Sand coffee or Turkish coffee is a drink listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, but despite its big name, you can make it quite easily at home. Making coffee on sand is a whole ritual, a bit of a sacred act, and yet everything is so simple that anyone can do it (in a sense, more convenient than on a stove). We'll tell you what's so special about this drink and how to make sand coffee at home.
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.
Turkish coffee cups
The classic container for drinking coffee is small cups made of Turkish porcelain. Making coffee is a whole ritual for the Turkish people, and beautiful cups are part of this ritual. They are produced in such a way that they retain heat well during leisurely consumption of the drink.
The culture of appreciating coffee contributes to the development of a system of artistic crafts for the manufacture of tools, utensils and utensils for dispensing the drink.
Coffee mugs, trays, paints, portable coffee grinders, boilers, coffee pots, etc. have special artistic value and contribute to the creation of unique products. Offering coffee in exquisite cups is the Ottomans' way of honoring the dignity of those who love coffee.
The Ottoman Empire had a famous proverb, “The memory of a cup of coffee lasts 40 years,” understood as a precious moment where enjoying a cup of coffee with friends will be remembered for a lifetime. This proverb expresses the importance and depth in the Ottoman and modern Turkish culture of hospitality and friendship through coffee.
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.
Inventory selection
Now let's talk more about inventory. If we start with the Turks, then there are several wishes for her:
- The metal is better to choose copper. It is healthier, more durable, and has antibacterial properties. The thicker the walls, the more expensive the cezve will cost.
- The neck should be narrower than the base to form a foam plug, which prevents the coffee aroma from escaping. The narrower the neck, the better the container. It is not for nothing that in ancient times tall and very wide jugs with a very narrow watering can were used for cooking.
- The handle should be made of wood to avoid burns.
What to choose: a purchased device or make sand tiles yourself. It’s quicker to buy, and making your own sandbox according to your own design is more fun and enjoyable.
Video: How coffee is prepared on sand in Turkey
at least 5 cm, is best suited for a coffee sandbox The diameter depends on how many servings you plan to cook at the same time. It is better to select the cezve after the sand container is ready. Its handle should be directed upward so as not to catch the walls of the saucepan.
If the cezve is small, designed for 1 serving , an ordinary frying pan into which you can pour sand will do. It will fit as much as is needed to deepen the Turk halfway.
The greatest attention should be paid to the sand for the coffee Turk. It must be quartz, otherwise the cooking process will take a long time.
Properties of quartz sand:
- It is not afraid of temperature changes, so it lasts a long time.
- High levels of refractoriness - if you accidentally leave the sandbox on the stove, nothing will happen to it.
- Does not enter into a chemical reaction with materials - cast iron, iron.
- Fine-grained and dusty quartz sand fits tightly to the dishes without forming air gaps, so it heats up quickly and gives off heat for a long time.
- It does not emit harmful substances when heated, as it is a monomineral. White quartz 99% pure mineral. According to GOST, the content of quartz oxide is allowed at 95%.
Where to get sand for a home coffee sandbox:
- In companies involved in mineral extraction.
- From companies that sell equipment for coffee shops (more expensive).
- At the glass factory, high-quality purified raw materials are used.
If there are deposits of this mineral nearby, you can dig it yourself. The problem will arise if the factions are too large.
It is recommended to have a permanent container for sand so as not to have to pour it into a bag or bag every time. In addition, you must first wait until it cools down.
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.
Recipe for making coffee on sand
It is not difficult to prepare this drink at home; the process is not much different from cooking over an open fire.
- First of all, you need to select coffee beans and grind them thoroughly. The grind should be as fine as possible, more reminiscent of dust. This results in the formation of excellent foam and eliminates the appearance of excess grounds.
- Place sand in the roasting pan and start heating it.
- Pour ground coffee into a pot and add cold boiled water.
- When the sand warms up, bury the cezve in it as deeply as possible.
- Leave the Turk to warm up without moving it on the sand. You can carefully move the bulk mixture towards its walls.
- When the foam begins to rise, you need to remove the cezve and wait for the drink to settle. Then immerse it in the sand again and heat until the foam rises. This needs to be done two or three times.
- Pour into coffee cups and the drink is ready.
The whole procedure not only guarantees a unique taste of coffee, but also looks very impressive in itself. When purchasing such equipment for your home, you should be prepared for the appearance of curious spectators.
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.
Various Turkish coffee recipes
Coffee with cinnamon
Ingredients for Turkish coffee with spices:
- water 150 ml;
- ground coffee 1.5 tablespoons;
- a pinch of cinnamon;
- sugar 1⁄4 teaspoon.
Cooking method:
Add a mixture of sugar and cinnamon to the Turk and heat it, putting it on low heat.
Heat for a few seconds and add ground coffee and water. Heat the coffee maker over low heat until foam forms.
At the end of the process, the drink is poured into cups.
coffee set
Spiced coffee recipe
Turkish coffee can be prepared with the addition of various spices.
Ingredients:
- 10 g ground beans
- 150 ml water
- 10 g sugar
- 5 g cinnamon
- 5 g vanilla
- 1 clove bud
- 1 cardamom pod.
Cooking method
Warm up the cezve, pour in the prepared spicy mixture, and after a few seconds add coffee beans. Add water, cook over low heat.
silver coffee set
Recipe with red or black pepper
To enhance the effect of caffeine, add a little red or black pepper to Turkish coffee.
Ingredients:
- ground grains
- pepper 2g
- salt 3 g
- water 100 ml
- butter 5 g
Cooking method
Pour a mixture of pepper and salt into the Turk, heat it, add water, add ground grains. After the first rise of foam, you need to add butter and let the drink boil again.
Recipe with orange juice
The combination of strong coffee with orange juice in the recipe gives new sensations. This is a refreshing cocktail with an unusual recipe.
Ingredients:
- Finely ground grain - 1 teaspoon;
- Freshly squeezed orange juice - half a glass;
- Sugar to taste.
Cooking method
As you probably noticed, this is a fruit-coffee drink without water. First you need to warm up the cezve, add ground grains, add orange juice, add sugar to taste. Cook over low heat. Orange juice can be replaced with lemon juice.
coffee on the sand
Recipe with garlic and honey
Turkish coffee with garlic and honey is an unusual recipe. When preparing, it is important to correctly observe all proportions and sequence of actions.
Ingredients:
- Finely ground grain - 1 teaspoon;
- garlic - half 1 clove
- honey - 5 g
- sugar and cinnamon to taste
Cooking method
Cut the garlic into small pieces and mix with ground grains. Place the mixture in a pot and add hot water. Cook in the traditional way. Pour the finished drink into a cup, add honey, sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top.
The drink cannot be stirred - everything must dissolve on its own. Garlic combined with honey makes Turkish coffee incredibly tasty and aromatic.
coffee on the sand
Summer Turkish coffee
Prepare Turkish coffee according to this recipe and get a wonderful invigorating drink with ice.
Ingredients:
- Milk - half a cup;
- Heavy cream – 10 ml;
- Cardamom – 3 pcs;
- Brewed coffee - half a cup;
- Several ice cubes;
- Sugar to taste.
East is a delicate matter
Considering the human tendency to always improve everything, such authenticity is a rarity, especially when it comes to food and drinks.
The very phrase “coffee on sand” can mislead a person who has never seen how a drink is prepared in this way. So, this does not mean at all that whole or ground coffee beans are covered with fine grains of sand. This means that golden sand crystals are used to uniformly heat the cezve. When brewing coffee in a Turk on the stove, it is very difficult to ensure uniform heating of the container. Whereas coffee on sand means that the cezve is heated from both the bottom and the sides.
Coffee prepared on sand differs from coffee prepared in a Turk on a stove in both a richer taste and a richer aroma..
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