Making Turkish coffee, a cultural masterclass from Özerlat

by Bruce McMichael

Coffee is a community drink, stimulating conversation, ideas and passion around the world. Drunk in High Street cafes, homes, restaurants and a million other places it creates passionately given opinion about how to roast the beans, make it and how and when to drink it.

The art of Turkish coffee
The art of Turkish coffee

Today, coffee making is akin to an art form, a modern day ritual that shapes our lives. The best Baristas are promoted to rock star status, while enthusiasts are roasting in their garages and sheds and friends gently argue over grain size, water temperature or whether to spend hundreds even thousands of Euros on a Ascasco pump coffee machine or a Sage branded by experimental chef Heston Blumenthal.

Turkish Delight adds sweetness to the coffee
Turkish Delight adds sweetness to the coffee

One of the most traditional ways of making coffee is the Oriental or Turkish method. This uses a small heating dish known as a Cezve, heat source, water and some extra-finely ground, roasted Arabica beans.

To make proper Turkish coffee you'll need a Cezve, a small pot often made of copper
To make proper Turkish coffee you’ll need a Cezve, a small pot often made of copper

In this short video Iley Özerlat-Gündüz explains how to make thick, dark Turkish coffee using an extra-fine grind produced by the family coffee firm Özerlat. Hailing from northern Cyrpus, the company sells two grades of grind into the UK market, Heritage (ground and roasted in Cyprus using Brazilian Arabica beans) and Mozaik (a modern taste inspired by the bright Espresso flavours).

Illy was speaking at a celebration of Turkish food and drink in Brand Exchange (brandexchange.com) in the City of London.

http://www.ozerlat.com

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Bruce McMichael

Food writing, discovering food stories, meeting producers, chefs and food enthusiasts are all part of desire to inspire, inform my readers and fellow food lovers. I am a freelance writer, journalist and published author focusing on the international world of food and drink, culture and travel. In 2019 I graduated from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy with a Masters in Food Culture, Communication and Marketing. I am now a visiting Professor at the university teaching Food & Drink Writing. Based in London I travel widely, particularly across western Europe. I have chaired many conferences and meetings, spoken at conferences and events and often appear on radio and TV talking most about food, the business of food and being an entrepreneur. In 2017 I won an episode of the ITV (the UK-based national television channel) cooking competition show, 'Gordon Ramsay's Culinary Genius'. I took my children on holiday to Sicily with the prize money. As an experienced farmers' market manager and operator of a small marmalade/ preserves company, I am very familiar with the issues surrounding local food, farming, enterprise and the environment.