Kurdish Coffee (Menengic Coffee) - Give Recipe (2024)

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Kurdish Coffee aka Menengic Coffee is a perfect caffeine free coffee with an amazing nutty flavor. It is made from roasted terebinth fruit paste and milk. So creamy, nutty and tasty.

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What Is Kurdish Coffee Made Of?

I was wondering around the city center of Diyarbakir last weekend when I saw a great shopping arcade with many small shops selling various foods special to the region. As a foodie, I almost barged into it without hesitating as everything looked so tempting! The first thing taking my attention was what we call menengic.

I searched for its English meaning and found that it is called terebinth berries. These green berries are one of my childhood favorites. We used to snack on them about 20 years ago when chips or crackers were not that common.

My grandparents had a terebinth tree in their yard, and they would always bring a full bag whenever they visited us. We don’t have it where I live now, so it was great to see them in Diyarbakir!

I couldn’t wait any longer and threw a few into my mouth, it’s a typical way to start shopping in a Turkish food shop. It was the same flavor as I had as a kid. If it’s the first time you try it, you may not love its bitterish-sourish flavor and its crunchiness.

Menengic is one of those foods you either love or hate. I suggest you to have a few berries at one time to feel the flavor, you can’t get it with just one.

I did the same warning to friends with me there and they found it ‘interesting’. Right, the word ‘interesting’ would be the best word to describe the flavor of terebinth berry, which is also known as the wild version of pistachio. You know, the flavor of wild foods are stronger.

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I saw a jar labeled ‘menengic coffee’ in the same shop and I was intrigued, so I bought a jar to try. I just couldn’t imagine how these berries could turn into coffee.

I learnt from the vendor that menengic berries are picked, dried in the sun and roasted until they turn dark brown. After this roasting process, they are mashed until it becomes paste. I thought it was like powder, but no it is like melted chocolate.

How To Make Kurdish Coffee Recipe

This coffee is made either with milk or water, but I like it with milk as it softens the strong flavor of menengic. It is optional to add sugar; if you like your regular coffee sweet, then you should add sugar. I don’t think it needs any sweetness though if you make it with milk.

It has a softer flavor than regular Turkish coffee, so if you find Turkish coffee very strong, I’m sure you will love this caffein free coffee. It is almost the same to make these two coffees. They are both boiled in a special coffee pot over low heat. And you should be vigilant as it might rise very quickly and might boil over.

You know having foam on top of cups is very important when making Turkish coffee but Kurdish menengic coffee doesn’t have any foams, so no worries! Way easier to make. It is served in demitasses just like Turkish coffee.

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I thought it would be great to serve it in the copper coffee cup set I bought from Diyarbakir. Diyarbakır menengic coffee in Diyarbakir coffee cups, great!

More Drinks From Turkey

  • Turkish Apple Tea
  • Turkish Tea
  • Rosehip Tea
  • Sahlep

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📖 Recipe

Kurdish Coffee (Menengic Coffee)

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Print Recipe
★★★★★5 from 1 review

A caffeine free coffee made of milk and terebinth berries paste.

  • Author:
  • Prep Time: 3 hours
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1x

Ingredients

Scale

  • 2 coffee cups milk
  • 2 tsp menengic coffee

Instructions

  1. Pour milk in a coffee pot.
  2. Add menengic coffee and mix until it dissolves.
  3. Cook it over low heat until it boils.
  4. Share into demitasses and serve hot.

Notes

Note: If you would like it sweet, add 1 teaspoon sugar with coffee.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 185
  • Sugar: 13.7 g
  • Sodium: 54.6 mg
  • Fat: 12.8 g
  • Trans Fat:
  • Carbohydrates: 14.8 g
  • Protein: 3.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 8 mg

Keywords: kurdish coffee, menengic coffee

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply

  1. John says

    My brother in law lived in north Iraq, close to Turkish border He used to bring us terebinth berries (Menengic) or Bittim as we call them. Question is the berries are green but inside the skin there is stone like pits which we crunched as kids.
    Tell me do you get rid of pits and only use the green skin to make the coffee?
    Greetings from Sydney

    Reply

    • Zerrin says

      Hi John, menengic is found in the south east of Turkey, so I think we have it in common with the border countries. I haven't seen how it's turned into that paste like coffee, but I searched and learnt that it's ground as a whole, nıt just the skins. And the tiny stone like pieces sink in the bottom of the coffee when drinking. The coffee is so creamy, so those pieces are not disturbing.

      Reply

  2. kate says

    I really need to know where i can get those coffee cups and set! I love it! Great pictures!

    Reply

    • marie says

      I found a Turkish coffee set similar to that at fairturk.com

      Reply

      • Yusuf says

        Thank you Marie!

  3. boregi says

    I was in Diyarbakir with my husband two years ago during our honeymoon and we hope we will come back there some day 🙂 The coffee cup set is beautiful !

    Reply

    • Zerrin says

      Diyarbakir is a very nice place, isn't it? However, one might gain weight there thanks to scrumptious dishes there! I bought the coffee cup set from an arcade where there are several copper shops in Diyarbakir. There were so many varieties that you can't decide which to one to buy. Hope you and your husband come here again soon!

      Reply

Kurdish Coffee (Menengic Coffee) - Give Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make menengiç coffee? ›

Traditional Method with a Saucepan (Using Menengiç Paste and Milk) Mix the Ingredients: In a saucepan, combine 2 tablespoons of menengiç paste with 2 cups of whole milk. You can also use water for a lighter taste, but milk adds a creamy texture. Heat Gently: Place the saucepan over low heat.

What are the ingredients in Menengic coffee? ›

Ingredients. Roasted, grinded menengiç, sugar, glucose syrup, coconut oil, stabiliser (potassium, phosphate, polyphosphate), emulgator (mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), anti-caking agent (silicon dioxide), maltodextrin, milk protein. Absolutely there is no lard oil and its additives in any of our products.

What is Kurdish coffee made of? ›

It is made of ground roasted terebinth fruits (related to the pistachio) as the main ingredient, and is caffeine-free. It is particularly popular in parts of Southeastern Anatolia, including Turkish Kurdistan.

How to make pistachio coffee in Turkish? ›

The ratio for a desired consistency is 1 coffee cup cold water and 2 teaspoons ground coffee. If you want your it sweet, add sugar along with coffee and water. Never add it after your coffee is cooked. Place the coffee pot on low heat and let it cook for a while, stirring gently two or three times.

How to make coffee by step? ›

  1. Measure your coffee. The standard ratio is approximately 2 tablespoons of coffee per 6 ounces of water. ...
  2. Grind your coffee. Alright, this is where the coffee-making process really begins. ...
  3. Prepare the water. ...
  4. Pour. ...
  5. Soak and stir. ...
  6. Brew. ...
  7. Plunge. ...
  8. Pour.

Is Menengic coffee caffeine free? ›

You will need to stir your brew a little bit longer to make sure paste is all dissolved. It is usually prepared with just milk or with water plus some sugar. It is truly a delicious experience to have coffee with a pistachio flavour. 100% Natural product and has no caffeine.

What does Turkish coffee made of? ›

Turkish coffee is very finely ground coffee brewed by boiling. Any coffee bean may be used; arabica varieties are considered best, but robusta or a blend is also used. The coffee grounds are left in the coffee when served.

What is the residue in Turkish coffee? ›

As traditional Turkish coffee is not filtered, the residue of the finely ground coffee enters the cup when serving and is allowed to settle to the bottom of the cup before consumption. Properly prepared, the coffee has a distinctive, bittersweet flavour, a thick texture and a beautifully high head.

Is it Kurdish coffee or Turkish coffee? ›

Following the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, the identity of Kurdish coffee was unjustly stripped away, rebranded as Türk kahvesi (Turkish coffee). This renaming was an act of cultural appropriation that denied the Kurds the rightful ownership of their cultural legacy.

Do Kurds drink coffee? ›

Kurdish cuisine makes abundant use of fresh herbs and spices. Sweetened black tea is a very common drink, along with bitter strong coffee. Another favourite Kurdish drink is Mastaw (in Sorani) or Ava Mast, which is yogurt and salt mixed with water. The fermented version of this is called Dô (Doogh).

How do Palestinians make coffee? ›

Recipe
  1. Measure the water to put in the pot - one demitasse cup of water per cup you wish to prepare.
  2. Add the sugar, coffee, and cardamom, stir, and heat it to a rolling boil.
  3. Watch the kettle very carefully, it has a tendency to boil over very quickly.

Do they put milk in Turkish coffee? ›

Turkish coffee is traditionally made with water, and drunk without adding cream or milk. You can learn the traditional way of making Turkish coffee by following this link. However, it is also possible to make Turkish coffee with milk instead of water.

What makes Turkish coffee so different? ›

The uniqueness of this coffee lies not in the type of bean used, but in its distinctive brewing technique. In preparing this coffee, the beans are ground to an ultra-fine powder, much finer than that used for espresso. This results in a brew that is less concentrated but rich in flavor.

Is Turkish coffee the same as Arabic coffee? ›

Arabic coffee is similar to Turkish coffee, but the former is spiced with cardamom and is usually unsweetened.

How to make Confederate coffee? ›

Recipes for the Times. —To Make Coffee. —Take tan bark, three parts; three old cigar stumps and a quart of water, mix well, and boil fifteen minutes in a dirty coffee pot, and the best judges cannot tell it from the finest Mocha. Coffee.

How to make real Colombian coffee? ›

What is the recipe for Home-Brewed Colombian Coffee?
  1. Preheat the French press by adding hot water.
  2. Add 21g of coarse-ground Coffee.
  3. Pour in 300ml of hot water, then mix.
  4. Set the lid on top and wait for four minutes.
  5. Descent gradually.
  6. Serve and relish.
Oct 13, 2022

How to make chicory coffee? ›

Take a few spoonfuls of roasted chicory powder and place it in the filter of a gravity brewer like a kalita, v60 or Chemex. Add water to the basket just off boil and pour to desired strength.

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