Those lovely dark beans, to die for.
The ritual of coffee drinking here in Albania is an old one. 500 years of Ottoman rule has left it's mark. Here, drinking nuclear powered cups of pure caffeine is more than just drinking coffee, it means relationship, friendship, connection.
First there are the beans, but beans must be ground. Not the rough grind that we can get in the States, but like fine talcum powder. Through the centuries the muliri, or coffee grinder, has been used for this purpose. Generations of kids grinding away as their mothers ponder the questions of the universe and what they are going to make for lunch.
After the grinding, the process of the brewing can begin. You will need a xhezve, a small cooking "pot". They come in a variety of sizes and materials from the beaten copper one shown here, to practical everyday kind.
Fill the xhezve with enough water for however many demitasse cups you are planning to make. Add a coffee spoon of sugar for each cup. Boil the water and the sugar and remove from the heat. Add and stir one heaping coffee spoon full of the coffee powder for each cup. In some countries they add cardamon and orange blossom water. Here in Albania we just drink the pure stuff. 
Put the xhezve back on the heat and let it begin to froth up. This is the delicate part. If you don't leave it long enough you won't get the foam. If you leave it too long you won't get the foam. A coffee without the foam, or cream as they call it here, just isn't coffee. So you leave the coffee on the heat just long enough for the foam to form, but take it off before it boils.
Gently pour out the coffee, sharing it out in turns if there is more than one cup.
I'll never forget my first experience of drinking Turkish coffee. The taste was exquisite, but that last sip was a loo loo. What nobody had informed me of was that the last fourth of the cup was filled with coffee grounds. That was an eye-opener.
Everything for the Albanian people revolves around relationship. Their lives depends on it. Everything here is boiled down to who you know. The ritual of coffee is one of the more important rituals cementing the society together.
5 comments:
I too had the sad experience of not realizing you don't drink the whole cup. My short term mission group was offered Turkish coffee around a campfire by a Turkish family at the campground we were staying at in beautiful southwest Turkey. I suffered down my tiny little cup of black tar (I have never been a great coffee fan) and when I got to the last half I found I had a mouth full of coffee grounds. Ewwww. I became very ill the next day (probably not even related to the coffee) and I have never been able to drink any coffee ever again. Luckily for me, in Turkey it is also acceptable to drink chai. Thank goodness I love tea. :)
Astounding!!!!! A word from the Schochs!!!! And I enjoyed it immensely as I sat here drinking my "Kelly Kaffe" which does not have a single coffee ground at the bottom. The froth on the top of my coffee is made up of tiny ice crystals and the bitterness of the rich coffee is mellowed and enhanced by the French Vanilla creamer.....It is my second one of the week, so alas, I don't get any more until next week. I sip it slowly to savour the treat!
Great to hear from you guys!!!
You'll need a WHAT? xhezve um, is that a pronounceable word? HA HA.
I remember my first time... experiencing the delicious coffee. Mom, Dad and I had come over to Albania to visit you guys. Lica was in the kitchen, making the coffee, and it was time to take a break from the afternoon chores with our coffees. I watched the ritual, and in fact learned in on the spot. I'm glad to know after reading your post that I'm still making it right :) I don't like the "mud" at the bottom of the cup, but G actually does! His middle name is coffee.
Dave didn't bring me any coffee this last trip. What's up with that? I love my peppermill though - it is already on the table awaiting the Thanksgiving stampede.
Yoe make me want to drink some Turkish coffee right now. But it's too late for that now. I love both Turkish and vacuum coffee. Cardamom sounds just great, I'll try that!
I'm glad you enjoyed the post, it's been awhile since I've been able to get on. The electricity has been terrible. The only thing sad about drinking turkish coffee here, is that I can't drink it with you all in person. So every time you drink your cup of coffee, or in Sally's case tea, know that I am thinking of you.
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