How to make turkish coffee

My all-knowing aunt refreshed my memory on how to make turkish coffee her way- which is if you know her at all always the right way. When I was little I used to call her "Cicekci teyze" which was my way of expressing she wasn't just a relative to me but most importantly my friend. Being an only child had led me to believe that everyone who plays and talks with me - whether that person is 8 or 50 years old - is my friend. And oddly enough I spend most of my time with adults like my übercool aunt.

I truly believe that I am not the only one around who wanted to write songs about her. My mum compared her looks to Turkish filmstars from movies of the 60s - her thick, black, backcombed hair always covered half way with a satin headscarf, big brown eyes that spotted everything around her and a royal paleness which made men look twice.

My best memories are having tea under the tablecloth of the wooden desk and watching negotiate with salesmen at bazaars. I loved every second watching her reign with her strong voice and smashing self-confidence. No one could ever come across her. She was always getting her way and was a master in queue-jumping with her steady stubbornness and irresistible charm.

She may have lost some of her energy getting older - but never strikes out when it comes to knowing something best.

Step by step: Turkish Coffee

you will need:

• turkish mocca preferably by kurukahveci mehmet efendi (easily purchased at local turkish shops or amazon)
• a turkish coffee pot such as the one in the above picture or here
• sugar

The preparation is truly easy but you have to be very attentive during the process.

1. If you do not own Turkish coffee cups use espresso cups and measure the amount of water by filling it to the brim and dispose it into the pot. The aunt rule states 1:1 which means if you prepare turkish coffee for 1 person - use 1 cup of water. Two people equals two cups of water and so on (you get the idea, i know).
2. Add the sugar to the coffee pot. 2 cubes of sugar is orta seker (= medium sugar)
3. Now add the main ingredient: one heaped teaspoon (which would be 1 gehäufter Kaffeelöffel in German) of mocha coffee and without any stirring (- my aunt's advice -) place it on your stove at high temperature.
4. Watch the coffee pot until it start to bubble and quickly remove it from the stove.
5. Spoon out the "froth" and put it in your mocca mugs.
6. Return pot to stove, bring to boil and remove quickly once you sight any sight of bubbles. Finally stir coffee into your mugs allowing the froth to show on surface.

If you need milk in it, place it in the coffee pot before hand with the sugar. And again no stirring.