delight." I don't know what it's called in Europe of the Middle East. It's lightly flavored, sometimes with saffron. It's basically the same type of candy as those fruit-slice jellies one sees in candy shops...you know, the ones that look like slices of orange, water melon, and so forth, except that in my experience Turkish delight isn't as sweet. Cheers, everyone!
That is exactly how it is although the one I tried was coated with a certain powerder similar to confectioner sugar so it is slightly sweetened. I too am not sure of the name but when I find out and have an available photo, I will post it. Although it's Turkish in origin, as all good things, it has spread around in neighboring countires and as far as I know, the one I tried was bought from Bosnia. But I think it may be available now in a local Slovinian operated mall.
I also find the grind of the coffee for the Ibrik to be very fine (powder fine) and stronger for that matter compared to the once I use on the espresso machine. I did try using the gounds in an espresso machine and the first shot as predicted had a lot of grounds on the cup but when 14g is used an tamped heavy, you get a significantly less amount of grounds. Not a bad shot but better left to be prepared on the Ibrik.
Gobs
"I never discovered anything with my rational mind." - Albert Einstein
That is exactly how it is although the one I tried was coated with a certain powerder similar to confectioner sugar so it is slightly sweetened. I too am not sure of the name but when I find out and have an available photo, I will post it. Although it's Turkish in origin, as all good things, it has spread around in neighboring countires and as far as I know, the one I tried was bought from Bosnia. But I think it may be available now in a local Slovinian operated mall.
If I'm not mistaken you're referring to "Lokum" (pronounced with the accent on the 2nd syllable). Here in Israel it's usually coated with sugar powder, sometimes with coconut flakes. As to Cofeer's earlier comments, I also learned from my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, all from Bulgaria of Turkish descent, that it's only boiled twice, the trick is to form the froth during the first boil and then distribute it among the cups, and the quality of the cup is largely judged by the quality and consistency of the head. Unforunately I have yet to learn to do it right. The foam is called kaimak (at least in my family). It's s lovely way to enjoy coffee.
Thanks Mark, for a minute there, i thought that the coffee pot was made by apple computer inc :)
i know this as a briki (which just translates to kettle). i don't know why (at least in my family - if not most greek speakers that i know) they add the i to the end!
dolcimelo Senior Member Joined: 15 Jan 2005 Posts: 139 Location: Nagano, Japan Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Elektra SXCD, Aero Press,... Grinder: Mazzer Mini Vac Pot: Cona B Drip: Not since getting the tap... Roaster: iRoast2
Posted Sat Nov 26, 2005, 6:05am Subject: Re: Brewing Turkish Coffee
Although Mark is sure right when he notes that there are very many ways to brew this kind of coffee, a Lebanese friend who sells Middle-Eastern foods (including coffee) has also pointed out an interesting fact. It is not actually necessary to boil the coffee at all, and he never does. The coffee will froth up before the water boils, if you heat it at the right rate, and this will also create more froth (usually, after three real boils, the froth will evaporate). How this affects the taste I'm not sure, but it can't be a bad thing. He also pointed out that some coffees do not taste well with sugar when made in this way, whereas others taste better sweetened, so it might be worth experimenting before deciding how you like it - certainly, adding sugar changes the taste remarkably. A couple of firm raps with a spoon on the side of the pot after brewing will also help settle the grinds before pouring, and I am told a few drops of cold water will do likewise. Really, too much is made of the grounds, which are not a problem, and are essential for fortune telling.
If you have trouble getting the froth into the cups, then try spooning a little into the bottom of each cup during the first two froth-ups (this might, however, be regarded like spooning milk froth onto the top of a cappuccino!).
One last and very interesting method (which my father told me was Syrian, but who knows?) is to slowly add hot (not boiling) water to the powdered coffee while whipping it with a spoon or other implement until it forms a very thick paste which is then diluted into a drink, but still very thick. I'd be interested to know if anyone has more details on this method. It almost sounds like a coffee version of Japanese matcha.
Posted Sat Nov 26, 2005, 9:39am Subject: Re: Brewing Turkish Coffee
So, does anyone have any tips of preferences on the blend of bean used for this brewing method? I know the stronger roasts get even stronger with different methods of brewiing, so what's a good place to start with the Turkish brew?
dolcimelo Senior Member Joined: 15 Jan 2005 Posts: 139 Location: Nagano, Japan Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Elektra SXCD, Aero Press,... Grinder: Mazzer Mini Vac Pot: Cona B Drip: Not since getting the tap... Roaster: iRoast2
Posted Sat Nov 26, 2005, 8:37pm Subject: Re: Brewing Turkish Coffee
dahlor Said:
So, does anyone have any tips of preferences on the blend of bean used for this brewing method? I know the stronger roasts get even stronger with different methods of brewiing, so what's a good place to start with the Turkish brew?
Well, I tend to use so-called 'dark Lebanese', although there are degrees of darkness, and I prefer not to use the charcoal type. That said, you may be surprised at how sweet even a very dark roast can be when made with this method. This style of brewing confounds a lot of received wisdom about the dos and don'ts of coffee making, and we should probably be asking ourselves why this is. With such a fine grind and high temperature, it should always lead to a bitter, over-extracted brew, but my experience is that, if you use appropriate coffee and don't overdo it, you will usually end up with a lovely, sweet, full-bodied little cup, unlike anything else.
Try to find a shop specialising in Middle-Eastern food, which also sells coffee, and get their advice. They will usually be only too happy to tell you what's best and be glad you have an interest. My own supplier also used to roast on the premises before he moved to a different shop, which was fantastic. But the coffee is almost always fresh because of the large turnover. Some will even sell Yemeni or Ethiopian varieties that are very difficult to find elsewhere. Probably, anywhere that can pulverise it for you will sell appropriate coffee, so try as many kinds as you can to see what you prefer. And my advice is to make it strong first. This will bring out the best flavour and foam. If you really don't like it this way, then you could dilute it. But it is really meant to be a strong, short drink, and trying to make it weak when brewing will not work. I also always eat something small and sweet with it.
On the bottom of the second link, it says, "Coffee should be black as hell, strong as death, and sweet as love." and I have seen that a few times on coffee related topics and I think Mark has metioned it a few times as well. In this quote, it says that it is a Turkish Proverb. I'm wondering if it is?
Gobs
"I never discovered anything with my rational mind." - Albert Einstein
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