Mehmet Efendi Turkish Coffee - Finely Ground for Cezve

Mehmet Efendi Turkish Coffee is the finely ground coffee that, for many people, simply is Turkish coffee. The full name on the gold tin reads Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi, and the brand traces back to 1871, when Mehmet Efendi began roasting and grinding beans in his father's spice shop in the Fatih district of Istanbul. He was among the first to sell roasted, ready-ground coffee to the public rather than whole beans, and the house has stayed in family hands ever since.

What is in the tin is a single thing done well: 100 percent Arabica beans, roasted and milled to an almost powder-fine grind. That texture is the whole point. A grind this fine is what lets the coffee bloom into thick foam and settle into the heavy body and lingering finish that a proper cup in a cezve (the small long-handled pot, also called an ibrik) is known for. It is not espresso grind and not filter grind. It is made specifically for this brewing method.

How to brew it, following the house method:

• Measure cold water by the cup straight into the cezve.
• Add one heaped teaspoon of coffee per cup (about 6 g), plus sugar now if you take it.
• Heat slowly over a low flame, stirring, until a layer of foam rises.
• Spoon a little foam into each cup, return the cezve to the heat, let it rise once more, then pour gently.

The whole thing takes about two minutes. Tradition serves it with a glass of water alongside to clear the palate first. Keep the tin closed and somewhere cool and dry so the aroma holds.

This is the same Mehmet Efendi tin sold across Turkey, offered in 100 g, 250 g and 500 g.