The World's Oldest Coffee Brewing Method Dates Back To The 16th Century

If you search the shelves of your favorite grocery store, you will see coffee originating from all manner of places around the world. Guatemala, Ethiopia, and Costa Rica — just to name a few — are all known for cultivating outstanding coffee. So, why isn't Turkey on the list when Turkish coffee is so famous? The reason is that Turkish coffee is a type of coffee made using a centuries-old brewing method, not a particular variety of coffee bean.

This beverage is so steeped in Turkish culture that it was added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013. True to the honor, Turkey's method for brewing this strong coffee has been around for centuries and borders on ritual. Turkish coffee as we know it become especially popular in the 16th century in the Ottoman Empire capital of Istanbul and beyond.

You need the right equipment to brew Turkish coffee the traditional way. First, the coffee beans are ground as finely as possible. The coffee, along with water and sugar, is then put into a long-handled, slim pot called a cezve or ibrik, which is just one way to make coffee without a coffee maker. The vessel is then set on hot sand. When the water boils, a foam forms on the top. This first foam is discarded and the cezve is put back on the heat to foam for a second time. The coffee inside is poured into small two to three-ounce cups and is ready to be enjoyed — we suggest the pro tip of sipping it like fine wine. And, yes, the sediment at the bottom of the cup is expected and generally harmless, though most people avoid ingesting it.

By the 17th century in the Ottoman Empire and Istanbul in particular, hundreds of coffee houses gave men — yes, women were largely barred from the premises — an opportunity to discuss politics, gossip, and tell stories. The impact of coffee houses became so great that Ottoman officials shut them down whenever unrest was potentially brewing. The coffee house has long been subject to suspicion, from its debut in 17th-century England, to its part in the French Revolution, to its role in the America's 20th century counterculture

Obviously, coffee culture was incredibly important then, and its significance continues today. For instance, in Turkey, brewing an especially good cup of coffee can be a test for a potential bride ... or she might brew an unpleasantly salty cup just to see if her fiancé is dedicated enough to drink it anyway. Osman Serim, a board member of the Turkish Coffee Culture and Research Association, thinks the future of Turkish coffee is as solid as its past, citing its popularity among young people (via UNESCO).

Since Turkish coffee is unfiltered, leftover fine coffee grounds in the bottom of the cup give drinkers a unique opportunity to uncover their destiny. Similar to reading tea leaves to reveal the future, Turkish coffee drinkers may read the unique pattern of grounds in the cup for fortune-telling purposes.