I’m Steve Woolsey
Designer, Composer, Writer, Performer.
turkish coffee
June 24th, 2009
I have been trying to find a decent cup of Turkish coffee in the area for some time. I’ve even tried to find the right tools and ingredients to brew it at home. Ever since I first had a cup in the Czech Republic, it quickly ascended to the top of my beverage-based experiences.
I recently found a cafe not far from my apartment that serves said coffee. It’s called Sweetness 7 (corner of Grant & Lafayette in Buffalo). I had been there a few times prior, but hadn’t realized that the menu included this delicacy.
A few days ago I stopped over to try a cup (a mere $2!), and was surprised and impressed to find what lengths they went to provide an excellent Turkish coffee experience. It was served on a fancy little tray with a small cup for drinking, a small flask of cream, the entire pot of coffee straight off the stove, and one of the best walnut brownies I’ve had in some time.
This is an experience that I will seek out several times a week, for as long as I live in this city.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Turkish coffee
Sunday, June 21, 2009
The best venues to drink Turkish coffee in İstanbul
In recent years, many restaurants, cafes and hotels have replaced Turkish coffee with coffee made by automatic machines. International coffee shop chains appeal to young people, making espressos more popular than Turkish coffee.
A group of people who love to drink coffee and are disturbed by the diminishing popularity of Turkish coffee set up the Turkish Coffee Culture and Research Foundation last year. The chairman of the foundation is Atom Damalı, its members include people who contribute a great deal to the sector such as Ahmet Örs, Mehmet Aksel, Merve Gürsel, Osman Serim, Semir Orcan and Ali Sözmen. The mission of the foundation is to set up a standard of how to make Turkish coffee and give it the global attention it deserves. The foundation is also planning to write a book and film a comprehensive documentary on Turkish coffee.
Where did Turkish coffee come from?
Coffee, which is a crop native to Ethiopia, spread to the Arabian Peninsula, especially Yemen, after the 11th century. In 1517, Yemen Governor Özdemir Pasha fell in love with the drink when he was introduced to it and brought it to İstanbul. But the Turks changed the method of preparing coffee by using copper vessels called güğüms and coffee pots called cezves. Coffee made through this method eventually became known as Turkish coffee. Coffeehouses, the first of which opened in Tahtakale and quickly spread across the city, introduced locals to Turkish coffee. Sipping coffee and listening to poetry, literature and recitations from books at coffeehouses became a popular social activity during that time. News of the delicious coffee spread to Europe -- and from there, to the rest of the world -- with Ottoman messengers and merchants and travelers passing through İstanbul. Initially, Turkish coffee was made without sugar. Instead, it was customary to eat or drink something sweet before or after drinking coffee. But today, Turkish coffee is made either plain or with different amounts of sugar depending on taste.
Where to drink Turkish coffee
Coffee pleasure by the poolside: Çorlulu Ali Paşa Medresesi is a historic location. Located on the tramway road in Beyazıt, the medrese is a popular venue for coffee and nargile addicts. It is a gathering place for college students and a frequent stop for retired people, local merchants and tourists. The medrese, which offers guests the opportunity to drink coffee under sycamore trees by a poolside, is open until 2:00 a.m. Guests can also visit the rug repair shop in the medrese.
Coffee with an amazing view: Located on the hills of Eyüp, with an amazing view of the Golden Horn, the Pierre Loti Cafe is a popular venue for those who want to escape the city. The cafe can be reached by walking up stairs passing through the cemetery located next to the Eyüp Sultan mosque. If you sit near the very front, you can see an amazing view of the Golden Horn before you and sip a delicious cup of coffee. The cafe gets its name from famous French author Pierre Loti, who lived between 1850 and 1923. As a naval officer, Loti came to Turkey in 1876 and stayed for a year. It was during that same year that he discovered the historical coffee on the hills of Eyüp. Ever since then, the cafe on that hill has been called Pierre Loti.
Coffee brewed in sand: A coffee shop operated by Oğuz Atalay located in the Grand Bazaar is the ideal place to sit down and relax after touring the bazaar. The coffee shop has been serving in the Grand Bazaar for almost 60 years and attracts people from all walks of life, especially tourists. Calligraphy and faded photographs attract people's attention. The famous coffee is heated in hot sand.
Coffee shop famous for its celebrities: One of the most popular places to drink coffee in İstanbul is a coffee shop right by the waterside next to the Bebek Mosque. It is frequented by figures from the media, art and cinema world. It is especially crowded during the summer. It is also a great venue for a weekend breakfast. Coffee addicts love the foamy coffee offered there. It is open every day between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.
A beautiful coffee shop in Çengelköy: Çınaraltı Kahvesi is a special place where one can enjoy either tea or coffee while enjoying a breathtaking view of the Bosporus. Located in Üsküdar's Çengelköy neighborhood, the coffee shop gets it name from the historical sycamore tree (Çınar in Turkish) it was built under. It opens at 7:00 a.m. and continues to serve customers until midnight. Çınaraltı Kahvesi was used as a setting for Turkish television shows “Süper Babe” and “Çınaraltı.”
Taste Turkish coffee heated on coals: Nevi Cafe is located in Ayakapı. It was used as a police station during the Ottoman Empire and was later restored to its authentic character. Attracting customers with its view of the Golden Horn and fascinating decor, the cafe is especially popular for its Turkish coffee, which is heated on coals. A visit to the past and an amazing cup of coffee await guests at the cafe.
You can tell if coffee is good from its texture: Drinking coffee at Mandabatmaz is a tradition for Beyoğlu locals. One taste of their delicious coffee, and people can't stop going back to the shop, which is located on a narrow street behind Galatasaray Square in İstiklal. During the summer, there is generally a line of people waiting to find an empty plastic or wooden seat. A fan club has even been formed for Mandabatmaz, which offers outstanding Turkish coffee with exceptional texture and the right amount of foam.
A cup of coffee an excuse to enjoy beautiful Bosporus view: There is an amazing venue located at Rumelihisarı, offering a wonderful view of the Bosporus. Turkish coffee is heated over the stove. Known for its traditional Turkish coffee, Sade Kahve offers breakfast early in the morning and continues to serve customers until sunset. The shop is located in the Oduncubaşı seaside home of Ayla and Recep Aral.
Coffee break!: Another place that offers fantastic Turkish coffee is a shop called Gezi located right beside the Atatürk Cultural Center in Taksim. It is possible to see famous people there almost all the time. Attracting people with its handmade chocolates and desserts, the bakery offers dishes from both the Turkish and Ottoman kitchen. Gezi actually has four sections: a bakery, a cafe, a restaurant and a chocolaterie. One can find all kinds of desserts, meals, coffee, jams and organic goods at Gezi.
Coffee brewed right in the cup: A coffee shop called Şükrü Bey located in İzmir's Kemeraltı district is an ideal place for caffeine addicts in İzmir who would like to enjoy a cup of Turkish coffee. Şükrü Bey's coffee has made a name for itself throughout Turkey. The coffee is not brewed in a cezve, but directly in the cup. Ground coffee is placed in the cup and sugar and water are mixed in. The coffee is carefully heated over a low heat. Because this coffee is made in a unique way, it tastes and looks extraordinary.
How to prepare good Turkish coffee
Turkish coffee is brought to the boil three times. After it boils for the first time, the foam on the surface is removed. After it is boiled for a second time, the coffee has a more full and sweet taste, and after the third time the, coffee has a more bitter taste. For one cup of coffee, one full teaspoon of coffee is used (approximately 8 grams). For the freshest coffee, grind coffee beans immediately before use. Before placing the cezve on the stove, put in coffee and sugar and mix in a cup of cold water. For slightly sweet coffee, use one sugar cube (2-3 grams), for medium sweet, use two sugar cubes (4-5 grams) and for very sweet, use three sugar cubes (8-9 grams). Place the cezve over a low heat. Remove the foam that forms on the surface with a spoon, and place it in a cup. Return the cezve to the heat, and pour half the mixture into another cup just before it comes to a full boil. Return the cezve to the heat, and pour out the remaining half just before it comes to a full boil. Be careful not to bring the coffee to a full boil because this causes it to have a bitter and watery taste. Serve with a cup of water and a piece of Turkish delight (lokum). The water is consumed first to clear the throat and make sure that the only taste in the mouth is the taste of the coffee.
| 21 June 2009, Sunday |
MURAT TOKAY İSTANBUL
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Tuesday, May 19, 2009
For Albanian brides, the pressure is on
It's not easy being an Albanian bride. They're judged on appearance, behavior, pedigree — and, of course, coffee-making skills.
Six brides were put to the test Sunday during a Mother's Day celebration at the Albanian-American Cultural and Islamic Center Hasan Prishtina on Columbia Boulevard in Waterbury. Organizers made a game of the Albanian tradition of coffee-serving by having six brides compete on who can make coffee and serve their mothers-in-law the fastest.
Each lined up with a small burner, a serving tray, small cup and saucer and a xhezve, a Turkish coffee cooker, in front of them. They worked fast, spooning Turkish coffee and sugar in the xhezve and enough water to fill a small Turkish coffee cup, about the size of an espresso cup. The coffee cooked in the burner, with each bride watching the boiling point as relatives cheered them on.
If it boils over, the coffee is pretty much ruined because the much-coveted foam would be gone, not only making a mess but ruining presentation. No foam means lesser-quality coffee — and as a result, a displeased mother-in-law.
For the mothers-in-law there was pressure too. They wanted good coffee and most importantly bragging rights. It's all about having the bride who makes the best coffee, is the fastest and is most graceful.
Jetlira Zhaku of New Jersey, who will marry into the Alimi family of Danbury in October, was the winner. She is a bride at engagement and once married, will remain a bride. In the Albanian language, the word bride, nuse, also means daughter-in-law
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Turkish coffee & spice grinders
By Amy Scattergood, May 11, 2009
These utterly gorgeous contraptions are brass grinders, made for pepper or other spices, or for the grinding of Turkish coffee. They’re both from Turkey: the smaller of the two I bought at the spice bazaar in Istanbul a few years ago; the larger is from Turkish Coffee World, a fantastic online site that sells Turkish coffee paraphernalia. Turkish Coffee World is run by Istanbul native Mustafa Arat, who operates a one-man company out of his home in the sun-drenched suburban world of swimming pools and occasional palm trees in Corona, California. Arat imports his coffee grinders and pots (cezve) and cups from Turkey, as well as coffee itself from Mehmet Efendi, an Istanbul coffee company which was founded in 1871. (You can also find similar grinders from other importers, like Fantes.) The grinders are stunningly pretty; they’re also seemingly indestructable, unlike all the other coffee grinders that have passed through my kitchen to date. You can adjust the grind by turning the screws on the side. The tall grinder grinds very finely, which is how Turkish coffee is ground, like powder. I’ve set the smaller of the two to grind more coarsely, which is how I like my black pepper. I’ve also used it for allspice, cloves and Szechuan peppercorns. If you don’t have one of these, by the way, and are still interested in making Turkish coffee at home (very easy: see Arat’s site for how to do this), you can use any medium roast coffee and simply grind it at the grocery store. It turns out that most of the public coffee grinders at grocery stores have settings for Turkish coffee grind, which I didn’t realize until Arat told me to check. It’s worth getting one of these though, so you don’t have to grind your Tellicherry peppercorns at Trader Joe’s, which I don’t imagine they’d appreciate.
www.AmyScattergood.com
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Turkish coffee set delivers flavor and fun
By Abbi Perets on CNET News
I'm currently spending five weeks visiting my husband's family in Israel, and we're right in the middle of the holiday of Passover. As is traditional during the intermediate days of the week-long festival, yesterday we went on a day trip to get out and enjoy nature--and to eat. A lot. At the end of the day, after eating continuously for 7 hours, we decided to head to a nearby campground and roast marshmallows. And to drink? Well, Turkish coffee, of course.
Is that not what you generally drink with your toasted marshmallows? Well, you're missing out. And if you've never had Turkish coffee, you're really missing out. I hadn't had a decent cup in years, but our friend cooked up a batch that was nothing short of amazing. Turkish coffee should really be roasted outdoors over an open fire, but in a pinch you can use your gas cooktop. The Turkish Coffee Set has everything you need to get started and enjoy your first cup of genuine Middle Eastern flavor--a small ibrik (that's the pot you make the coffee in), half a pound of Turkish coffee, and complete instructions. Cooking the coffee is half the experience, so take your time and do it right. When made properly, Turkish coffee is designed to be savored slowly, with good friends and great conversation. Once you master the technique, you can invest in a larger ibrik and serve your friends. Even if your normal drink is a Starbucks concoction, give Turkish coffee a try; it's a nice change of pace.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton having a cup of Turkish coffee on her visit to Turkey last week.
By Sue Pleming
ANKARA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in a sideshow to diplomacy, lamented on Saturday her fashion sense, divulged when she fell in love and shared how she dealt with personal struggles.
Appearing on a popular Turkish television chat show, Hadi Gel Bizimle (Come and Join Us), Clinton tackled a few diplomatic questions but the main focus was on her personal life, such as when she "last" fell in love.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Turkish coffee reading is now available on your iPhone and iPod touch!
The tradition of Tasseology, tea leaf and Turkish coffee reading, is
now available on your iPhone and iPod touch. Tasseology is available
at the Apple App Store
(itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=296862869&mt=8)
for US$3.99.
When you drink your cup of tea or coffee the leftover sediment
purportedly has meaning. Touch the leftover leaves or grounds and you
will learn about the future of your life in three key areas: love,
money, and work.
Tasseology reads to you in using the sound functionality of the
iPhone. While the predictions are displayed on screen you also can
listen to them. Upon request the Tasseology Oracle speaks to you in
English or Turkish.
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Istanbul - Citywalk - A look at modern Istanbul with music.
Detailed instructions on making Turkish coffee
