After 500 years, Turkish coffee percolates in popularity
On the brink of oblivion about a decade ago, Turkey’s ancient coffee culture is revived by a vibrant new generation of entrepreneurs and young consumers.
Technology often destroys tradition. For Turkish coffee, though, it seems to have worked the other way around. Coming back from the brink of oblivion, a five-century-old culture has taken on a new life, driven by the long-overdue arrival of Turkish coffee machines and a new generation of coffee-savvy young urbanites.
In the chronicles of coffee, Ottomans take credit for introducing the great stimulating drink to Europe in the 17th century. By that time, coffeehouses — arguably the first centers of public opinion — were thriving in Istanbul, unnerving the Sublime Porte. Ottomans of all walks of life mingled in the coffeehouses, discussing anything from religion to politics, long before the Parisian cafes became the meeting point of writers and revolutionaries. In the 20th century, however, coffee was overtaken by tea as prices soared, and Turks became the world’s top tea drinkers.
About a decade ago, coffee enthusiasts were so alarmed over the fate of Turkish coffee that an association was born to revive and promote the beverage. International coffee chains were storming in, threatening a deadly blow. Turkish coffee was already in a steep decline on the eatery scene, as its arduous brewing method led restaurants — and many households — to adopt instant coffee. But voila! The fears did not materialize.
“Two parameters proved crucial,” Osman Serim, a gastronomy guru and board member of the Turkish Coffee Culture and Research Association, told Al-Monitor. “First, modern, high-performance Turkish coffee machines were manufactured ... Second, the global revival of coffee triggered Turkish coffee’s own renaissance. And, in one very decisive factor, young people embraced Turkish coffee.”
