Hot stuff

Turkish coffee refers not to a specific coffee bean or flavor per say, but a method of making coffee were the finely ground beans are left to settle in the bottom of the cup (you‘re not supposed to eat them). Here has been my experience ordering khave sade (plain coffee).

1.    It is served extremely hot with a nice layer of foam on top. You have to give it awhile to cool down.

2.    The serving size is very small (~2oz) and comes on a saucer, with a piece of chocolate and a small shot or glass of water. The water is said to clear the mouth of the strong taste. I use it to rinse the coffee grinds from between by teeth because I am an idiot and try to drink every last drop. 

3.    I was told you dip your finger in the water and put a drop of it in the coffee to help the grounds settle out before drinking. 

4.    Slowly sip your khave sade, stopping when you can no longer drink without taking in grounds.

·      They have Starbucks and Caribou Coffee here, but I haven't seen anyone walking around town or on the bus with their mug of coffee. It seems like it's something you drink on premise.

·      Coffee shops usually have all the typical drinks you would see at home (exception no pumpkin spice latte (shame)) plus the Turkish coffee variants.

·      Outdoor patio coffee/pastry places line the streets and they are always well populated late at night. The weather is always perfect for grabbing a coffee with friends, in fact a lot of younger/middle aged people sit and enjoy there warm drinks for what seems to me a long time, conversing late into the evening. We always have to ask for our bill.

·      Most coffee houses have fleece blankets for customers during the night and you see quite a few people donning them as they sip there coffee and say things I do not understand. So fucking cozy!

·      It isn't to uncommon to have a cup of coffee at the bar after the 1st bar (or 3rd bar in our case usually). Said to be a hangover cure. 

Late night coffee. Each came with a bar of chocolate or a CHOCOLATE SPOON! Can you see the thick foam on the top?

Water to cleanse the palette. 

A cup of coffee at university after analyzing topo maps in Turkish for 2 hours. 

Tea (Cay, pronounced chai) is also very popular and is usually served after semi-formal meals or offered to guests.  It is a type of black tea and just like coffee served really hot! In the busy city center you see guys hustling down the street delivering platers of this liquid amber to costumers. 

Tea before our board meeting. Never really thought much of it back home, but add a sugar cube to this stuff and it is great. Also usually served with a lemon slice.

Tea after dinner. Mostly served in these hourglass shaped glasses on a plater that makes you feel so sophisticated and cultured. 

No chai or Turkish coffee, but it was hot stuff. Flaming shot of absinthe.