Hi everyone,
As the semester is coming to an end, here is my the last post of this blog, It is been a wonderful learining and fun experinece. I hope everyone enjoyed reading my posts and have benefited from the information I shared. I personally enjoyed visiting diffrent coffee shops in Ankara and report about them. Coffee is a percious drink that deserves publicity. I am glad I was able to share my love for coffee with all of you. If you enjoyed follwoing this blog, make sure you follow me on Twitter where I will be posting about my recent coffee experinces. Twitter page: @tasneemalghamdi Wishing you all a wonderful year ahead full of perfect cups of coffee! Cheers, T.
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Finals are almost over, but if you still haven't figured out how to survive the last few days, Here is a fun artcile offering 17 steps to help you survive finals Week.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/kierawrr/steps-to-survive-finals-4gx1 Wait, 18- Have LOTS OF COFFEE! Hi, Have you ever wondered what is the most ordered drink at Bilkent Starbucks? While waiting at the usual long Bilkent Starbucks line, I decided to entertain myself by asking Bilkent students and professors what is their favourite drink. Below are the results! Cheers,
T. Hello everyone, This post is dedicated to one of the most famous types of coffee, the Turkish coffee. Turkish Coffee is not just a traditional drink, but also an important figure in the global coffee culture. Before I introduce you to one of the most unique ways to making Turkish coffee, I would like to share with you historical background so that you know what made Turkish coffee famous. Historical Background The history of Turkish coffee or as they say it in Turkish “Türk kahvesi” dates back to Ottoman times. Though the exact date when coffee was brought into the Ottoman Empire isn’t specified, it is reported by historians that coffee was brought in 1555 during Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. When the Ottoman governor of Yemen, Özdemir Pasha was exposed to trying coffee in Yemen, he loved the drink and when he went to Istanbul, he introduced it to the sultan. One of the methods of drinking coffee discovered in the Ottoman Palace is by roasting the beans over a fire, finely ground and then slowly cooked with water on the remains of a charcoal fire. With its new brewing method and aroma, coffee's renown soon spread even further afield. Later, as coffee traveled from one country to another, and from one culture to another, every region has localized the methods of making the coffee. The coffee making process has developed and every culture attached its ways to prepare a cup of coffee. Consequently, nowadays we see many techniques of making coffee that have been discovered through out the years. As it can be noted, coffee became an essential part of the palace cuisine and became very popular. It was later spread to the city, where people started to make coffee at their homes. People in Istanbul became smitten with the beverage and the taste of coffee. They even got interested to discover new methods to roast it. Green coffee beans were purchased and then roasted at home on pans. The beans were then ground in mortars and brewed in coffeepots known as "cezve", which you can see at the picture below. Coffee, as a result, became a social norm that brings a culture of togetherness, generosity and love. In many cultures, and in Turkish culture, coffee is a social activity that get people to socialize with each other and discuss current events, read books and it could get as entertaining as playing chess while having coffee. Moreover, coffee is a gesture of hospitality in Turkish houses. Another interesting aspect relating to Turkish coffee is that its presentation as it’s iconic. Turkish coffee comes in a small tiny cup accompanied by a very tiny cup of water. It is believed that drinking water after coffee is a healthy habit to digest easily. Ethnography Museum of Ankara Below are pictures I took during my visit to the ethnography museum of Ankara. It is one of the best museums to visit in Ankara as it has beautiful architecture and interior. dedicated to the cultures Turkish civilizations. The building was designed by architect Arif Hikmet Koyunoğlu and was built between 1925 and 1928. In the museum you will get to see precious historical pieces that represent the Turkish civilization. In the picture below is an Ottoman set of Turkish coffee cups or in Turkish ‘Fincan’. Below is the map to help you find the Ethnography Museum of Ankara. It is easy to reach and really worth visiting. If you are interested to know more about the history of Turkish coffee, I recommend you this book in the picture below. The book has been a great source for me to write this post. However, you will find more details and information about the history of Turkish coffee. It is definitely a good read. Moving on, as a lot of drinks and methods have evolved, so has the Turkish coffee. This post’s coffee experience is special since I take you to see a very unique method of making Turkish coffee. It is a traditional technique to make coffee on hot sand. This technique makes the coffee roast for longer time, which results in a better taste and deeply prepared drink. Yes, hot sand! Although the technique is traditional, the presentation of the coffee at Kafes Firin is modern as it comes in a modern tiny cup with a nicely engraved wood plate. Try it yourself! Let’s start with the Ingredients:
Directions Start with filling the pot with water, then add the very finely ground coffee, and if you like your coffee sweet you can sugar. You are free to add your favourite spices. You might want to add a little cardamom in there. To master Turkish coffee, you are supposed to heat it to a point where it is just about to beginning bubbling, but under a rolling boil, when you see that it is beginning to foam up take it without reducing the heat, repeat this process for 4-5 times as soon as you see the foam is perfectly laying on top. This will allow the foam to beautifully cover the cup. Making coffee on sand is a traditional technique that has been used long time ago. The advantage of this technique is that you do not need to worry about the temperature of the heat source, because pots are left on the surface enabling coffee to take its time to brew. To watch how the coffee is made in action, check out the short video below and get to know the barista's behind it all. Turkish Coffee Reading Turkish coffee reading is a very popular ritual that accompanies the culture of having Turkish coffee. People try it out, either for fun or for serious approach. Reading the cup is a practice that aims to interpret the symbols made by the bottom of your coffee. Since Turkish coffee is served in a small cup it leaves thick, muddy sediment at the bottom of the cup. When I flipped the cup up side down, I had to wait a little before the waiter offer to read my cup. A while when I turned the cup to its face, the surface of the cup was filled with coffee left on the sides. These are the symbols and shapes created for the fortune-teller to read. He started making predictions, and it was fun to know what he saw. However, if you check it out you do not necessarily have to believe in it, as sometimes it might not be accurate. This barista, however, predicted few things and I was shocked how he was able to do so. When I asked him to know whether he is just a random reader or not, he said his father and grandmother are very good cup readers and they do it professionally. Practicing Turkish coffee reading needs knowledge, experience and intuition, and he got them from his family background. The shapes and pattern can be interpreted in various ways and can have more than one meaning. There are common symbols such as a ring means marriage or new love and flower mean happiness. But every reader can interpret differently so there are no set meanings of each shape. About Kafes Firin Kafes Firin (click on the name to check out their website) is a nice bakery and coffee place in Ankara. The shop offers a wide and unique selection of pastries and desserts to pair with your coffee, as well as amazing coffee menu. The also shop has numerous branches around the city. However, the best location and the one I personally like in Panora AVM. This is because of the friendly atmosphere the space has, it is bright and cosy. Since the shop is located in Panora, which is one of the famous shopping centre in Ankara, you will have the opportunity to go shopping and enjoy the mall after having coffee. And finally, the staff and the baristas are very friendly and have great customer service. Here is the address to Panora AVM where Kafes Firin coffee and Bakery is located: I hope you all enjoyed reading this coffee experience and I hope you all get to try it. It's an amazing coffee and I would encourage you to try traditional drinks more since they could give you great exposure to not just a coffee a type but also a new culture. Until next time. Cheers, - T. Hi everyone,
Check out my word cloud using the most common words in the coffee experince and coffee culture. From diffrent types of drinks to diffrent origins of it. Enjoy the visuals! Cheers, T. Have you ever wondered how to make Cappuccino Art? Check out this short and fun video and get inspired to make your first cup of Cappuccino Art! Enjoy! Cheers, T. Hello everyone, As documantries are one of the fun ways to learn about the history of subjects. I though to suggest you this awesome documantry called "Caffeinated". It tells the strory of coffee through the perspectives of people who work in the field and have dedicated their lives to it. It shows every step of the process, how farmers plant the seeds, roast the beans, and crafting the drink that makes a cup of coffee a story worth telling. The documantry was directed and written by Hanh Nguyen and Vishal Solanki. Check out the trailer in the link below: Official Page of the Documantry:
http://caffeinated.vhx.tv Cheers, T. Hello everyone, Coffee is an essential daily drink for many people. But for some others it is a necessity. The culture of togetherness a cup of coffee brings is an important aspect of why coffee is known in the worldwide. In addition, Coffee has a social role since it is a friendly gesture between friends, and it's the drink that most cultures value and offer to their guests to show hospitality. Also, many people believe that coffee makes them more productive. Today I introduce you to one of the coffee lovers I know. My friend, Zainab Haroon, a forth year student at the Economics department at Bilkent University. Zainab has unique habits when consuming coffee. She actually sets a budget every month and finance her income for cups of coffee everyday. While this might sound like a coffee addiction, for her it is more than that. After a while, Zainab decided to have coffee twice a week to test her coffee resistance ability. "It wasn't hard to not have too much coffee" said Zainab. Now that she has new coffee habits I decided to have a conversation with her about coffee. Zainab doesn't only enjoy coffee and love it, but also appreciate the vibes that comes with having a cup of coffee. For example, chatting with friends, or even sipping it all alone in a cold weather could warm the heart. Check this short interview out and join the conversation between me and my friend as I ask about her coffee habits.
Cheers, T. Hello everyone, Did you know that coffee can be artistic, too? follow me as I introduce you to one of the best aspects about coffee; the latte art making. What is Latte Art? Latte art is a method of preparing coffee created by pouring steamed milk into a shot of espresso and resulting in a pattern or design on the surface of the latte. It can also be created or embellished by simply "drawing" in the top layer of foam. Latte art is particularly difficult to create consistently, due to the demanding conditions required of both the espresso shot and milk. This, in turn, is limited by the experience of the barista and quality of the espresso machine. The pour itself, then, becomes the last challenge for the latte artist. The Essential 3 steps to make latte art: STEAMING Basically, you need the perfect foam to make latter art, if you steam the milk at the perfect temperature you will have a good start to the process. POURING You might think pouring is nothing to worry about and it's something you don't to learn if you want to master latte art. But, in making latte art, pouring is the should step and it's the most important since it's the first step to make the latte art. MAKING LATTE ART And there you go, final step is to actually start latte 'arting'. There are many shapes to show your creativity but the common shapes are the heart shape and the tree shape. However, In my photo series you will see exceptional shapes and latte art making. Here I introduce you to one of the best coffee shops in Ankara, FAMEO Caffe in Bilkent Center. About Fameo Cafe: Fameo cafe is a relatively new Italian coffee shop at Bilkent Center. The shop has a very friendly and cosy atmoshphere for morning coffee, reading and having lunch. It's not very convenient to study since it can be crowded sometimes. The menu has variety of food options as well as coffee options. For coffee, the menu is not set, you can customize any drink you wish. Fameo is famous for the great latte art making, which you will notice at this photo series. Check out Fameo's website to see the online menu they have and for directions to the coffee shop: www.fameocaffe.com Meet barista Baran who has a passion for coffee and has developed latte art skills while working at FAMEO. read the short interview with Mr. Baran. I will leave you with a collection of photos that show the process of Latte art and how taleneted Baran is. Enjoy the art! Try It Yourself! Did you like this? You can try it yourself by following the steps of Baran, and watching this tutorial by Barista Nick Vink who is a great Youtuber. He gives useful tips to master coffee making and latte art. Subscribe and learn as you watch. Thanks for watching! Until next time, T. For most of us, coffee is as an essential part of our day, especially when we have so much to do and need to stay focused. I personally cannot recall a study session without the company of a cup of coffee. And now that ‘winter is coming’ what is better than a good cup of coffee to keep us warm and concentrated? Having been visiting multiple coffee shops, I recognized that the coffee scene is improving considerably in Ankara. However, everyone has their favorite blend, likes and dislikes when it comes to coffee shops. Personally, the best coffee shops are those with free Wi-Fi, nice and bright space, and of course a high quality coffee. Here is a list of coffee shops that I recommend based on my own experience as I have been wandering around coffee shops in Ankara: 1. Caribou Coffee For a delicious Salted Caramel Latte and Hot Chocolate As Caribou’s slogan says “Life is short. Stay awake for it!” I would also add, life is too short for bad coffee. Caribou coffee is a franchised coffee shop and perhaps one of my favorites in Ankara. They have a great selection of latte menu and mouthwatering freshly baked muffin cakes. Caribou provides study rooms for students and workers, which take up to 6 people that give you all the space you need to get your work done. There are many branches of Caribou Coffee in Ankara. However, my favorite is the one in Armada shopping center and Tragon Towers business center. If you ever get to visit Caribou, do not miss their Hot Milk Chocolate, and thank me later! Check them out: http://www.cariboucoffee.com.tr/subelerimiz 2. Arabica Coffee HouseA cozy place after a long busy day As the sign at the shop says, “The Proof is in the cup”. Arabica Coffee House is the place to go for high-quality coffee beans and brewing expertise. The house roasts the finest selection of Arabica beans that you will enjoy having in its cozy environment and fascinating interior design. The fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies from the oven will absolutely satisfy your taste buds. Ask for Crème brûlée latte with extra shot of perfect espresso. Trust me, you won’t regret it! http://www.arabicacoffee.com.tr/blog/ 3. Kahve Dünyası For a coffee world and coffee goodies Kahve Dünyası, which translates to ‘The World of Coffee’, is indeed a world of coffee that will leave you baffling. Kahve Dunyasi has a sophisticated coffee menu that not only offers variety of drinks but also everything you can possibly imagine with coffee flavors. You can find coffee beans covered with chocolate, dipped in coffee and Turkish delight. What I really like about this coffee shop is the packaging of grounded coffee beans and chocolate. It is one of my favorite destinations for goodies and gifts. www.kahvedunyasi.com 4. Illy Espresso Coffee Illy coffee is one of the famous Italian coffee roasting company that specializes in espresso. The coffee shop has a bright space located in Armada Shopping Center. The best part about having coffee in this place is that you have the option to customize every drink you order and tell them your prefernces.
Make sure to try the coconut latte as it is a popular drink at Illy. For more information visit: https://illy.barista.com.tr Stay tuned for more coffee shops and cafes to explore! Until then, enjoy your cup of coffee. Cheers, T. |
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