How to make Turkish coffee

Turkish coffee originated in the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. Today it's still drunk daily across Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, the Middle East, and North Africa, often as a small ritual at the end of a meal or in conversation. It's recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage.

What makes Turkish coffee distinct: it's brewed by simmering very finely ground coffee directly in water with no filter. The grounds settle at the bottom of the cup and you drink only the liquid above. The result is strong, slightly viscous, intensely aromatic, and topped with a thick foam.

What you need

• A cezve (also called an ibrik), a small narrow-mouthed copper or brass pot with a long handle. About $20 to $30. Pick a size matched to the number of cups you make at once.
• Turkish coffee, ground to a powder finer than espresso. Buy pre-ground from Mehmet Efendi or Kurukahveci to start. Turkish coffee grinders are uncommon.
• Small demitasse cups, about 60ml each
• Sugar (optional but traditional)
• Cold water

The recipe (per cup)

• Coffee: 1 heaping tablespoon
• Grind: powder-fine
• Water: 60ml cold
• Heat: low
• Sugar: to taste

The sweetness levels

Sugar must be added before brewing, not after. Traditional levels:

• Sade: no sugar
• Az sekerli: a little sugar (1/2 teaspoon per cup)
• Orta sekerli: medium sweet (1 teaspoon per cup)
• Cok sekerli: very sweet (2 teaspoons per cup)

Step by step

1. For each cup: combine 1 heaping tablespoon of coffee, 60ml of cold water, and sugar to taste in the cezve. Stir once to combine.
2. Place on low heat. Turkish coffee should never come to a boil. Slow heating over 3 to 5 minutes is correct. Higher heat scorches the coffee and kills the foam.
3. Do not stir as it heats. Watch the foam form on the surface and gradually rise.
4. Just before the foam reaches the rim of the cezve, when it looks about to boil over, remove the cezve from the heat. Spoon a small amount of foam into each cup. This is the kaymak, the prized crown of a well-made Turkish coffee.
5. Return the cezve to the heat. Let it rise again. Remove. Add more foam to the cups. Repeat once more for a third rise; some traditions stop at two.
6. Pour the remaining coffee slowly into the cups, dividing evenly. Let the cups sit for about a minute so the grounds can settle.
7. Sip from the top. Stop when you reach the thick muddy layer at the bottom. That's the spent grounds, not coffee.

The cultural part

Turkish coffee is rarely a solo morning drink. It's a small social ritual, served in tiny cups and meant to be sipped slowly over conversation, often with a small piece of Turkish delight or dark chocolate.

If you're hosting, serve with a glass of cold water alongside. The water is for cleansing the palate before drinking, so the first sip of coffee lands cleanly.

Reading the grounds

When the cup is empty, some traditions invite you to flip it upside down on the saucer. After it cools, the patterns formed by the grounds inside the cup are read as a form of fortune-telling called tasseography. Whether or not you find that compelling, it's a pleasant way to close a coffee with friends.

Best beans

Authentic Turkish coffee uses 100% Arabica beans roasted medium-dark and ground to a very fine powder. The Turkish brands (Mehmet Efendi, Kurukahveci) are the easiest starting point. Specialty roasters increasingly offer Turkish-ground single origins, which are a worthwhile upgrade once you've mastered the method.