Turkish mocha has a close connection to global coffee history. Turkish mocha coffee originated in the Ottoman Empire around the 16th century . At that time, coffee was still considered a drug. As a result, the consumption of Turkish mocha was strictly forbidden according to the rules of the Koran . But when Turkish mocha reached the common people, the Sultan lifted the ban on consumption . Turkish mocha coffee celebrated its breakthrough in the Ottoman Empire and enjoyed growing popularity. Coffee quickly spread and eventually reached Europe via the Balkan states .
Turkish Mocha Coffee – What is it anyway?
Turkish mocha consists of finely ground beans that are cooked in a so-called cezve . Cezve is a Turkish word for the pot in which Turkish mocha coffee is cooked. Originally this word was adapted from the Arabic language. The cezve is also known as ibrik coffee. Traditionally these pots with the typical long handle are made of brass or copper. There are also more elegant examples made of silver and gold. For some time now, ibrik pots have also been available in steel, aluminum and ceramic versions. Turkish mocha (cevze) and Greek mocha (ibrik) are essentially the same or a similar preparation method. However, you should not confuse them in the respective countries. Each country is very proud of its preparation method and using the wrong name could potentially lead to conflict. So be careful!
This is how it is prepared!
If you want to make Turkish mocha, you first need finely ground coffee. This is mixed with water in the typical cevze pot and then boiled together. When the coffee starts to foam and is almost boiling over, the pot with the Turkish mocha is taken off the stove or heat source. Traditionally, Turkish mocha coffee is refined with oriental spices such as cardamom and served. Turkish mocha is typically enjoyed with Turkish lokum . This typical Turkish sweet is made from syrup and starch. This creates small jelly-like cubes that are often refined with nuts. But now back to Turkish mocha! The end result is usually unfiltered and contains the remaining coffee grounds that settle at the bottom of the drinking vessel. In the area of specialty coffee, however, Turkish mocha is also often filtered. There are many different variations and preparation styles of both Turkish mocha (Cevze) and Greek mocha (Ibrik). Due to the variety and long tradition, it is celebrated worldwide as one of the oldest preparation methods.
Traditional preparation, unique taste
When Turkish mocha coffee is prepared , the suspended particles and oils remain in the cup profile . The extremely fine grind of the coffee gives the end result a creamy consistency. Typical of Turkish mocha is the addition of sugar, which is usually added to the coffee-water mixture during cooking. The finely ground coffee is extracted directly in the water. This gives it a particularly intense flavor! The addition of spices such as cardamom gives Turkish mocha additional interesting flavors that we are not familiar with. Basically, Turkish mocha coffee offers a completely new taste experience that you have probably never experienced before. Compare the cup profile with a typical specialty coffee preparation method? Better not, because both the preparation of the mocha and the taste itself are very unique and cannot be compared to the classic methods that we know from Europe and around the world.
Which roast for Turkish mocha coffee?
Turkish mocha is usually made from strongly roasted beans . The beans were originally called mocha - but they were exclusively those that were cultivated in Ethiopia and Yemen. The name comes from the Yemeni city of Al Mukah, from which the coffee beans were shipped globally at the time. However, you can also prepare tasty Turkish mocha with our exquisite espresso roasts . We recommend using our 100% Arabica blends such as the Bergsonne Espresso or the Hausespresso . These give your Turkish mocha a full-bodied, strong cup profile with tasty caramel and nut notes. By the way, you can also prepare the Turkish mocha without any sugar. You can then expect a much stronger coffee experience with plenty of body, which is clearly different from espresso.
Nothing for weak nerves!
In our two blog posts Espresso Caffeine and Coffee Caffeine Content we have already dealt with the myths surrounding the strongest coffee preparations in terms of caffeine content. However, we have only included the typical preparations that we typically drink in Europe. Turkish mocha, on the other hand, is an incredibly strong coffee drink. A 50ml cup of Turkish mocha contains a whopping 130mg of caffeine! This is simply because the beans are ground very finely for preparation and the coffee in the typical pot has a long time to release the caffeine from the powder when boiling.
Step-by-step instructions - it's guaranteed to work!
To prepare a Turkish mocha coffee you need the following: Cevze or Ibrik pot, finely ground espresso (e.g. the house espresso) grind even finer than with the portafilter, an espresso cup and water!
- Pour water into the cevze pot, you can measure the water in your cup. If you want to drink the Turkish mocha sweet, you can add some sugar to the water.
- Prepare the cups now, as the coffee should be poured into cups immediately after preparation.
- Heat the water until the first bubbles appear. Important! The water should not boil yet!
- Reduce the heat on the stove so that the water does not boil over.
- Put a heaped teaspoon of ground coffee into the cevze. As a guideline, you can use one heaped teaspoon per cup.
- Stir the ground coffee into the water and slowly bring the mixture to the boil.
- Watch the Turkish mocha coffee carefully so that it doesn't boil over. Otherwise it will no longer be drinkable and will taste very bitter.
- As soon as foam forms and rises up the side of the pot, the Turkish mocha coffee is ready.
- Distribute the foam into the cup(s) and then pour the remaining coffee into the cup(s).
- It is best to enjoy the coffee together with the traditional Turkish sweet “Lokum”.
WILD COFFEE PRO TIP: After preparing your Turkish mocha, pour it through a hand filter again. This way, the end result will taste even more nuanced and the slightly annoying, fine coffee grounds will also be filtered out!
Conclusion
Turkish mocha is a preparation method that has a centuries-old tradition. It is, so to speak , the original form of coffee preparation , which also ensured that coffee found its way to Europe via the Balkan states. You already know the success story! Coffee became popular around the world and continued to develop. Turkish mocha is prepared in what is known as a cevze. A pot with a long handle that is placed directly on the stovetop or hotplate. In this pot, the finely ground coffee is boiled together with water and, if necessary, sugar. The end result is very strong. You can expect a full-bodied, strong cup profile with fine notes of your chosen espresso. We recommend using our dark roasts, preferably 100% Arabica such as our house espresso or the Bergsonne espresso. If you serve it with traditional Turkish lokum, you can easily take a tasty oriental coffee journey at home. However, you should ignore the typical coffee enjoyment that we now know from specialty coffee and the like, because Turkish mocha coffee is just like its centuries-old history - unique. This is also reflected in the taste. We hope you have fun trying it out and #staywild .
