turkish coffee
Noun A strong, unfiltered coffee beverage prepared by boiling very finely ground coffee beans with water and sugar (or sometimes spices) in a special pot called a cezve or ibrik. The coffee is served in a small cup, allowing the grounds to settle at the bottom.
This term refers specifically to the traditional method of preparation and the resulting drink. It is a distinct style of coffee, not simply coffee consumed in Turkey. * We finished the meal with a cup of Turkish coffee. * She learned how to make authentic Turkish coffee from her grandmother. * The ritual of preparing Turkish coffee is an important part of the culture.
- Fortune Telling: The thick layer of spent grounds left in the cup after drinking Turkish coffee is sometimes used for a traditional form of fortune telling called (reading coffee grounds).
- After we drank our Turkish coffee, she offered to read our fortunes from the cups.
- Greek coffee: A virtually identical preparation method and drink, known by this name in Greece and Cyprus. The distinction is primarily cultural and terminological rather than based on preparation.
- Cezve / Ibrik: The small, long-handled pot with a wide bottom and narrow top specifically designed for making Turkish coffee.
- Arabic coffee: While also often unfiltered, traditional Arabic coffee () is typically lighter, spiced with cardamom, and made with coarsely ground beans, distinguishing it from Turkish coffee.
- Boiled coffee: A descriptive term highlighting the preparation method.
- Mud coffee: (Informal) A humorous or colloquial term referring to the thick, sludgy appearance of the unfiltered grounds.
- To brew Turkish coffee: The specific action of preparing this drink.
- He carefully brewed Turkish coffee over a low flame.
- A cup of Turkish: An informal, shortened way to refer to a serving of this coffee.
- Would you like a cup of Turkish?
The definition emphasizes the method (pulverized beans, boiled, unfiltered, often sweetened during brewing) rather than the geographic origin. While deeply associated with Turkish culture, this style of coffee is traditional across the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, and the Balkans.
- a drink made from pulverized coffee beans; usually sweetened