Before we get to the actual story, may I stop you here? Let’s play a little word association game for those who haven’t necessarily travelled to Turkey before. What do you think of when you hear “TURKEY” -kebab? -carpets? -tea? or indeed -coffee? …… Turkish coffee? It is a strong connection that people are making between Turkey and Turkish coffee. The reality is though that coffee is always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Even the word for breakfast “kahvaltı” suggests that coffee would follow sometime after the event, but not being a component of the actual meal. Turkey, ahead of Morocco and Ireland, is the top consuming nation of tea in the world.* As a fun side fact, I can reveal that I’ve prepared an entire pot of çay, sitting next to me as I’m writing this blog. In my old western life I allowed myself unfettered coffee consumption. Even later as I restricted myself it still came to 4 large mugs a day. A cup of tea was something I got around to drinking perhaps once a month, or for medicinal purposes. I was truly a ‘coffee person’.
The local interpretation of a standard coffee is mostly awful: a sachet of instant coffee that combines with powdered milk and a load of sugar to a powerful triumvirate of evil, ready to deliver a staggering blow to the tastebuds. It’s desperate times for caffeine addicts. Over the last few years coffee houses have been springing up all over Beyoğlu and indeed are starting to conquer the more conservative quarters, as well. The quaint district of Balat lying quietly near the Golden Horn is truly a case study for the changing face of Istanbul. But walk through the very westernized Taksim or Kadıköy, and you find ubiquitous Starbucks, Gloria Jeans (on the decline), Caffe Nero and the Australian Ministry of Coffee franchises. Loveless waiting halls adorned with cliched artwork, coffee drunk from plastic cups, but the allure of free WIFI and toilets attracting people en mass, many young students to peruse the facilities for studying. Perhaps, I quietly concluded, it’s a mimicry of an imagined “superior” western lifestyle. But luckily the tea culture is persisting, and small tea houses with their tiny stools and tables boldly occupying sidewalks and public spaces are an intrinsic part of the culture. In these places one replenishes energy during a mid-day slump, sits down with a friend for tabla, or discusses life’s pleasures and misfortunes. But Turkish coffee is often a neglected affair and have tainted the reputation for me. I have had many disappointing encounters. Hastily prepared, mud-like from top to bottom leaving a gritty feeling in the mouth coupled with an unpleasant bitterness. I live in inner Istanbul, the ‘belly’ of the city as the Turkish will have it, spoiled for choices. But I consider drinking Turkish coffee at less than a handful of places and typically make my own at home, my trusty cezve Turkish coffee pot one of the few household goods I call my own property. Turkish coffee should not be harshly bitter beyond a pleasant level reminiscent of a dark chocolate. Indeed, the old proverb states that there is 40 years of memory inside a cup of bitter coffee. Bir acı kahvenin kırk yıl hatırı vardır. Such are the powers of bad coffee. It should have a foamy head, called köpük, and make for very invigorating, deeply satisfying sipping. Mandabatmaz is an unassuming tiny coffee shop off the famous main pedestrian mall. To borrow the opening paragraph of their website: the smell of coffee spreads from a shop, hidden from sight in Istiklal Caddesi. This coffee is something different from the smell of other coffees that humans have known for thousands of years. The tiny cup reveals a coffee that bears utmost strength, cheered up by the essence of a thousand flavors coming from the streets of this magical city. The advertised strength of this brew is reflected in the name of the place: Manda batmaz. Manda is the Turkish word for (water) buffalo, and finds its way into the language on different occasions, standing for strength or abundance. The verb batmak means "to sink', the declension of batmaz means "can't be sunk". The logo shows a silhouette buffalo standing firmly on top of a cup of coffee. The popular saying brags that the köpük (foam) of a proper cup of Turkish coffee is so strong that it is able to hold a horseshoe. Not to be outdone by old proverbs, in 1967 a family decided to attempt and float an entire buffalo on their product. I can’t confirm the veracity of the buffalo finding safe footing inside a cup of Mandabatmaz coffee… Purely for reasons of availability of such large beasts in inner Istanbul, not to cast aspersions on the magical properties of this coffee. But I can confidently recommend this place for a very serene sit-down, not far from the famed Istiklal Street and its thousand essences and flavors, yet a long way from the hustle and bustle. This sedate narrow alley exudes a sort of 1967 charm, with it. A complete absence of coffee growing-themed stock images, where WIFIs haven’t invaded our social lives yet, and the only music in the air is the chatter of the various pairings and groups from the little tables, as they wait for their coffees to arrive. The service is friendly and leaves you feeling welcomed and unrushed. An aspect that many places lose once they gain their 4.5-5 stars on sites like Tripadvisor. And, noticably, the cost of a cup of coffee also seems to hail back to a bygone time. So I give this experience every tick in my book. Find this place and for 20 minutes lock yourself away from a fast-flowing world, and as the coffee you’ve ordered requires some patience and deliberateness in preparation, enjoy this experience with whomever you are lucky enough to share this moment with. And to reveal my exquisite small culinary ‘value adding’: Around the corner is J’Adore, a tiny Belgium artisan chocolaterie. 5TL will afford you four pieces of handcrafted chocolate (Vişne and Kastane my two favorites, cherry and the chestnut praline). These chocolates and the made-to-perfection coffee make the loveliest of couple. Always bridesmaid, never the bride? Not when I set aside a moment to visit this quiet side street. I will dance at your wedding, and yours alone! When your coffee, two small pieces of chocolate, and above all, the friend opposite you become momentarily the focus of your world.
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AuthorInnate curiosity, learned (discovered) deep love and appreciation for Turkey, a bit of time at my hands, and always hungry: voila, a food blogger! Archives
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