Turkish Coffee How to with OBA Cafe

By Ayanda Dlamini

My journey into the heart of Turkish coffee culture began the moment I stepped into OBA Cafe.

This Turkish cafe offered me more than just an immersive experience into Turkish culture. From its cultural nuances woven into every cup of coffee to the enlightening conversations with supervisor Mustafa Boz himself, each moment was an example of the depth of Turkish hospitality.

I enjoyed that everything on the shelves and hand handcrafted in OBA Cafe feels vibrant and intentional. Food is not merely a sustenance but a celebration of community and hospitality, served typically on a plate with lots of patterns and colours. I was lucky to have Precious (Barista) share a recipe with me based on OBA's take on Turkish-style coffee. This is a combination of both traditional and modern methods.

Equipment: 

• Tea spoon
• Cezve 
• Espresso mug 
• Stove top 
• Coffee 

 Traditional method: 

• Measure your room temperature water (according to your cup size) and pour it into a coffee pot otherwise known as the cezve. 
• Add 2 teaspoons of finely ground coffee (super fine, like power) per cup. About 6-8 grams. Here you can add sugar if desired.
• Stir the coffee and water on a low to medium heat stove top, until you begin seeing a layer of crema forming. 
• Scoop the crema into your cup once it rises. Then return the remaining coffee on the stove, once it begins forming  its second layer of crema, pour the coffee into an espresso sized cup.
• Serve with cold water to cleanse the palate before enjoying the rich taste of coffee. Or if you want to replicate the OBA way, add a small cube sized piece of Turkish delight on the side. 

Precious also introduced me to the more modern way to make a Turkish Espresso and this was by using an Arçelik Turkish coffee machine. On occasion, they will sometimes use this machine to automatically (which helps with speed) blend the water and finely ground coffee together, then it’s served in a traditionally styled Turkish espresso cup, with a small slice or Turkish delight. 

I enjoyed the meditative nature of this method of coffee brewing. The swirling, akin to gently circling water over ground coffee for a pour over, has its own special allure. I also discovered how delicious Turkish coffee is. I was served KuruKahveci Mehmet Efendi, a Turkish coffee that smelled and tasted like sweet liquorice and chocolate. The art of preparing and serving Turkish coffee is a direct reflection of the care and attention to detail that defines Turkish hospitality, making it an integral part of their cultural fabric that beautifully binds people together. An experience I will soon be repeating!

Address: 

34 4th Avenue, Parkhurst, Randburg, Parkhurst, Randburg, 2193