Turkish Coffee - Legal Drama.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

Sorry if this has been mentioned, but most will put sugar in with the ground coffee before brewing. One green cardamon pod per person is good enough for novice drinkers. Lightly crush pod and take out seeds. Seeds should be nearly black with some sheen on the surface.

Most places that specialize in this coffee will grind in the cardamon along with the beans. I would shy off from doing this unless you go through a lot of coffee to absord the residual cardamon taste in the grinder.

I've had good luck with a pinch of cardamom from the spice rack jar. It isn't the like the actual, official, seed but it tastes the same to me. I did extract some cardamom seed pods from some some turkish whole-bean coffee and mashed them up - seemed to drink the same as cardamom powder. Am I missing something, d'you think, enough to bother with actual seeds?

I was not willing to run those seeds thru my Mazzer, BTW. Didn't think the smell would be easily removed.

[Mister Moo]

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showpo...5&postcount=94

Crema, froth and stainless steel. I gotta try a traditional ibrik side by side with the stainless one.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

I've had good luck with a pinch of cardamom from the spice rack jar. It isn't the like the actual, official, seed but it tastes the same to me. I did extract some cardamom seed pods from some some turkish whole-bean coffee and mashed them up - seemed to drink the same as cardamom powder. Am I missing something, d'you think, enough to bother with actual seeds?

I was not willing to run those seeds thru my Mazzer, BTW. Didn't think the smell would be easily removed.

Not missing that much, but I use a lot of cardamon, so I don't buy it ground. Have black cardamon as well that is much larger and has a different taste. It's like any spice; fresh gound is better. You'll notice a difference, but is it worth the hassle is another question.

Dropping a cardamon pod ino the french press or moka basket is nice too.

This is a good read, I've never had it, and I feel left out. I'll have to try this.

[Commander Quan]

Turkish Coffee is something that I love but only drink 3-4 times a year. It goes down so smooth but will keep me awake for an entire night if consumed anytime after the mid afternoon.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Ace$nyper

This is a good read, I've never had it, and I feel left out. I'll have to try this.

Nothing to it but, once you've tried it you might be hooked.

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

No point in having a sawbucks worth of coffee ground fine and discover turkish isn't for you

Um......a sawbucks worth????

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by tobii3

Um......a sawbucks worth????

Your other sawbuck, T'3. Your other sawbuck.

[muziq]

Thanks Dan and Moses for the additional info and discussion on cardamon. I'm hitting my local middle eastern market today to pick up an ibrik and will give this a shot!

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by muziq

Thanks Dan and Moses for the additional info and discussion on cardamon. I'm hitting my local middle eastern market today to pick up an ibrik and will give this a shot!

Please permit a weird aside here in ibrik/cezve world: GermantownRob sent me a very sporty little Bialetti Eleganz stainless steel mokapot. It makes great tasting moka, no fuss, every time. However, to save my life I cannot get this pot to generate anything more that the flimsiest, tiniest bit of crema atop the brew. Using the same coffee and best procedures I always have heaps of crema with my old Bialetti Moka Express (aluminum) pots.

I have one cezve and it is made of 18-10 stainless. It will generate froth once (on the first boil) and then no more. The froth from the first boil, BTW, is weak and it barely holds together well enough to spoon out into a cup.

A fine point here - or maybe no point at all. A traditional cezve is brass or copper with a silvered tin lining (so the internet for-sale captions claim). Those I have seen in restaurants are always of this type. Besides being made of traditional material they are also pretty "used" looking, i.e., they appear oil-covered or well scorched on the outside and, particularly so, on the inside neck. I suspect keeping froth involves a "well-oiled" machine and that stainless might be something to avoid.

Anyone around with more experience who can comment on how to build and keep foam atop the coffee on 2nd, 3rd or even (the most traditional) 4th boil? Do we have any Turks here? And native Balkan types with coffee background? Hello?

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by muziq

Thanks Dan and Moses for the additional info and discussion on cardamon. I'm hitting my local middle eastern market today to pick up an ibrik and will give this a shot!

The cardamon pods are good to have around. Some use them like mints for fresh breathe, and also is nice to drop one into drip coffee. I use them in rice and all sorts of food.

[Mister Moo]

Show us your turkish coffee!

Mmmm. Tonights after-dinner sip.

[perogee]

will have to adjust sweetness for my tastes, but Lordy this is a tasty brew (and stainless is not ideal at all, no foam for me ). Overall though, good first experience.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by perogee

will have to adjust sweetness for my tastes, but Lordy this is a tasty brew (and stainless is not ideal at all, no foam for me ). Overall though, good first experience.

A word on that. I have read more and made some (foam related) adjustments:

1) make the water fill in the cezve up into the narrow part of neck; that is most practical, of course, only when you have a set of pots of different sizes.

2) don't stir the coffee into the water. Add the sugar to the water and flop the coffee grounds in and let it sit on top. the repeat boiling will wet the grounds and foam them better than if you stir it all up before boiling.

It looks like the genuine turkish gig may involve coordinating the water and grounds to end up in the narrow of the neck with whatever pot you use.

[muziq]

Update--my ibrik landed earlier this week and I've made up a few brews. So far, they're turning out pretty tasty, but I haven't gotten the heating procedure down just yet, and am not getting quite the crema I desire. I will say the flavor is certainly excellent, thought, and the fresh ground cardamom is a real game-changer. What's more, it all goes smashingly with a VR Classicos first thing on an overcast, blustery morning.

First Time I had Turkish coffee was in Israel about 10 years ago. Loved it ever since.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by mi2az

First Time I had Turkish coffee was in Israel about 10 years ago. Loved it ever since.

First taste of turkish coffee imprinted on my brain forever. Loved it ever since, too. I regret it took me so long to get around to making it at home. Lately I've been enjoying it several times/week. It is, by far, my favorite form of black coffee.

Here's to us - Marty, Moo and Muz...

Nice to see folks having a try. I feel a turkish pass coming up after the AeroPress gets back to me.

[muziq]

Okay, some pics from my most recent Turkish coffee prep.

First, a nice shot of the equipment: fresh-ground coffee, powder-like, from the Rocky; a new salt grinder adapted for grinding fresh cardamon; and the nice painted copper ibrik from Sweet Maria (this is the 12 oz model)



Next, a shot of the first boil...I'm not great at the crema yet, but Moo's suggestion of just dropping the coffee on top instead of mixing it in has produced more crema than I experienced when I mixed it in or agitated it



Right after the third boil...that crema is thinner, but still sticking around a little...



Ready to drink. This particular batch was extra yummy, as I found my preferred balance between coffee, sugar, and cardamon.



I'm still learning how to do this right, and it's a lot of fun...not to mention that the fiance is excited to have a fourth way to prepare coffee in the morning

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by muziq

Okay, some pics from my most recent Turkish coffee prep.

I'm still learning how to do this right, and it's a lot of fun.

Looks like you have arrived, Aziz.

[MarkinAZ]

I love reviving an old thread that's well worth reviving...

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

I can't say this is the deal of deals but, if you want the heavier brass (instead of tinned copper), see http://www.natashascafe.com/html/turkish.html. Copper heats up faster - brass is more durable. There are some vague claims here and there about brass being safer to use than copper.

Natasha offers reasonably priced gift sets (coffee, ibrik and demitasse cups), brass ibriks in all sizes and, at a discount, scratched or dented ibriks not suitable for gift sets. I have a couple on the way; I let you know if they are the real deal or not.

Dan, thanks for the excellent web page...

Originally Posted by muziq

Okay, some pics from my most recent Turkish coffee prep. I'm still learning how to do this right, and it's a lot of fun...

Muz, great photo's and hope your new hobby is still a brewing...