In “The Innocents Abroad,” Mark Twain described the beverage as being the worst he'd ever tasted. He says: “The cup is small, it is smeared with grounds; the coffee is black, thick, unsavory of smell, and execrable in taste. The bottom of the cup has a muddy sediment in it half an inch deep. This goes down your throat, and portions of it lodge by the way, and produce a tickling aggravation that keeps you barking and coughing for an hour.”Here is a fun question from someone who just recently moved to Turkey:
Dear Charlotte: I find Turks so hospitable. They always offer me a cup of tea or some Turkish coffee. I can handle drinking the tea. I love it. But I am always unsure how much of the coffee I should drink. When should I stop drinking the coffee? I tend to always get a mouthful of yuk. From: Mouthful
Dear Mouthful: You are not the only one who has done this, and you won't be the last. Well, maybe there will be fewer after they read this piece.
Drinking Turkish coffee is an art in itself. Many of us are used to drinking it all. Right down to the last gulp. You have to acquire the art of drinking the coffee until you think you are just about down to the grounds. The coffee grounds are heavier than the liquid and settle at the bottom of the cup. You probably have observed that Turkish coffee is usually served with a glass of water. That's so you can wash the grounds down if you miscalculate.
Dear Charlotte: I think reading coffee grounds is nonsense. I am newish to Turkey and do not want to offend my Turkish friends. I can't imagine that people really believe that they can rely on coffee grounds to learn about their future predicament. From: Trevor (UK)
Dear Trevor: It's so true that if a group of Turks are having Turkish coffee together, as soon as they finish drinking coffee they begin the “ceremony” of reading the coffee grounds. Jeff Gibbs, in his article published on the TimeOut İstanbul Web site, points out that it is a time-honored tradition. Most don't take it seriously. I like the old Turkish saying Jeff shares in his article:
Fal inanma, falsız kalma! (Don't believe in fortunes, but don't get stuck without one.)
Dear Charlotte: I have been surprised by the practice of fortunetelling that I have come across here. I was raised in a Christian home, and we were not allowed to play with the Ouija board game when we were kids. Though I am not strict about my faith some things stick with you. I know that the Bible says in Deuteronomy 18:9-13 that Christians are not to imitate the detestable ways of pagan nations and are not to let anyone be found involved with sacrifices of a child in the fire, practicing divination or sorcery, interpreting omens … or consulting the dead. How can I handle the situation when my Turkish friends want to read [coffee] grounds, and I don't want to offend them by not participating. From: Emily (İstanbul)
Dear Emily: I don't think your friends will be offended if you can just let them know in a nonjudgmental way that you prefer not to do it. The worst scenario is they may just joke with you about it, but I doubt they'd be offended.
Remember: Most of us Westerners have it all wrong when we bring our expectations into this culture. We put far too much emphasis on what we say and do. However, in Turkish culture, it is not in the “doing,” but in the “being.” Turks like just being with each other.
As for what the Quran says about the subject, maybe a Today's Zaman reader can enlighten us on this. By the way, I love Turkish coffee.
Note: Charlotte McPherson is the author of “Culture Smart: Turkey, 2005.” Please keep your questions and observations coming: I want to ensure this column is a help to you, Today’s Zaman’s readers. Email: c.mcpherson@todayszaman.com
