Boiled Coffees

Published Oct. 15, 2009 at 8:51 p.m.
In many parts of the world, coffee is boiled rather than brewed. After boiling, it is often filtered roughly or not filtered at all. Many of these traditions are very ancient customs that are reflected in current coffee habits. Two such customs are Turkish coffee and the Ethiopian coffee ceremony. I've recently written on both.

"Turkish coffee" is a sort of umbrella term for boiled coffees made in Turkey, the Balkans and surrounding areas. It dates back to very early coffee consumption, so there are variations from region to region. These variations include when or if sugar is added, whether or not the coffee grounds are stirred into the boiling water and how many times the concoction is brought to a boil. Beyond these differences in techniques, there are also drastic differences in flavor based on whether or not spices are added. If you're interested in exploring this side of boiled coffees, check out my new recipe for Spiced Turkish Coffee.

Similarly, the Ethiopian coffee ceremony is both an ancient ritual and a way of consuming coffee on a frequent basis. It involves boiling the coffee only once, but there are many steps to the ritual before and after the boiling, as the ritual begins with raw, unwashed beans and ends with the serving of individual cups of coffee. To learn more about the significance of, steps in and variations on this ritual, read my new article on the Ethiopian coffee ceremony.

Photo (c) Lindsey Goodwin

Boiled Coffees originally appeared on About.com Coffee / Tea on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 01:51:17.

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