Coffee Culture understands mysterious Turkish Coffee

Blue Mountain coffee, Colombia coffee and other well-known varieties will certainly come to mind. Civet coffee, elephant coffee and other fashionable goods may also come to mind, but many people will ignore Turkish coffee. In fact, the real coffee culture was created and spread by the Turks. There is a proverb in Turkey: "Drink Turkish coffee with you and talk about friendship for 40 years." The importance of Turkish coffee in the minds of Turks can be seen.

Coffee is said to have originated in the mysterious and remote Middle Eastern mountains in the 13th century. The first cups of coffee were brewed in Arabia, but never popularized. It was not until the early sixteenth century that coffee was introduced into the Ottoman Empire, and the Turks invented a method of making coffee that preserved its original taste and purity, that coffee first became popular in the Ottoman court and became the most popular drink in the court, and even set up a post for this purpose: Chief Barista. It is recorded that many chief baristas were promoted to the rank of auxiliary minister of the king's sultan. Coffee soon spread from the Ottoman court to the homes of ordinary people. In 1554, the first café, Kiva Han, appeared in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) and quickly became popular, with various cafés on the streets. Cafes have since become an important social place in Istanbul, where people like to gather to read books, play chess, talk about poetry and literature, and coffee culture has thus emerged. There is also a saying in Turkey: "Drinking coffee without chatting is not called Turkish coffee", and chatting around coffee has become an important part of Turkish leisure life.

Turkish coffee is distinguished by the way it is ground and cooked. The coffee beans now used in Turkish coffee are high-quality Arabica beans from Central America and Brazil, which are mixed together, roasted and finely ground into coffee powder. Turkish coffee must be cooked in a special copper pot, known locally as Cevze. This small copper pot usually only makes two cups of coffee. Heat a hundred milliliters of pure water and ten grams of coffee powder over low heat, stirring slowly in one direction. When the coffee begins to boil, a layer of coffee foam will float up. Divide the coffee foam evenly between two small cups with a small spoon, and then continue to brew coffee until it bubbles again.

The reporter enjoyed Turkish coffee for the first time in the home of a Turkish who came to China. After more than twenty minutes of making, the host brought a small white porcelain cup, slightly larger than the small cup we drank kung fu tea, black inside, floating with a layer of foam. Then he brought up a large glass of white water, the reporter did not understand its intention. When he raised his glass and sipped it, he suddenly felt that his mouth was full of coffee grounds, thick and bitter. At this time, he mistakenly thought that the white water was for gargling, so he immediately drank a big mouthful. Later, with the understanding of Turkish coffee culture, I gradually fell in love with Turkish coffee, only to know that the water was used before drinking coffee, so that I could truly taste the true taste of coffee.

In Turkey, being invited to someone else's home to drink coffee represents the most sincere respect of the host, so guests should not only praise the aroma of coffee, but also remember that even if they drink a mouthful of dregs, they cannot drink water, because it implies that coffee is not good to drink. Turks drink coffee slowly, they even have a set of exquisite coffee ceremony, just like our tea ceremony, coffee not only to burn incense, but also sprinkle spices, smell incense, a variety of coffee pots, but also full of Turkish style. A cup of Turkish coffee with cloves, cardamom and cinnamon fills the room when hot. No wonder people praise it as "musky and soul-stirring".

Turkish coffee comes in three flavors: sweetened, light and unsweetened. Turkey has an ancient tradition: when young men go to propose, girls usually make coffee for guests, and if she also likes suitors, she will add a lot of sugar to the coffee, indicating "I do, I can't wait"; if the coffee is bitter and unsweetened, it means "I firmly disagree"; if the coffee is salted, it means "You better not appear here again."

After enjoying the fragrant Turkish coffee, do not rush to leave, otherwise you will miss the "moment to witness the miracle" magical coffee divination. Turkey specializes in the profession of coffee soothsayers, similar to our country's feng shui masters, who can be seen in cafes large and small in Turkey. At the same time, coffee divination is also a must-have fun activity for Turks and friends. Whether professional or not, coffee divination is still very particular. For example, the cup of coffee must be a small white porcelain cup with a tray, the soothsayer must be female (there are also a small number of male soothsayers now), and the soothsayer must drink the cup of coffee and pray devoutly in his heart, etc. Specifically, coffee divination is based on the shape of the coffee residue in the cup. The bottom of the cup can tell the past, and the wall can predict the future. It is said that coffee divination needs to be separated by more than 40 days, otherwise it will not be allowed.

Coffee divination in the end is accurate, in the reporter's opinion, can see, can talk is Turkish coffee divination essential two skills. A reading diviner can read coffee residue differently from person to person. For example, a curved trace, the soothsayer may say that you are going to the beach for a holiday or abroad; of course, it can also be said to be a rainbow, a mountain and other things with different meanings. More important, of course, is to be able to talk, things in the world are generally connected, in this sense, meet a good diviner, Turkish coffee divination is really "accurate".

If you ever get a chance to visit Turkey, don't miss Turkish coffee, you'll find it's really more than just coffee.