Turkish Coffee Culture Atmosphere

Türkiye is politically located at the crossroads of Asia, Europe and Africa. In terms of spiritual civilization, the differences between the three monotheistic traditions originating from Abraham, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, have caused clashes and disputes that continue to this day. However, in terms of material civilization, the Turks have contributed to Europe and today the world two popular gifts: the Turkish bath and Turkish coffee.

Coffee spread quietly from the 16th century and really invaded Europe massively after the 17th century. History says that in 1555, two Syrian merchants first brought coffee to sell in the Turki capital of Istanbul as “milk for chess players and thinkers”. By the mid-17th century, coffee had penetrated the Ottoman imperial court with coffee officials having more than 40 assistants to prepare and serve it to the emperor and his courtiers.

With the absolute prohibition of alcoholic beverages in the Qur’an (also known as Koran), coffee became the favorite drink of the whole society.

In Turki, marriage and gender customs were also regulated through coffee etiquette. Women were carefully trained in the harem and in each family in this preparation. Future husbands also judge a woman’s quality by her skills and taste when serving coffee, just as Asian societies judge tea making and betel chewing. Coffee has become the leading form of social interaction and exchange, including the need to entertain guests, pray, and meditate at home. Even today, marriage is decided through formal coffee receptions.

For men and women, coffee is the main means of social communication and living. The difference is that men meet at public coffee shops, while women make friends through receptions at home.

Since the 20th century, with open concepts of gender equality and democracy in society, coffee shops have become places where friends and families can freely meet.

Mainly using Arabica coffee, Turki people use small coffee pots called cezve with a large bottom and a narrow lid on top. The material is the coffee beans, roasted and ground very finely like powder. Usually the pot is made of copper to conduct heat well and has a wooden handle to prevent heat – nowadays iron or aluminum pots are also used with a non-stick enamel coating. A spoon or ladle is used to measure the amount of coffee and sugar, the concave part is on average 1 cm long and 0.5 cm wide.

The heat is kept low so that the coffee does not boil too quickly and has enough time to extract the flavor and foam, using hot coals or a small tray filled with sand and placed on the stove. When the sand is hot enough, the coffee pot is placed on the sand so that the heat is transferred evenly and more gently than direct fire.
Turki coffee (Turkish coffee) is more a brewing style than a type of coffee. The most correct way is for the coffee beans to be roasted just before brewing. This very finely ground powder is soaked in cold water, carefully measured, heated but not boiling and long enough to preserve the fatty acids and special compounds. There are four degrees of sweetness: 1- sada (light, no sugar); 2- az sekerli
(little sugar, half a spoonful per cup); 3- orta sekerli (medium sugar, one level spoonful per cup); and 4- sok sekerli (full sugar, one and a half spoonfuls per cup). In the Arab world, light coffee, that is, black coffee without sugar, is very popular.

The coffee pot can be heated two or three times and then poured into cups. The art of making coffee is best when the foam is very thick. To maximize the foam, the pot must be raised high and poured slowly, evenly into the cups. Coffee can be mixed with cardamom and cinnamon to enrich the flavor. Coffee poured into cups should not be stirred with a spoon.

The coffee grounds that remain in the cup after drinking are turned upside down on a saucer and can be used as a sign to tell fortunes. This divination is called coffee grounds divination (fassomancy), also applied to tea grounds, as one of the methods of social communication, although it has no scientific or logical basis.

Collected.