Turkish Coffee - Legal Drama.

[Mister Moo]

Drama is now forbidden in some parts of the country, but no such rule in Turkish Coffee zones. The stuff is just to die for, easy to make and... jeepers, it's good.

If you do not have a killer grinder then you have to go to a coffeeshop and buy some freshroasted anything and ask them to grind it for turkish. It oughta have a fineness like talcum powder. If you're not already a turkish coffee lover then you soon will be but, be safe - just have 1/4 pound ground this way for a trial run. No point in having a sawbucks worth of coffee ground fine and discover turkish isn't for you or, worse, it sits around and goes stale between brews.

Ibrik (or cerve) is nice but not essential - any smallish pot will do.

Add a demitasse of water (3 ounces, maybe) and a teaspoon of sugar to the pot for each cup you want to make. Boil the water and sugar.

Remove from heat and add one teaspoon of coffee for each cup. Some cardamon, 1/8t per cup (a pinch) of the ground stuff from the spice cabinet is, is an option. To my taste cardamon makes the coffee "turkish" and I prefer "with". Stir it all up.

Reboil slowly - allow at least five minutes but don't be scared to slow-heat for 10-15 minutes. As the mess boils it will foam up (quickly!) so watch it to prevent a fullish pot from bubbling over. Remove from heat as it foams and let the mess settle down; some reboil quickly to make foam again and some don't. Whatever. Either way, add some foam to each cup with a spoon (the foam is the reason for making turkish coffee according to the passionate) and then top up with the brew. Grounds will settle in the cups after a few minutes. Sip to almost the bottom. The sludge will warn you when it's time to quit but it isn't hardly yuckkie if you get a mouthful (which is hard to do with a demitasse).

Flavor is really spectacular - the stuff is a treat but it's easy - no trick - to brew. Order it after shish-kebob along with your baklava at any middle-eastern restaurant or brew your own. Prepackaged turkish grind from specialty stores is good to use; some of it comes pre-cardomon'ed, too.

[muziq]

Sounds real nice, Dan, and the times I've had coffee prepared this way in Mediterranean joints it's always been a treat. Got any good sources for nice pots?

[ghostrider]

I too enjoy this on occassion. I'm not a big fan of the cardamom, but that may be due to using a BIG pinch. I purchased my ibrik from Sweet Marias. Here's the link.

[replicant_argent]

I have never tried Turkish coffee. Which is remarkable for my caffeinated state of affairs.
I've heard about it, read about it a bit, but never pulled the trigger. We boiled coffee in a large enamelware "camp pot" as a kid, with coffee ground in the hand grinder, but the grind was nowhere near as fine as a real Turkish. My impression must have been until now that it would be "gritty."

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Abdul Hassan Moka ben-Moo

I never got around to posting details until today for reasons* which are, as yet, unrevealed.

For the moment I'll leave it at this - if you decide to buy an ibrik (or ibrik substitute) don't get one made from stainless steel. I suspect they may be problematic in the production of foam. Maybe. Maybe not. The jury is out for a while.

[replicant_argent]

you amuse me, Moo.
In a quirky, somewhat demented, caffeinated, hallucinogenic, twisted way.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by replicant_argent

... We boiled coffee in a large enamelware "camp pot" as a kid, with coffee ground in the hand grinder, but the grind was nowhere near as fine as a real Turkish. My impression must have been until now that it would be "gritty."

I think the powdered sludge concept always scared me away from turkish style coffee. A BOTL sent me an ibrik and some cardamon-seasoned beans last year, however, so I made the jump to try it out. Fact is, I never got around to posting details until today for reasons* which are, as yet, unrevealed.

Depending on your grinder the sludge in french press brew will likely be more bothersome than that in turkish coffee. The powdered turkish grind is so fine (and softened by the long boiling soak) that it is practically unnoticeable if/when you sip it. In fact, you'll need more visual cue than tongue/tactile cue to know when you've finally sipped some grounds. The effect of sipping some grounds is that the coffee gradually went from rich to syrupy - not gritty at all. Our arab and oriental brothers all but invented coffee so they had something to drink with their baklava. They wouldn't be drinking it this way for centuries if it was nasty. It is nectar not to be forgotten.

So, lets get busy and start working on your middle-east enculturation process, people. It's a big coffee world out there and we need to be visiting all the different coffee playgrounds. Heh heh. Get it? Play "grounds"? Heh heh heh.

* reason(s) two posts above. weird, isn't it?

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by replicant_argent

you amuse me, Moo.
In a quirky, somewhat demented, caffeinated, hallucinogenic, twisted way.

While your amusement remains paramount with me, I am rarely over-caffeinated. In spite of the crude, conventional veneer I am, in fact, quirky. I lack dementia except what I've caught from mom (96 years young and still laffing) since she moved in with us last December. I am neither twisted nor, in small doses, hallucinogenic. Mrs. Moo says I am twisted but she is wrong.

Besides - it's not about me. It's about the coffee. Have you ordered a traditional wooden handled non-stainless ibrik yet?

[replicant_argent]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

While your amusement remains paramount with me, I am rarely over-caffeinated. In spite of the crude, conventional veneer I am, in fact, quirky. I lack dementia. I am neither twisted nor, in small doses, hallucinogenic.

I was referring to my own state of mind.


My own amusement concerns me greatly. Now... off to roast a few pounds of intercontinental smoke producers. I promise to pull it before third crack.

[mosesbotbol]

Sorry if this has been mentioned, but most will put sugar in with the ground coffee before brewing. One green cardamon pod per person is good enough for novice drinkers. Lightly crush pod and take out seeds. Seeds should be nearly black with some sheen on the surface.

Most places that specialize in this coffee will grind in the cardamon along with the beans. I would shy off from doing this unless you go through a lot of coffee to absord the residual cardamon taste in the grinder.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by replicant_argent

I was referring to my own state of mind.

I KNEW that! I KNEW that!!

Go get you an ibrik.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

Sorry if this has been mentioned, but most will put sugar in with the ground coffee before brewing. One green cardamon pod per person is good enough for novice drinkers. Lightly crush pod and take out seeds. Seeds should be nearly black with some sheen on the surface.

Most places that specialize in this coffee will grind in the cardamon along with the beans. I would shy off from doing this unless you go through a lot of coffee to absord the residual cardamon taste in the grinder.

I've had good luck with a pinch of cardamom from the spice rack jar. It isn't the like the actual, official, seed but it tastes the same to me. I did extract some cardamom seed pods from some some turkish whole-bean coffee and mashed them up - seemed to drink the same as cardamom powder. Am I missing something, d'you think, enough to bother with actual seeds?

I was not willing to run those seeds thru my Mazzer, BTW. Didn't think the smell would be easily removed.

[Mister Moo]

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showpo...5&postcount=94

Crema, froth and stainless steel. I gotta try a traditional ibrik side by side with the stainless one.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

I've had good luck with a pinch of cardamom from the spice rack jar. It isn't the like the actual, official, seed but it tastes the same to me. I did extract some cardamom seed pods from some some turkish whole-bean coffee and mashed them up - seemed to drink the same as cardamom powder. Am I missing something, d'you think, enough to bother with actual seeds?

I was not willing to run those seeds thru my Mazzer, BTW. Didn't think the smell would be easily removed.

Not missing that much, but I use a lot of cardamon, so I don't buy it ground. Have black cardamon as well that is much larger and has a different taste. It's like any spice; fresh gound is better. You'll notice a difference, but is it worth the hassle is another question.

Dropping a cardamon pod ino the french press or moka basket is nice too.

This is a good read, I've never had it, and I feel left out. I'll have to try this.

[Commander Quan]

Turkish Coffee is something that I love but only drink 3-4 times a year. It goes down so smooth but will keep me awake for an entire night if consumed anytime after the mid afternoon.

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

No point in having a sawbucks worth of coffee ground fine and discover turkish isn't for you

Um......a sawbucks worth????

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Ace$nyper

This is a good read, I've never had it, and I feel left out. I'll have to try this.

Nothing to it but, once you've tried it you might be hooked.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by tobii3

Um......a sawbucks worth????

Your other sawbuck, T'3. Your other sawbuck.

[muziq]

Thanks Dan and Moses for the additional info and discussion on cardamon. I'm hitting my local middle eastern market today to pick up an ibrik and will give this a shot!