Coffee is one of the most consumed daily beverages worldwide. Some people do it to wake up, others do it for the health benefits, and you may drink it for the taste (in cases where coffee is a specialty). What’s interesting is that there are many ways to prepare and enjoy it, and one of the most exotic is Turkish coffee or coffee shop. It may not look like coffee at first glance, but it is. Moreover, it has a great cultural importance in Turkey.

So much so that it has been the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2013 due to its important role in connecting generations across centuries.

Sparkling. Although the ingredients used to prepare this coffee are the same as everywhere else, water and coffee, there are two types of it: The water must be cold and the coffee must be ground until it becomes like flour. Traditionally, it was made directly with mortar. The basic thing in the preparation of Turkish coffee coffee potA small vessel with a long handle, traditionally made of copper or brass. Inside coffee pot Both cold water and coffee are added and at that moment it starts to heat up over low heat.

with Turkish delight

This preparation allows the flavors to intensify and the important thing is to control the foam. Also known as kaimakThe thick foam is a unique feature of this coffee and is what gives the flavor clue that it is ready. If it is removed from the stove at the right point, that foam will remain creamy. If it is not available, it will be considered as a failed coffee. And when it is ready, it is served directly and unfiltered in small cups, with the foam distributed throughout.

Tradition. Its taste is quite intense and it has a slightly heavy texture due to the lack of filtering. And the funny thing is that this drink will anger purists because it is sweetened with sugar when cooking. Neither milk is added nor is it diluted with water, but most importantly, this drink has cultural significance.

To get started: coffee shop It is the symbol of hospitality. It is common for guests to be greeted with a cup of this coffee and some Turkish delight. It’s a gesture of friendship, but also respect, and it has its own saying: “A cup of coffee brings forty years of gratitude.” Something similar to what happens in other parts of the world is that it is a social drink used to talk, engage in dialogue, or enjoy board games. That classic “let’s have a coffee and I’ll tell you”, wow.

Coffee pot

Take a test before the wedding. However, in addition to its social value, Turkish coffee is indispensable in both areas of life in many regions of Turkey. The role it plays in traditional weddings is an example of this. When the groom’s family visits the bride’s family to propose, the future spouse prepares coffee for those present. And there’s a slight twist to the story: The bride just adds salt to the groom’s coffee.

If he drinks without complaining, it means that he is patient and will be prepared for difficult moments in the relationship. And beyond that, this meeting over coffee represents the beginning of a new phase in the lives of both those directly involved and their families.

reading scraps. Another example is its importance in rituals in some parts of the country. As you can imagine, this coffee has grounds (quite a lot, I might add), so when someone finished the drink they put the cup on the saucer (a plate we used very differently in Europe a few years ago) and tried to predict the future by interpreting the shapes that emerged as the sediment cooled .

As you can see, Turkish coffee is much more than a simple drink. And the reason why it is called the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity is not because of the whole production process and cultural significance (that too), but because it is a way of preserving something with the coming of globalization and many other ways. Coffee preparation methods such as instant coffee may be lost forever. If you haven’t tried it, it’s not bad to try it again, but I have to say that it’s not one of my favorite preparations.

Maybe they rubbed salt on me, who knows.

Pictures | Alet123, Tema, Maderibeyza

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