Turkish Coffee: How It's Made, Served and Read (2026)

Turkish coffee (Türk kahvesi, turk kahvesi) is very finely ground coffee simmered slowly with water, and sugar if wanted, in a small pot called a cezve, then poured unfiltered into a small cup with its foam and grounds.

It is served with a glass of water and often a piece of Turkish delight, sipped slowly, and the grounds left in the cup are traditionally used to tell fortunes. UNESCO added Turkish coffee culture and tradition to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013.

Quick facts

• Turkish name & pronunciation: Türk kahvesi — "turk kah-veh-SEE"
• Type: Unfiltered brewed coffee
• Alcoholic? No
• Served: Hot, in small cups (fincan), with a glass of water
• Main ingredients: Arabica coffee ground to a fine powder, cold water, optional sugar
• Where it's from: Ottoman Istanbul, from the 16th century onwards
• Halal? Yes
• When people drink it: After meals, mid-morning or afternoon, with guests, and at traditional engagement visits

What it is

The coffee is ground finer than espresso, almost like flour. It goes into a long-handled pot, the cezve, with cold water and sugar, and heats slowly until a thick foam (köpük) rises. The cook pours a little foam into each cup, returns the pot to the heat, then fills the cups.

Because nothing is filtered, the grounds settle to the bottom of the cup. You drink the top and stop when you reach the sludge. The foam is the mark of a good cup; flat, foamless coffee means it was rushed or boiled.

UNESCO's listing describes the tradition as a symbol of hospitality and friendship. It notes the cup of water served alongside, the role of the coffeehouse as a place to talk and read, and the custom of reading fortunes from the grounds. In late 2025, Turkish media also reported that the EU had registered "Türk kahvesi" as a traditional product name, following an application by Turkey's chambers union, TOBB.

How to order it

Sugar goes in during brewing, not afterwards, so you must say how sweet you want it when you order.

• Sade = plain, no sugar
• Az şekerli = a little sugar
• Orta or orta şekerli = medium sugar
• Şekerli = sweet
• Bir Türk kahvesi, orta lütfen = one Turkish coffee, medium, please
• Duble = a double-size cup, offered in some cafés
• Sütlü Türk kahvesi = made with milk, a modern variation

Drink the water first to clear your palate. A square of lokum or a chocolate often comes on the saucer. Don't stir or drink to the bottom.

You will also see közde kahve, cooked in a cezve pushed into hot sand or embers, and regional coffees such as menengiç (from terebinth berries) and dibek kahvesi (stone-ground), which are not technically Turkish coffee but sit on the same menus.

Reading the cup (fal)

Coffee-cup fortune telling, kahve falı, is a social game more than a belief for most people. When you finish, put the saucer on top of the cup, make a wish, swirl it, and turn it upside down. Wait until it cools.

The reader then interprets shapes in the grounds: a road, a bird, a ring, a face. Friends read each other's cups; some cafés have a resident reader. Treat it as entertainment.

Where to drink it in Istanbul

• Eminönü: Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi, a family coffee business producing since 1871 and based in Eminönü, sells freshly ground coffee to take home.
• Old city cafés: Traditional coffeehouses around the Grand Bazaar and Sultanahmet serve it in classic copper or porcelain sets.
• Anywhere: Almost every restaurant, lokanta and café makes Turkish coffee. Quality varies, so look for foam.

Turkish coffee is cheap in ordinary cafés and more expensive at tourist spots or with a view. See the community price threads.

FAQ

Is Turkish coffee strong?

It tastes intense because it is unfiltered and concentrated, but a small cup has roughly the caffeine of a single espresso or a little more.

Do you drink the grounds?

No. Stop when you feel the grounds at the bottom. A thick sludge stays in the cup.

What is the difference between Turkish and Greek coffee?

The method is essentially the same. The name differs by country, and roast and grind preferences vary; see our comparison page.

Can I make it at home?

Yes, with a cezve, very finely ground coffee and a low flame. Use about one heaped teaspoon per small cup and take it off the heat as the foam rises.

When is Turkish coffee drunk?

Mostly after a meal or with guests in the afternoon, rarely first thing in the morning, when Turks usually drink tea.

Related

• Turkish coffee vs Greek coffee
• Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi
• Coffee in Istanbul
• Turkish delight (lokum) guide
• Turkish tea (çay) guide

Sources

• UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, "Turkish coffee culture and tradition" (inscribed 2013, Decision 8.COM 8.28): https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/turkish-coffee-culture-and-tradition-00645
• Habertürk / Anadolu Ajansı, "Türk kahvesi Avrupa Birliği'nde geleneksel ürün adı olarak tescillendi" (November 2025): https://www.haberturk.com/turk-kahvesi-avrupa-birliginde-geleneksel-urun-adi-olarak-tescillendi-3835533
• Ekonomist, "Türk kahvesi Türkiye için bir ilk oldu" (November 2025): https://www.ekonomist.com.tr/gida/turk-kahvesi-turkiye-icin-bir-ilk-oldu-67269
• Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi, "About us": https://mehmetefendi.com/eng/about-us

Last checked: November 2026.