Mysterious Journey of Coffee

A Drink Sweet As Love:  As black as the devil, as hot as the hell as pure as the angel as sweet as the love.

Sake Of 40 Years, Lots Of Benefits

The new trend for coffee lovers, increasing number of places creating charms with various image works... These kinds of coffee shops, which we come across at every corner and attract attention by their unique styles, are called “new generation coffeehouses”. New trends and various presentations have come into our lives along with these new places. On one hand, coffeehouses trying to survive the roughness of the age, on the other hand, coffeemakers of modern time. But the smoke and the sake of forty years of coffee are always the same.

A Drink Sweet As Love

The coffee, which was described by Talleyrand, the French Minister of State, as “As black as the devil, as hot as the hell, as pure as the angel, as sweet as the love”, plays an important role both in our culture and daily life. To start the day in a good mood, to sober up, and maybe to take some pleasure... The history of coffee dates back to A.D.850. It all started when Kaldi, an Ethiopian shepherd, noticed that the goats he was herding had become frisky after eating a fruit. The shepherd of goats decided to try this fruit and he enjoyed the happiness combined with the energy he felt after eating it.

Coffee Was Brought From Yemen

Then, the monks tried this mysterious fruit; but they didn’t like the bitter taste and threw them into the fire. Soon after when the smell of delicious aroma reached their noses, the monks got very curious and brewed a drink from roasted fruits. The drink emerged was so delicious that they considered it as a gift from God. In this way, the fame of the coffee seed spread in the region in a short span of time. The coffee was started to be produced in Yemen around A.D.1000. The story of Turkish coffee starts about 500 years from this..

Presentation Is As Important As The Taste

The coffee came into our lives during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. It is widely believed that it was brought to Istanbul by Ozdemir Pasha, the Governor of Yemen. Not only the way it is made and its taste, but also the role of coffee in society has changed since then. In the Ottoman Empire, presentation of the coffee was as important its taste. Various desserts and jams were served before the coffee; then the coffee, made in a coffee pot, was served in small cups decorated with jewels such as gold, diamonds along with Turkish delight or muscat grapes. This coffee making and presentation technique started to be called as Turkish coffee. Although Turkish coffee is no longer served in jewels, the size of the cups has never changed..

Coffeehouse With Music And Meddah (Encomiast)

The coffeehouses, where coffees were made in the large pots on the stoves, books were read and appealed to all segments of the public, were important places in the old days. There were even shows performed with music and meddah (encomiast). In the late periods of Ottoman Empire, the coffeehouses became places where public opinions were formed.

The Place Of Litterateurs

When printed press became widespread in the 19th century, the coffeehouses turned into spaces for reading and even writing; apart from readers, writers and poets used to write their works and make intellectual and philosophical conversations accompanied by coffee.

Characteristics Of Turkish Coffee

• The oldest coffee making method in the world.
• It consists of foam, coffee and grounds.
• The taste and temperature left in the mouth due to its soft and velvety foam remains for a long time.
• It is served in the cups with thin edges; it cools slowly and you can enjoy it longer.
• Its intense flavor overstimulates the sense of taste in the mouth and it sticks in the mind.
• It is more viscous, aromatic and softer than other types.
• It can be easily distinguished from other types coffees with its unique smell.
• It is considered by the coffee lovers as the only type of coffee that can be drank after boiling.
• It is the only type of coffee with fortune-telling ritual.
• It is unique since the coffee is in the cup, but it does not need to be filtered as the grounds settle in the bottom.
• It does not cause bloating even if it is drunk frequently, since it is served in a small cup.
• The caffeine that it includes is lower than the other coffee types do.
• It is the only type of coffee that is served ready to drink since sugar is added optionally when it is made.