Sand coffee or Turkish coffee is a unique drink, from the method of brewing to serving and drinking. The special brewing process looks like an oriental fairy tale. When the precious liquid rises from the bottom of the cezve, an aroma fills the house with magic, and scenes from “A Thousand and One Nights” flash in your head. You will not know what true coffee is until you taste the rich, refined aroma of this drink prepared in the traditions of the East. Be careful, its intoxicating aroma causes voluntary addiction!
From the history of the oriental drink
Initially, in the Ottoman Empire, the strictest interpretation of the Koran forbade the brewing and consumption of strong coffee, since it was considered a drug. Later, the Sultan had to lift the ban due to the enormous popularity of this drink.
Coffee was banned in the Ottoman Empire
Sophisticated coffee lovers, one and all, talk about the magical properties of coffee prepared on sand. Allegedly, hot sand, unlike a gas flame, evenly heats the Turk, ensuring a harmonious exchange of coffee oils with water.
Indeed, the flame burns the bottom of the cezve, and then the heat rises slowly upward. By immersing the Turk in heated sand, you allow the heat to evenly embrace the vessel, resulting in strong coffee with a rich aroma.
It is served in traditional coffee cups with a lot of foam on top. The presence of coffee foam will not only add a certain charm to the drink, but will also tell you how well you have mastered the art of preparation.
Secrets of making Turkish coffee
Unlike the Western tradition, where coffee in the form of espresso or Americano is drunk in order to catch up with the fast-paced city life, in Istanbul - a multimillion-dollar metropolis - and in other Turkish cities, coffee is drunk in order to stop this bustle. A familiar Turkish picture: local men of respectable age sit at the kahvehane (cafe) on ordinary plastic chairs and leisurely sip aromatic drink from small cups. It is customary to drink only one small cup of coffee at a time - ordering a second one is considered bad manners.
Over the years, the only thing that has changed is the appearance of these men and the chairs - now they prefer to sit in plastic ones.
What does a Turk need to make coffee?
- brazier with sand
- manual coffee grinder made of brass or copper
- Arabica coffee beans
- spring clean water
- cezva, aka Turk
- sugar, salt, spices
A frying pan at home can be safely replaced with a deep cast-iron frying pan, which needs to be filled with quartz sand. But if you are going to drink oriental coffee all the time, then it makes sense to think about buying a special roaster. Sand in this case plays a very important role - it allows the Turk to heat up evenly and slowly, which has a very positive effect on the taste and aroma of the drink. Coffee made with sand is richer and more aromatic. Of course, in the absence of a fryer, you can cook on a regular gas stove over very low heat.
Ground coffee loses most of its flavoring and aromatic substances in 1-3 minutes. After an hour it is no longer worth brewing.
An automatic coffee grinder overheats the coffee and it loses much of its taste. But it’s better to have it than to buy already ground coffee - after grinding, it loses its flavor and aromatic substances literally in minutes. Traditional cezves are made of copper - it has the highest thermal conductivity (of the “available” metals, copper is second only to silver in thermal conductivity) and the water will heat up evenly. We wrote a separate article about choosing a Turk, which you will find here. The main thing is that it is not large, ideally for one serving, that is, no more than 100 ml.
Step by step to perfection
First you need to preheat the broiler. The coffee needs to be ground into dust - the finer the grind, the richer the drink will be. It is considered bad manners to cook two or three servings at once in a large cezve, so you should fill the cezve with water for one serving. Traditionally this is 60 ml, but if there is more Turk, then water must be poured to the narrowest part of the neck. Be sure to leave room for the foam to rise. It’s also not worth pouring less - all the aroma will go away. Now is the time to add the main ingredient. How many spoons of coffee should I put in the pot? In Turkey, add 6-7 grams (heaped teaspoon) per serving - 50-60 ml of water.
Then it's time to add salt, sugar and spices to taste. Salt is a natural flavor enhancer, a couple of grains is enough. Turks mostly drink coffee without sugar (sade). It is generally accepted that strong coffee (without sugar) is drunk by people with a strong character. Sweet coffee is called “orta”, and very sweet coffee is called “sekerli”. Suitable spices include: cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, etc.
One spoon of sugar is “orto”, for “sekerli” you need two.
After adding all the accompanying ingredients, the contents of the turk should be thoroughly mixed. Place the cezve on the fire or bury a little in the sand in a circular motion. When the mixture is heated for the first time, a light brown foam forms on its surface - köpük (kopük). This foam acts as a natural lid, holding essential oils. It is very important that the coffee does not boil until a thick layer begins to rise from the top. It needs to be carefully collected with a spoon and transferred to a cup (or cups if several servings are being prepared).
Turkish coffee is just one way to brew the Ethiopian drink. You will find the rest in this article.
Cooking equipment
Despite the fact that cooking on sand is not the best way to brew coffee for many, it is definitely worth a try on a lazy Sunday morning in order to confidently declare that you have experienced all the coffee mysteries. The bitter aroma spreading throughout the house will fill the day with vigor and new colors.
Gift marble set of coffee on sand PADISHAH
Online stores offer a wide range of ready-made kits for making coffee in the sand at home. As a rule, when purchasing such a kit, you get everything at once:
- platform heating apparatus with electric thermal elements;
- regulator and isolating devices;
- sand;
- cezve.
The cost ranges from 2,000 rubles to 50,000 and above, depending on functionality.
It’s convenient that, having chosen the appropriate kit, there is no need to think about where to get this or that component. Just install, plug in, add cleaned sand and prepare your next masterpiece.
As an alternative to ready-made kits, suppliers offer to purchase the necessary attributes separately. Let's say you have a Turk, but you only need sand and a roasting pan. This way you can save a decent amount. The main thing is to decide which brand of sand or type of fryer is right for you.
What does "coffee on the sand" mean?
To prepare the drink, traditional Turkish utensils are used - Turka, also known as cezve or ibrik - with a wide base and a narrow neck, ideally copper or similar alloys. Only instead of a stove, it is heated in a container with hot sand. It is either immersed almost up to the neck, or only shallowly heated at the bottom.
There is special equipment for making coffee on sand, but it is more often used in the professional sphere, although you can also take it for home if you like this particular drink. To just try, you can make do with improvised objects, and it will turn out no worse. Or you can give this set to a coffee lover you know.
There is a special quartz sand for coffee, which can be purchased in special coffee and tea stores, in departments for creativity, for aquariums, decor, and also on classifieds websites. Industrial enterprises sell large volumes, and you only need a little, especially since it is reusable.
How to cook with a frying pan and sand at home
Professional equipment is good, but if you plan to make Turkish coffee as an experiment or to surprise friends, then an expensive purchase is extremely illogical. Use a few tips and discover the talent of a coffee guru without additional investment.
Cooking at home
Although using sand to brew coffee is not a traditional method, you will have to try this option if you plan to respect national characteristics.
What we need:
- Frying pan with removable handle. Preferably without Teflon coating and with a thick bottom for uniform heating.
- Sand. Experts advise using fine-grained quartz, this ensures fast heating and uniform heat distribution. Well, this is not an axiom. You won't lose anything if you find regular river sand. The main thing is to sift and clean it first.
- Salt. A small amount of salt will need to be mixed with sand. This little secret will replace your purchase of expensive quartz sand and increase the heating temperature.
Special modern devices
The device is a special platform into which the finest quartz sand is poured. It connects to the mains and begins to gradually heat up. When the sand reaches the required temperature, a cezve with coffee is immersed in it. Using this device, preparing a drink takes only a few minutes.
When choosing any electrical equipment, you should pay attention to the manufacturer. In the case of this device, it is worth giving preference to Greek companies, which are the undisputed leaders among other well-known brands.
Equipment designed for brewing coffee on sand is quite expensive and is not always suitable for home use. There are special Dutch ovens for use on a gas or electric stove. Depending on the size, they can accommodate one or several Turks at the same time.
- In most cases, the standard set already includes a cezve and sand. If they are not included in the kit, you will have to choose yourself.
- As all coffee gourmets know, the best Turk is made of copper. It is best to choose this particular metal.
- The size depends solely on how many people you need to count on. Turkish coffee should be drunk immediately after preparation, so it is recommended to choose the minimum required volume.
- The sand should be as fine as possible. Quartz has high thermal conductivity and it is this crushed mineral that is used most often.
- You can experiment and take fine sea or river sand, having previously calcined it or treated it with steam. But you need to understand that it will heat up much more slowly.
You may be interested in Proper espresso - what to look for
How to serve
Served with water and sweets
In order to preserve the culture of drinking Turkish coffee, try not to neglect customs and pay special attention to serving. Be sure to properly prepare your coffee utensils. Warm special small cups by pouring boiling water over them, be sure to add a few spoons of thick coffee foam and only then pour the hot drink.
Coffee brewed on sand is always served with a glass of water and something sweet. This could be brown crushed sugar, chocolate or other oriental delicacies.
Cooking process
Take a roasting pan and add sand.
Place the frying pan on the heat and wait until the entire ball of sand is completely heated. Stir it occasionally.
Take a cezve, add one to three teaspoons of coffee powder and pour 50 to 100 ml of cold, even ice-cold, water. If desired, at this stage of cooking you can add a few grains of salt or your favorite spices.
Dip the Turk into the sand as deeply as possible without reaching the bottom of the pan.
Brew the coffee (usually this takes about three minutes). As soon as you see that the foam begins to rise, remove the Turk. After a few seconds, return it to its place. Repeat this procedure three times. Carefully! The coffee will already begin to smell very fragrant, so control yourself and don’t lose hope of finishing it J
Pour boiling water over a coffee cup (to warm it up) and drain.
Carefully transfer the thick foam from the cezve into a cup. And now the most difficult part: you need to pour the coffee into the cup so that the foam rises to the top. To do this, slowly pour the liquid over the sides of the cup.
You can add 1 tsp to the finished coffee. cognac or whipped cream.
What is the best coffee to use?
Where to buy sand for Turkish coffee
This is a consumable item, and you usually receive the first pack when you buy equipment or a kit. Most often, on the same website or in the same store, you can additionally buy sand for making coffee. It is better to have a package in reserve; there is always a risk of spilling or spilling it. Moreover, you will definitely need it anyway. You don’t need to change it very often; you yourself will understand when it changes its appearance.
Manufacturers recommend using quartz sand for coffee; it is cleaned and sifted, homogeneous, does not clump or cake.
If for some reason you don’t have the “correct” sand at hand, you can use regular river or sea sand, or even construction sand, just at a minimum, sift it, or better yet, calcinate it. After all, Eastern peoples have been cooking with ordinary sand for centuries, and no one has cleaned it.
You will not spoil even professional devices and equipment with sifted sand. There is only a risk of scratching the surface of the roasting pan with pebbles or shells, which is why cleaning is necessary.
Recipes for making an oriental drink on the sand
We discussed the classic recipe, or rather the cooking features, above. Now we propose to consider the interpretations of such a drink.
The variety of oriental coffee recipes is amazing. Moreover, every coffee lover strives to add his own twist to the recipe. For example, you can give the drink a more expressive accent of the East. As one of the options, with the addition of cocoa and cinnamon. Ingredients you will need:
- freshly ground coffee beans – 10 grams;
- cinnamon – 1 stick;
- cold water – 100 ml;
- cognac – 1 teaspoon;
- cocoa powder – 5 grams;
- sugar – 1 teaspoon.
Be sure to read: How to make milk foam for coffee
The cooking algorithm is simple:
- While the sand platform or frying pan is heating up, mix freshly ground grains, cocoa, and crushed cinnamon.
- We brew the drink according to the classical scheme: boil 2-3 times until the foam rises.
- Carefully pour the drink into a preheated cup and add sugar and cognac.
The result is very tasty, invigorating and amazingly aromatic coffee.
Another recipe:
- crushed coffee beans – 8 grams;
- purified water – 100 ml;
- black pepper – 1 pinch;
- sugar – 2 tsp;
- cream - to taste.
Let's move on to cooking:
- Heat up the frying pan or put sand in a frying pan to warm up.
- Pour crushed grains and sugar into a Turk and heat them in the device.
- Add pepper and hot water to dry ingredients. We brew the drink according to the traditional recipe, lowering the foam cap 2-3 times.
- Whip the cream until thick and decorate the finished drink with it.
You can add various herbs and spices - here you can focus on your taste and preference. The following spices would fit perfectly into an oriental coffee recipe:
- cardamom;
- ginger;
- cinnamon;
- saffron;
- carnation.
