Turkish Coffee

Making Turkish Coffee

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1. Measure the cold water using the coffee cups you will serve in, so the quantity is exactly right — one cup of water per cup of coffee, plus a little for evaporation.

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2. Put the water, coffee, sugar and cardamom in a cezve. Stir now, while it is cold, until the coffee is fully wetted. This is the only time you stir.

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3. Set over the lowest possible heat. Do not stir again from this point.

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4. Heat slowly for 3 to 4 minutes. A dark ring of foam will form around the edge and gradually creep inward.

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5. When the foam has covered the surface and begins to rise up the pot — just before it boils — lift the cezve off the heat immediately.

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6. Spoon a little of the foam into each cup, then return the pot to the heat for 15 seconds until it rises again.

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7. Pour slowly and steadily into the cups, grounds and all, keeping the foam intact on top.

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8. Rest for 2 minutes to let the grounds settle at the bottom, then serve with a glass of cold water and something sweet alongside.

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Small Things That Help

• The grind is everything. It must be powder-fine — a domestic burr grinder usually cannot go fine enough, so buy it ready-ground.
• Never let it boil. Boiled Turkish coffee has no foam and tastes flat and bitter.
• Stop drinking before you reach the sludge at the bottom of the cup.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with Turkish delight or a piece of baklava
• A glass of cold water first, to clear the palate
• The traditional close to a Turkish meal

Keeping and Reheating

Brew to order — Turkish coffee cannot be reheated or held. Keep the ground coffee airtight and use within a month.

Turkish Coffee Nutrition

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.