Coffee: Turkish? Greek? or Arabic?

As a certified coffee /kahve lover I can’t believe I have not written about this topic before. As I sip my Turkish kahve this morning, I decided to finally share my love and also explain for everyone what’s what about this coffee.

First of all, the type of coffee we are talking about here is a small cup (little larger than expresso) of roasted coffee . It certainly can give you a nice jolt. Sooo… where did this coffee tradition come from? This is a hotly debated topic – really – especially across Europe, and Middle East. Why debated? Such a great cup of coffee that everyone wants to claim it as theirs!

If you are traveling in Greece – don’t dare to call it Turkish or Arabic coffee, they will promptly correct you with ‘huh, what? we don’t have that, would you like Greek coffee?’. If you are traveling in Turkey, not advisable to call it Greek coffee either. So whatever country you are at calling it as theirs will get you a coffee you will be pleased with. Unless you want to anger the waitstaff and drink a bit of spit or who knows what in your cup!

So where do the Arabs come into this picture??? Well they have been making and drinking this wonderful coffee too. Hence they have a claim as well.

Ok so let’s cut to the chase: it is originated in Yemen – during the Ottoman Empire era Turks adapted it around 1640, and made it what is today. And what you get in all other regions and countries are different variations and flavors of the same thing. I love all of them! except for the sweet kind, could be way too sweet for my palate.

Read the full history… (at Wikipedia)

This coffee has infused into the cultures and has become part of the daily rhythm. This is what I love about it – it is not just an occasional thing. Hard to explain unless you grew up on grandmas laps who sipped this coffee while they entertained guest and chatted away life, worries, love, children, money, and all kinds of neighborly gossip. Some of you no doubt know what I am talking about.

This is not a coffee for the faint hearted, it is strong depending on the how roasted it is and how much is used in making it. It is an acquired taste. I prefer to drink it without sugar, and rarely ‘medium’ meaning with a tiny amount of sugar. Some people also are able to read the leftover coffee granules as in fortune telling – it is really a fun thing. Similar to reading tea leaves… Had it done couple times, was fun full of speculation and some things were actually semi true Oooooo!

So next time you are traveling through any of these lands… order one and enjoy it!!

I leave you with the delicious visual of Turkish coffee presented with foam (the way I like it) at Kahve Dunyasi coffee shop in Turkey:

Share your Kahve moment or picture with us – tell us how you enjoy your cup!

Note: both photos displayed here are taken by surprisesaffron (c). please drop us a note if you want to use them.

New.Year.Words. Lessons. Life

These are the words that I love a lot saying what I can’t say sometimes when I confused or sad or mad or even happy  they teach me something that I didn’t think before THANKS a LOT for putting all the letters and words in this beautiful meanings.

I just would like to share them with anyone who finds something from itself.

Don’t judge someone just because they sin differently than you.

Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.

Be curious not judgmental.

Do small things with great LOVE.

Remember happiness is way of travel not a destination.

In life it’s not where you go it’s who you travel with.

Your children become who you are, so be who you want them to be.

Your beliefs don’t make you a better person, your behavior does.

Drop jealousy and envy, for they make you ugly, be loving be accepting and most of all be happy just the way you are.

Success doesn’t just come and find you you have to go out and get it.

If God shuts a door, stop bang on it! Trust that what ever is behind it is not meant for you.

You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.

When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to SMILE.

EGO take the E off and let it GO!

Life is far too short. To be sad. To be mad. To hold regret. To look back. To be depressed. To be unkind. Do the reverse of all these counted.

Be crazy. Be stupid. Be silly. Be weird. Be whatever. Because life is too short to be anything but HAPPY.

Maybe I’m crazy but all the best people are.

Think HAPPY Be HAPPY.

Have LESS. Do MORE. Be MORE.

Wherever you are be all there.

When the devil keeps on asking you to look at your past. There must be something good in the future that the devil doesn’t want to you to see.

I don’t want you to save me. I want you to stand by my side as I save myself.

Still time to change the road you are on.

I’ll choose HONESTY over Perfection every single time.

When someone is nasty or treats you poorly, don’t take it personally. It says nothing about you but a lot about them.

Live in the MOMENT.

The cure for anything is salt water SWEAT TEARS or the SEA.

Forget what it hurt you but never forget what it taught you.

No one ever get tired of loving. They got tired of waiting, assuming, hearing lies, saying sorry, and hurting.

When I give food to the poor they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food they call me communist.

Always trust your first gut instincts. If you genuinely feel in your heart and soul that something is wrong, it usually is.

Some of the most poisonous people come disguised as friends and family.

Spend a little more time trying to make something of yourself and a little less time trying to impress people.

Waiting for someone else to make you happy is the best way to be sad.

Honesty is an expensive gift; don’t expect it from cheap people.

If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.

LIVE LOVE like there is no tomorrow.

Respect your self enough to walk away from anyone or anything that no longer serves you, grows you or makes you happy.

Don’t hate what you don’t understand.

Different is beautiful.

A great relationship is about two things first find similarities second respect the differences.

I don’t like standard beauty there is no beauty without strangeness.

Old ways won’t open new doors.

Cultivate the habit of being grateful.

Being happy doesn’t mean that every thing is perfect. It means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.

I’m thankful to all those said no to me. it’s because of them I did it myself.

It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.

No reason to stay is a good reason to go.

You cannot hang out with negative people and expect to live a positive life.

The greatest prison people live in, is the fear of what other people think.

Be with those who help your being.

Saying yes to happiness means learning to say no to things and people that stress you out.

Don’t find fault find a remedy anybody can complain.

Never respond to rudeness. When people are rude to you, they reveal who they are, not who you are don’t take it personally be silent.

Before you react think.

Before you spend, earn.

Before you criticize, wait.

Before you pray, forgive.

Before you quit, try.

Many times we have to just stop and ask ourselves sincerely do I really happy on the way of life that I’m on? Or should I change my way my life and how? Or maybe you just  have to learn something new.

Hope coming near to the end of this year our worries, disappointments bad experiences and all sort of that we call bad or negative was in our life just to change us to be better person and to make us able to see the life with different perspectives to enlighten our minds and hearts to see what was missing from our lifes.