In Turkey, coffee is more than just a drink

In Turkey, coffee is more than just a drink

Turkish coffee is much more than just a drink. It is a ritual, a basis for conversation and is considered the ancestor of all modern types of coffee. With a history spanning almost 500 years, it is on the UNESCO list Intangible cultural heritage of humanity anchored.

The roots of coffee

The origins of coffee go back even further. Lani Kingston, a lecturer at Portland State University, reports on a single coffee bean dating back to the 12th century that was found at an archaeological site in the United Arab Emirates. Around 1350, the first coffee preparation utensils appeared in Turkey, Egypt and Persia.

The History of Turkish Coffee

The history of Turkish coffee does not begin in Turkey, but in Yemen. In the 15th century, Sufi mystics consumed it to stay awake during long nights of prayers. When Sultan Süleyman, known in Europe as Süleyman the Magnificent, conquered Yemen in 1538, coffee found its way to the Ottoman Empire. Within a year he had reached Constantinople, now Istanbul.

As early as 1539, the Ottoman admiral Hayreddin Barbarossa registered a property with a “kahve odası” (coffee room), like the Harvard professor Cemal Kafadar quoted in an academic paper about coffee.

The establishment of coffee culture

From the 1550s onwards, the first “kahvehane”, coffee houses, appeared in Istanbul, which the historian İbrahim Peçevi documented in his book “History of Peçevi”. The new popularity of the drink led to a rapid transformation of cultural life. The “cezve-ibrik” preparation method, shared with Greece and originating from Ethiopia, became the hallmark of traditional Turkish coffee. According to the gastronomy researcher Merin Sever The fundamental difference between Turkish and other coffee is that the cezve-ibrik is essentially boiled rather than brewed, resulting in an unfiltered drink.

Coffee houses and their importance

Coffeehouses also attracted controversy. Religious scholars and political leaders across Asia and Europe saw them as sites of subversive activity and meaningless conversation. The governor of Mecca, Hayır Bey, banned coffee in the city in 1511, which lasted for 13 years due to fears that it would lead to radical ideas. Ottoman sultans repeatedly closed cafes for similar reasons. However, they never completely disappeared. Even in 17th-century England, Charles II tried to close them down because he suspected that “anti-royalist incitements and treasonous conversations take place in these coffeehouses,” as the London guide said Chris MacNeil reported.

Coffee as a national ritual in Turkey

Turkish coffee is “more than a drink,” says Seden Dogan, a lecturer at the University of South Florida and a native of Safranbolulu. Doğan describes it as a “bridge” that enables exchange – both in sadness and in joy.

Today, coffee is the unofficial reunion drink in Turkey. When friends who haven't seen each other for a while want to talk, they say, "Let's have coffee." In Turkey this specifically means: “Come over, I’ll make you a cup of Turkish coffee.”

The preparation

The preparation rite is precise and careful: a small, long-handled pot called cezve is placed over heat, preferably over hot coals or sand. The finest coffee beans are slowly cooked to release rich flavor and create a beautiful blanket of foam that is considered a seal of quality.

A proper Turkish coffee must be served hot with the foam intact, along with a glass of water and a piece of Lokum (Turkish Delight). The water cleanses the palate while the lokum balances the bitterness of the drink.

Coffee drinking rituals are also important. Although coffee is served in small cups, it should be drunk calmly and slowly, not hastily like an espresso. This gives the coffee beans time to settle at the bottom of the cup.

Tasseography: The Art of Reading Coffee Grounds

When the cup is empty, the ritual of tasseography, the reading of the coffee cup, follows. The cup is placed upside down on the saucer to cool, and the shapes and symbols left in the remaining coffee beans are “read” for their meaning. These meanings are usually invented spontaneously; a fish usually represents luck, a bird a journey.

Although fortune telling is generally considered inappropriate in Islamic culture, coffee cup reading is viewed as a "playful, symbolic interpretation" and "communal ritual," says Kylie Holmes, author of " The ancient art of reading coffee grounds.” Doğan agrees: “We do this for fun.” She describes tasseography as a storytelling experience where she often spends an hour on a reading spinning narratives and focusing on positive outcomes as people “enjoy hearing good things about themselves.”

Coffee culture in wedding rituals

The coffee rituals in Turkey also find their way into other national traditions. During the engagement, a potential bride prepares Turkish coffee for the groom and his family. As a test of character, she adds a generous amount of salt to the groom's coffee. When he drinks without complaining, he shows his patience, maturity and worthiness.

The spread to the west

Coffee quickly made its way west. The Venetians may have first encountered him through trade relations. But there is a clearer connection between Turkey and the original coffeehouse culture in London: Daniel Edwards, a Levantine merchant who lived in Smyrna (modern-day Izmir), brought his servant Pasqua Rosée to London. In 1652, Rosée opened what is considered the city's first coffeehouse on St. Michael's Alley.

For a penny, customers could drink as much as they wanted and engage in lively conversations. Similar to the Turkish “kahvehanes,” these “penny universities” were hubs for news, politics, and sometimes disobedience. They were specifically sites of male disobedience. Women weren't allowed to drink coffee in either culture, but in London they could at least work in a coffeehouse.

The challenges of Turkish coffee

Although Turkish coffee has a rich history and cultural significance, it has never been able to achieve the global brand recognition of espresso. Sever blames a generational difference for this. “We have reduced Turkish coffee to a ritual, and for young people it is now seen as something you only drink with your parents,” she explains.

She believes that innovation is necessary to be globally attractive. Doğan disagrees and insists that traditions must be preserved.

However, others are working hard to introduce Turkish coffee to the world. Ayşe Kapusuz organizes Turkish coffee workshops in London, while in New York Uluç Ülgen – Dr. Honeybrew – runs the Turkish Coffee Room with theatrical coffee-drinking and fortune-telling sessions.

“Despite the bitter taste of Turkish coffee, Americans drink it to the last drop for the idea of ​​drinking coffee,” he says.

Where to find good coffee in Istanbul

To find an authentic coffee experience in Turkey, Kapusuz advises choosing a place where it is slowly prepared in a cezve, preferably over hot sand, and served hot with a thick foam topping, plus lokum and water. In Istanbul recommends Kapusuz Hafiz Mustafa. Sever recommends Mandabatmaz on İstiklal Street and Nuri Toplar in the city's Egyptian bazaar. For a modern touch, she recommends Haci Bekir in Kadıköy.

Coffee cup reading fortune telling can be found in Istanbul's Sultanahmet district or near Tünel in Beyoğlu, but Doğan suggests a more personal approach, as the experience is more about storytelling and human connection than fortune telling. That might simply mean enlisting the help of a coffee-drinking local to discover the fascinating story waiting at the bottom of a cup.