How To Get Crema On Turkish Coffee

There’s an old Turkish proverb that goes like this:

‘Coffee should be black as hell, strong as death and sweet as love.’

And I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say that authentic Turkish coffee completely embodies this.

It’s a dense, aromatic drink prepared with sugar and milk that has a uniquely deep flavor. I for one love it and cannot get enough of it!

What’s more, Turkish coffee is perhaps one of the strongest coffees ever, surpassing even espresso with its bold flavor. The best part about it of course is the foamy, frothy layer that settles on top of the coffee.

Turkish coffee also has a rather unusual preparation method involving a tall and skinny pot called a cezve. Coffee grounds so fine they feel like flour are mixed into water, milk and sugar and heated to a boil.

This is done three times to ensure the best texture.

Anyway, after hearing about Turkish coffee for the first time, I knew I had to get my hands on some.

My local coffee shops didn’t sell it and since I couldn’t just pack up and head over to Turkey, I resorted to brewing it myself.

It took a bit of practice, but I got the hang of this ancient brewing style quickly and I’m pretty confident you can too.

With that said, let me take a quick minute to answer the topic of today’s article…

How To Get Crema On Turkish Coffee – Can It Be Done?

First off, Turkish coffee produces a foam top layer that’s often mistaken for crema.

True crema can only be achieved through espresso because the water is forced through the coffee grinds. This results in a white layer that is often mistaken for cream.

Although it isn’t a true crema, Turkish coffee’s foam layer is just as good, if not better. The foam of a Turkish coffee is formed by repeatedly heating the coffee up to a boil and then removing it from heat. This process is usually repeated 3 times to achieve a good foam.

Also, it’s important to never let the coffee boil over.

This ruins the foam and is irreversible.

Did you know?

Turkish coffee was originally heated using its country’s hot sands. People would brew coffee this way for up to half an hour to create the perfect beverage!

While some still use the sand to heat their coffee, many of us simply do not have the time (or the sand) for that.

Moving on…

How Do You Get Good Foam On Turkish Coffee?

Getting a good foam on your Turkish coffee can often be challenging because there are so many variables that can prevent the coffee from collecting enough foam.

I will walk you through each possible mistake in order:

1. The first reason you may not be getting foam on your Turkish coffee could be because of the beans you’re using. Low quality coffee beans will not produce foam.

Similarly, stale coffee will not produce foam either. To maximize the foam output of your Turkish coffee, it is best to grind the beans yourself.

Many standard coffee grinders don’t have the capacity to grind coffee small enough because Turkish coffee requires a very fine, flour-like powder.

And while most folks use a coffee grinder that was made specifically to grind Turkish coffee, many have found luck using the finest settings on their standard machines.

2. The next reason you may not be achieving enough foam is the order in which you add the ingredients.

Water should always be added first to prevent coffee from sticking to the pot. It’s also helpful to add sugar before turning on the heat.

This is because sugar helps form a soft layer on top of the coffee for the foam to collect on.

3. It may be hard to resist, but do not stir Turkish coffee while it is brewing. Continuous stirring will ruin the coffee.

The foam layer Turkish coffee is known for will only be able to form as the heated coffee rises to the top of the pot and stirring disrupts this process.

4. The final reason your Turkish coffee may not be forming a foam layer is because it is being boiled. Boiled coffee smells awful and should be avoided at all costs.

This is especially true for Turkish coffee because once it is boiled, the damage is irreversible and all foam is lost!

The coffee should be heated until just before it reaches its boiling point. Then the heat should be turned down to prevent the coffee from actually boiling.

As mentioned earlier on in this article, the process is repeated three times to obtain the maximum amount of foam.

For an extra tip, try scooping the foam into each serving cup just as the pot reaches boiling point. This will allow more foam to form because there is more room.

In Conclusion…

Turkish coffee is a fantastic drink that combines the wisdom of centuries and the heart of a true coffee connoisseur. It is rich, creamy, thick and strong.

And although its brewing methods may be somewhat unusual, the end result is undeniably wonderful.