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Turkish coffee is prepared by boiling the grounds (and sugar / spices as desired) in an ibrik three, sometimes four times. On each boil, you bring the coffee just to a boil, and then remove it from the heat for a short time before boiling it again.

What I can not find, anywhere, is a reference to the actual serving temperature; all I have found on the matter is 'hot'.

I know that it's served hotter than espresso, but (in efforts to try and prepare some to sample that is close to authentic) how hot is 'hot', precisely? I've found mentions that cold water is often served with the coffee to help cleanse the pallet, but not as a means to sooth a singed tongue.

I do realize that I can serve it as hot or as cold as I'd like, but I'd like to try it prepared the traditional way (or, how one would expect it to be served at a restaurant).

Tim Post
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  • I suspect the 'traditional way' is however the person drinking it likes it. There's unlikely to be a 'rule' for something as subjective as how one likes their coffee. – ElendilTheTall May 06 '14 at 14:49
  • @ElendilTheTall Clarified and narrowed it down a bit, I did end that a bit 'soft'. Thanks! – Tim Post May 06 '14 at 15:34

1 Answers1

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The temperature at the time of serving doesn't matter.

The Ottomans knew how to enjoy life. Coffee was served on social occasions, which happened at a slow pace in that part of the world. The ottoman effendi would spend hours sitting there, smoking a nargileh, endlessly turning the beads of a rosary, and taking a sip of coffee now and then. Even though it is served in tiny cups (which don't hold as many sips as your typical US mug), it would cool down considerably until it was drunk.

Note that hot food is a cultural tradition typical of Western cuisine. Being hot is not a quality attribute of food in Turkish cuisine in general, many dishes are eaten at room temperature. Coffee is still preferred to be hot, but this requirement is viewed with a much more relaxed attitude than in the West. If the coffee has gotten cold, it is still considered good enough to be drunk to the end. Or rather to the sludge, you don't drink Turkish coffee to the end.

rumtscho
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