Menengiç Coffee 165 g – Turkish Wild Pistachio Terebinth Coffee

Menengiç coffee is one of southeastern Turkey's oldest hot drinks — a brew made not from coffee beans but from the small berries of the wild pistachio tree, Pistacia terebinthus, known locally as menengiç or çitlembik. The berries are dried, roasted, and finely ground, then prepared much like Turkish coffee, which is how a drink containing no actual coffee earned the name. Because there are no coffee beans in it, the cup is naturally caffeine-free.

The tradition belongs to Southeastern Anatolia. Gaziantep, Diyarbakır, Mardin, Adıyaman, and Batman have produced menengiç coffee for over a century, and Gaziantep holds a registered geographical indication for its version of the drink. Wild pistachio remains have even been found at Göbekli Tepe, the Neolithic site east of Gaziantep.

In the cup it is woody and lightly spiced, with a roasted, pistachio-like note on the finish — closer to a toasted nut drink than to coffee, smooth rather than bitter. The ground berries are naturally oily, so the drink is traditionally simmered with milk rather than water, which gives it a creamy, pale color.

How to prepare it:

• Add one to two teaspoons of ground menengiç per small cup of milk in a small pot — a cezve (Turkish coffee pot) works well.
• Stir over low heat until the surface begins to foam, without letting it boil over.
• Pour, let it settle for a moment, and serve. Sweeten if you like.

For anyone who enjoys the ritual of Turkish coffee but wants a caffeine-free option for the evening, this is the drink that fills that role across southeastern Turkey. The 165 g pouch brews dozens of small cups; keep it in a cool, dry place after opening.