Coffee is a staple of Bosnian culture, used as a social lubricant during the day (and sometimes in the evening!). This uniquely brewed coffee is often confused with Turkish coffee and in this article we will detail how Bosnian coffee is different from Turkish coffee along with how to prepare the perfect cup at home.
Many people are unaware of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s world-famous coffee, which can be found in various coffee shops across the country. Bosnian coffee is the perfect afternoon or morning pick-me-up because it’s robust, dark, and somewhat sweet but unfortunately many are unaware how to prepare it.
Fortunately, you don’t have to leave your house to taste this new flavor of coffee. We will cover how did this coffee get its start, Bosnian Coffee vs Turkish Coffee and how to make Bosnian coffee at home?
Table of Contents
History of Bosnian coffee?
There are several similarities between Bosnian and Turkish or Arabic coffees. That’s because of a long-standing tradition. Bosnia and Herzegovina was part of the Ottoman Empire from the 1400s through the 1800s. Due to Islamic law, which forbids the consumption of alcoholic beverages, coffee was the drink of choice for social gatherings. Despite the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the 1990s and a century of Austro-Hungarian domination, Turkish coffee is still popular in the country.
The ibrik or dzezva, a tiny copper kettle with a long handle, is historically used to make Bosnian coffee. There are a few simple steps that must be followed to make a cup of coffee.
CopperBull Dzezva Solid Hammered Copperwith Wooden Handle
Instead of letting the person making your coffee decide how much sugar you want, Bosnians customarily enable you to specify how much sugar you want. With the ibrik, a mug, and some sugar cubes, you’d be served the coffee in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A sugar cube or two is added to your mug, and you wait for the sugar to dissolve before drinking your coffee. The remaining coffee can be added at this point. At a coffee house, you will want to have have a little jelly sweet on the side to enjoy the setting.
How to make Bosnian coffee at home?
Even if you don’t live in Bosnia, you can still prepare this coffee. If you can’t make it to the gorgeous nation, here’s the only recipe you’ll need to prepare Bosnian coffee at home:
You’ll need:
- ibirk or dzezva
- Finley ground coffee
- A pot
- Cold Water
- Of course, Sugar cubes
- Coffee cups
Grind your coffee beans right before you make your cup of Bosnia coffee for the finest results. Pre-ground coffee works if you don’t have a grinder, but the flavor isn’t the same. Just like Turkish coffee, Bosnian coffee is an unfiltered coffee.
Bosnian Ground Coffee-Zlatna Dzezva (Vispak) 907g, 2lbs, Green Bag
All coffee, including Bosnian, begins its life in the same way. Using the roasted coffee beans. Using a manual grinder, these are mashed into a fine powder and dried and roasted. This traditional Bosnian instrument is typically worn on the hip and hand-cranked to grind the coffee inside to a powder. A manual grinder is still the preferred method of preparing Bosnian coffee in order to save time and energy.
What kind of coffee should I use?
Bosnian coffee is ideally served with finely ground coffee, just like Turkish coffee. It resembles an espresso grind, but is even finer. Ideally, you should grind your own coffee beans, but if you can’t, you can use pre-ground beans.
Instructions
Place the pot on medium heat and add the water. Boil it down to a syrupy consistency. Keep an eye on it, because it’s going to happen fast!
Return the water to a boil and add the finely group coffee grounds.
Once it begins to foam, remove it from the heat and wait for it to subside. Then, return the saucepan to the burner and turn the heat back on. A minimum of two times should be completed.
Wait 30 seconds after turning off the heat source before putting the pot back on. As a result, the grounds has a chance to settle.
Add a couple of sugar cubes to the bottom of your coffee cup and add a bit of coffee. Wait for the sugar to dissolve before adding the coffee. Pour the remaining coffee from the copper pot, being careful not to disturb the grounds at the bottom, and then relish!
Why pour extra over the prepared coffee?
The coffee grounds that float to the top are said to be helped by doing this. That way, you won’t have to wait for the grounds to settle before savoring your cup of joe.
How much coffee do I use?
For best results, use 1 teaspoon of coffee grounds per cup of coffee, i.e. if you are making 4 cups of coffee, add 4 teaspoons.
Where to buy Bosnian/Turkish coffee?
You can buy Bosnian coffee at most grocery stores and specialty coffee bean roasters. You can also use your favorite dark Arabica coffee for brewing. If you cannot find anything local, the pre-ground coffee below will do in a pinch.
Bosnian Ground Coffee-Zlatna Dzezva (Vispak) 907g, 2lbs, Green Bag
How To Serve Bosnian Coffee
In addition to the fildan and dezva, the tray includes an eerluk filled with cubed sugar. Water and Turkish sweets, commonly known as Lokum, are often offered alongside Bosnian coffee, although not on the coffee tray.
How To Drink Bosnian Coffee
Drinking Bosnian coffee is a ceremony in and of itself, much like the preparation of the Bosnian coffee. To lessen the bitterness, sugar is commonly added to coffee. This practice is widespread throughout the country. There’s more to it than that, of course.
The coffee is poured into a small coffee cup, and the drinker dissolves a sugar cube on their tongue after dipping part of it into the hot coffee. In order to avoid the bitter taste of coffee and sugar when they meet in your tongue, they’ll take a sip. In between each sip, one will drink a sip of water from the water glass to refresh the palette. A small bite of Turkish Delight (also known as Lokum) has the same impact as a sugar cube if the drinker choose not to use one. Repeat unto finished for the perfect morning coffee.
The Sugar Cube and Bosnian Coffee
Despite the fact that many like a cup of black coffee, there are always those who prefer a little sweetness. Having your Bosnian coffee served without sugar is one way to enjoy it. Then, dip the end of a long sugar cube into the coffee. Your taste buds will be bombarded with sugar as soon as you touch the sugar cube to your tongue. Take a cup of Bosnian coffee right afterward. It may take some practice to avoid getting your fingers wet and sticky, but there are far worse things to practice. For the true professional, one or two cubes of coffee will suffice. There may be a few more sugar cubes needed for the young at heart.
What Is Turkish Coffee?
Turkey, Iran, and Greece are some of the nations where Turkish coffee is popularly prepared nowadays.
A foaming stage is achieved by blending finely ground coffee beans with water (and, in some cases, sugar) and heating the mixture to just below boiling point.
Traditionally, Turkish coffee is made in a pot known as a cezve, but any small pot can do. You can get complete details on how to make Turkish coffee at home in our previous article.
The brew, complete with coffee grinds, is then poured into individual cups. After all the liquid has been consumed, the coffee grind powder is left behind.
Because the caffeine content is higher when it is prepared unfiltered, it is more potent than other preparation methods. Traditionally, Turkish coffee is prepared with a small amount of sugar, however this is not always the case. Adding cardamom to Turkish coffee is another typical practice of the coffee culture.
How Bosnian Coffee Is Different from Turkish Coffee – Bosnian vs Turkish Coffee
Here is the short answer of Bosnian Coffee vs Turkish coffee. Unlike Turkish coffee, which sweetens the water and coffee together, Bosnian coffee is sweetened after it has been made. This is the main difference of how Bosnian coffee is different from Turkish coffee.
To make a cup of Bosnian coffee, you have to go through several stages. Having Turkish coffee simplifies things a little.. Instead of boiling water and warming the cezve separately, add sugar water and coffee to the coffee pot at the same time. Many Bosnians consider the method the art of coffee compared to it’s Turkish counterpart.
Conclusion
It’s time to brew some Bosnian coffee! The first time you try this flavorful, robust coffee, you’ll have a hard time going back to your old-fashioned drip. There are many similarities and differences between Turkish and Bosnian coffees, therefore we hope this guide will help you learn more about them.
FAQ:
How does Bosnian Coffee differ from Turkish Coffee?
A: It’s really simple. While Turkish coffee is sweetened before being brewed, Bosnian coffee is added after brewing. This means that the flavor of the coffee is stronger, since the bitterness of the coffee is masked by the sweetness of the sugar.
Is Bosnian coffee strong?
Bosnian coffee has a powerful, black flavor and is a strong coffee. It can be tamed by the addition of sugar. Unlike filtered domestic coffee, it is unfiltered adding to the caffeine content. It’s created by putting ground coffee and water in a pot and bringing it to a boil, much like cowboy coffee, with no filtration. If you can stand the strong flavor, this is a great way to get your caffeine fix.
What Is A Bosnian Coffee Set
There are four essential parts to a Bosnian coffee set. The dezva (metal pot), the fildan (cups), the sugar bowl, and the serving tray are all part of the fildan set. Copper is the traditional metal, but silver is also very popular. Beautiful patterns are hand carved into the metal of high-quality sets. In Bosnia and Herzegovina these designs can reflect nature, landscapes, or prominent buildings. It is possible to keep a Bosnian coffee set for a long time if it is properly cared for and passed down through the generations.
Sets for four people will include:
There is only one serving tray, 1-Teaspoon Pot of Water, one sugar bowl (eerluk) and 4 Cups for Drinking (fildžan)
Where Can I Buy A Bosnian Coffee Set
A coffee set from Bosnia and Herzegovina is a great souvenir if you’re visiting the country. Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is the most popular site to buy these sets. There’s a historic street right in the middle of the old town. Kazandiluk is a street in Istanbul that is named after the coppersmiths that work in it.
If you are in the States, many online retailers offer a variety of different Bosnian Coffee Sets. Below is a set I previously have used in my house. It is actually advertised a Turkish but it serves the purpose perfectly and includes the eerluk.
LaModaHome Espresso Coffee Cups with Saucers and Holders Set of 6
Can I Make A Single Cup of Bosnian Coffee?
Due to the way the coffee is prepared, it is simple to make a single cup of Bosnian coffee. Unlink many American drip coffees, it is manually prepared for as large of a crown needed. If you usually make single cups, also make sure to see our Best Single Cup Coffee Makers.
Where to buy Bosnian/Turkish coffee sets in USA?
In the United States, there are a few places where you can find Bosnian coffee sets. One place that sells a lot of coffee sets is Amazon.com. They sell a wide range of different products including coffee sets.
