Originally, people consumed coffee without using the roasted bean and boiled water method that we commonly use now . The Oromo people of Ethiopia would take fresh coffee beans and mash them into a paste, mixing the paste with butter or animal fat and various herbs. This paste was then rolled into balls about the size of a billiard ball . Tales say that warriors tied these in leather pouches on their belts to sustain themselves as they went into battle.
The original beverage consumed from the plant was a tea that is still enjoyed in parts of the world called Abyssinian Tea. People dry and boil the leaves of the coffee plant in the same way they prepare tea leaves. People would add whole coffee beans and a variety of spices while making the drink. The roasting, grinding and preparation of coffee that we expect in the Middle Ages occurred much later. As coffee’s influence and culture expanded over the centuries, people changed the methods they used to consume it.
When the prohibition of coffee was lifted, Turkish coffee gained popularity, and society established and thrived in coffee houses, sparking its rise in culture and influence.
The following is my recipe for Turkish coffee that I love to serve people at events. There is no filter. You can eat the grounds in the bottom of your cup if you so choose. More coffee is acceptable and encouraged.
Ingredients and Equipment
- Turkish ground coffee
- Desired spices, to taste. I use ground cardamom, but you may use ginger or saffron.
- Organic natural cane sugar. If you only have refined white sugar, that works perfectly fine.
- Ibrik, a small saucepan is too big; an ibrik is essential for this.
- Cold water
- Teaspoon
I follow a 1:2:3 ratio: one cup of water, two heaping teaspoons of sugar, three heaping teaspoons of coffee.
Begin heating the water, adding the sugar as the water warms.
Add enough coffee to get the mixture to foam, not boil. For this, you want more coffee, not less. If you are unsure, add an extra spoonful of coffee. Three heaping teaspoons are usually enough for one cup of water.
Stir the coffee in, keeping your spoon in the top two-thirds of the ibrik. Only stir the top two-thirds of the pot. You do not want the spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot. Some of the coffee will settle at the bottom, and you want to encourage this.
If you keep your hand on the handle, you can feel what the water is doing, where it is in the boiling stage. You might find it hard to do this if you make it directly over the fire, so we recommend using an oven mitt.
Foam will form at the top of the coffee. This is your crema. You do not want to break this foam or let it boil over. Once the foam begins to form and rise, remove the coffee from the heat for a minute. Repeat this process three times. Once the foam forms, you want to stop stirring the coffee.
Scrape some of the crema off the top into each cup. Pour equal amounts of coffee into each up and serve. The ibrik will retain some coffee and grounds at the bottom.