How to Make Turkish Coffee, the Thicker Picker Upper

Cardamom pods are useful to have in pantry for a number of dishes, as well as this unique and flavorful coffee preparation. “We use one pod, remove the shell, grind it with a pestle, and then add the ground cardamom to the coffee as it is heating up,” says Aharon.

Muddle one pod to release the seeds inside. Other preparations incorporate mastic, ambergris, or salep, all flavor components.

Combine the muddled cardamom with ground coffee. Compared with the typical home grind, Turkish coffee requires an almost powder-like grind size. Arabica varietals are the preferred blend but robusto can work in a pinch. You won’t achieve this using your typical blade grinder, but conical burr machines or other espresso equipment should be able to reach the desired fineness. Or visit a speciality shop like Aharon’s to purchase in bulk or in single-use packets like the ones shown here.

“Add room temp water,” says Aharon. “The type of water used makes a big difference in resulting flavor—use only good quality water, not tap and not high alkaline. We use 1:10 ratio, 1 gram of coffee to every 10 grams of water. In this picture we used 10 grams of coffee and 100 grams of water.”

“Babysit your brew,” says Aharon. “Watch the pot so that the water heats up enough to brew the coffee, but not boil it.” A dedicated burner and stand add to the experience but a stovetop will suffice.

Cezve, in Turkish, can also be called ibrik in other cultures.

They key to a good pour is making sure the grounds stay behind in the cezve. “As soon as the coffee crema appears—curling over from the sides of the pot and folding over itself into the middle—remove the pot immediately from the flame and pour it into your cup,” says Aharon.

Done right, your preparation should “deliver an exquisite richness,” says Aharon.