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Coffee, Loyalty and Love

It didn't take long for coffee to become the drink of the Ottoman sultans, the rulers of the Turkish royal family. The commissioner who made the coffee for the sultans was called Kahveci Usta, and once it was made, 40 guards presented the sacred drink to the supreme sultan.

Coffee was a symbol of loyalty to the sultan. Similarly, Turkish men offer coffee to their wives when they get married, and women judge whether a man cares about her according to the quality of the coffee.

As coffee spreads throughout Turkey, it's no longer just a key test for brides. Brides-to-be must also express their satisfaction with their man. If the groom's coffee is sweet, the bride-to-be is satisfied; if it is bitter, the bride-to-be is not satisfied.

Coffee quickly became Turkey's most popular drink. Wealthy families even build special rooms in their homes for coffee. This practice was later imitated and shared with others, and coffee shops were born. Coffee houses were important places for men to negotiate business and socialize. Of course, that doesn't mean women don't have a right to coffee. Turkish law at the time allowed women to drink coffee and gave wives the right to divorce if their husbands could not guarantee them coffee every day.

Coffee ban

But before long, coffee inexplicably bears the name of the devil. This may be due to the religion of the time. Because coffee is so popular, many people even give up church and waste their whole day drinking coffee and talking. For this reason, coffee went from holy to evil overnight.

The other reason was more political, as coffee was perceived by the rulers as an evil threat to the regime. Similarly, in Sweden, the ruling authorities passed laws banning coffee gatherings because coffee was considered a source of anti-government evil.

In 1656, Ottoman Prime Minister Koprulu issued a ban on all coffee-related activities, and violations were punishable by death. For first offense, the offender will be beaten; for second offense, the offender will be strapped and thrown into the river.

Coffee was retained by the Turks and spread to neighboring countries despite strict laws prohibiting it.

Coffee: The Plunder of War

Although coffee is widely spread, coffee historians believe that coffee's introduction into Europe began during a war. In 1683, when Turkish troops exchanged fire with Austrian troops, Turkish soldiers accidentally lost a bag of coffee during a withdrawal from Vienna, and this bag of coffee was discovered by the Austrians.

Back in real life, coffee as we know it is far less complicated than it is historically recorded. But at least now you know the origins of Turkish coffee and the mysterious legend behind it. Well, why don't you try a rich, steaming Turkish coffee