Turkish sand coffee has been around since the 13th century. At the time it was introduced, it was classified as a drug. This meant that those who wanted a bit of a pick-me-uphad to drink it secretly. Eventually, people could not get enough of this thick, strong coffee, so it was made legal by the sultan.
On the streets of modern-day Turkey, Turkish sand coffee vendorsare plentiful. Each person selling it has a pan filled with sand that is heated over a flame. Groundcoffee beans and water are added to a small coppercup called a cezve. This cup is placed in the sand and heated until the coffee starts to bubble. Then it’s pulled out of the sand and left to cool down. This process is repeated three times, and then the coffee is poured into a smaller cup.
The coffee groundsare still in the coffee, so it has to sit for a minute until they sink to the bottom. Once people sip the coffee, they are instantly hooked on its bold and smokyflavors. It is then that they understand why coffee lovers from around the world have enjoyed Turkish sand coffee for so long.
