DRINKING
TURKISH
COFFEE IN
THIS LAND
FOR 600 YEARS

This is a project to put into practice standards for Turkish coffee such as the product quality, the method and service and the development and spread of the literature, specifying various criteria for Turkish coffee preparation such as type of coffee used, the roasting technique, roasting and grinding temperatures, packaging, amount of coffee and sugar used per cup, the foam, the consistency, the color, the temperature, the fluidity, the flavor and the grounds.

Our aim in pursuing this project is to preserve and cultivate the Turkish coffee asset in our tradition and heritage by designating the standards for Turkish coffee, officially registering brands, establishing mechanisms for laboratory and testing requirements and, in this context, implementing an accreditation mechanism and control process at locations where Turkish coffee is offered.

This is a project to conduct a symposium on topics related to coffee in our national history and culture, in cooperation with the Dean of the Marmara University Faculty of Science and Letters and Prof. Dr. Emine Gürsoy Naskalı who is a respected authority in the field of Turcology, as well as individuals, institutes and enterprises of various universities cooperating in our cultural mission, to bring together experts who will shed light on the subject of coffee, coming from such branches as languages, history, art history, social history, economic history, anthropology, sociology, literature, music and ethnography, to record and process in detail the various facets of Turkish Coffee and its culture from past eras up to the present day and to assure the dissemination of information about these topics.

With the goal providing a special source for passing on the traditional debating art to new generations, this project involves the publication of two books based on the volume of recorded research about coffee in our culture, consulting research by Dr. Emine Gürsoy Naskali about how coffee was introduced into our culture, the first and later records regarding it, the coffee trade route, volumes, prices, coffee traders, transport, packaging, sales points, design of implements used in coffee making, its manufacturing, collections, the character of places where coffee is consumed, activities in these places, coffee-related traditions, the ways of preparing and drinking coffee, coffee etiquette, fortune telling, lyrics, visual records, etymology of words connected with coffee, historical monuments related to coffee, and tradition of coffee drinking portrayed in literature, Following on the publication of two books in Turkish, we are in the process of preparing two new books in English.

Our goal is to develop a comprehensive museum by collecting objects related to Turkish coffee in all of its cultural and historical aspects for the purpose of exhibiting and informing as well as appealing to both locals and foreigners through the use of visual enhancements.

This project is intended to develop a modern Virtual Museum that is both educational and dynamic and will become a multi-faceted platform on the subject of coffee, beginning with the history of coffee in the world; ethnic and geographical developments; its introduction to the Ottomans; the place of Turkish Coffee in our gastronomy and traditions; techniques of preparation, service and presentation expressed in full detail using visual sources; and activities that distinguish the site from that of a static museum, including competitions, exhibition rooms, galleries, library, archive and café sections, all of which are to be renewed frequently.

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In this project, to be conducted in cooperation with Bilintur, modern coffee shops situated in various national museums will prepare and present our Turkish coffee in accordance with our cultural heritage at established high-quality standards, increase global awareness of brand equity, and increase the level of consumption.

The aim of this project is to create an educational documentary for future generations set in the framework of the Turkish Coffee story, then and now, thus reflecting coffee’s long adventure from the past to the present time when millions of people are drinking cup after cup every day. Tentatively it is to be arranged under such main topics as the first coffee beans, their spread into the world, the role of Turks in the spread of coffee drinking, Ottoman coffee culture, various legends about coffee and the ‘art’ of fortune telling.

Following on our 17 January 2012 “The Coffee Road” gala evening at the Adile Sultan Palace, the next step we are considering in order for our Association to reach out abroad is to invite European opinion leaders to join us in 2013 for our “Spanish Riding School of Vienna” Gala evening.

Our goal is to revive the popularity of Turkish Coffee in that region where historically it had gained such importance.