After my last post on <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/08/23/turkish-coffee/" target="_blank">drinking Turkish coffee in Zheravna</a>, I was urged to try Turkish coffee again. Given my longstanding commitment to coffee it really wasn't such a hard thing for me to decide to do.

I took up loyal reader Andreytcho on his kind offer to take me to a cafe that he knows near to South Park that makes and serves excellent Turkish coffee.

We walked right in the cafe and I never once looked at the name of said cafe. I am that <em>awesome.</em> It's not like I write a blog about my life and the interesting places I go that you too might want to go to one day. <em>
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[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Hey there&#39;s a large lizard in the window"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large" title="Large lizard" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6102405428/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6069/6102405428_9f1b956859_b.jpg" alt="Large lizard" width="614" height="461" /></a>[/caption]

But, I do have a pretty good excuse. I was too busy looking at the large lizard in the window.

Andreytcho ordered the coffee. Then we talked and talked.<!--more-->

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Cups and coffee"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large" title="Cups and coffee" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6101856329/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6069/6101856329_c2cb0bfbf1_b.jpg" alt="Cups and coffee" width="614" height="461" /></a>[/caption]

The waitress started bringing glasses and cups to the table. A lot of them. Then came the coffee.

<em>Delicious</em>.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Pouring Turkish Coffee"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large" title="Pouring Turkish Coffee" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6101856799/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6202/6101856799_3acde211ee_b.jpg" alt="Pouring Turkish Coffee" width="614" height="461" /></a>[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="The mint infused sugar"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large" title="The mint infused sugar" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6101856187/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6071/6101856187_04377a5744_b.jpg" alt="The mint infused sugar" width="614" height="461" /></a>[/caption]

The coffee was not pre-sweetened and I think that this made the difference. It was thick and rich tasting. The flavors were layered and intense. Depending on your taste you can add sweetness to the coffee with a spoon of taffy like sugar-mint floating in water. I realize that's a confusing sentence--look at the picture. You can either submerge the spoon the cup or you can take a bite of the sugar-spoon and then drink the coffee.

I went with the latter given my professed dislike of Turkish coffee because it's too sweet for me.  I have to say, I am sold. This coffee was excellent. It was smooth but slightly thick with a hint of acidity that lingered on the tongue.  One of my earlier complaints about mouth feel went right out the window. This was just good strong coffee.

So here's the conclusion, I don't think I am tossing my coffee maker out in order to simplify my life and make room for a Turkish coffee pot but I am not going to shy away from Turkish coffee as I have in the past.  I may not go out of my way solely for Turkish coffee but I don't actually dislike it as I suspected earlier.

The experience got me thinking about this, I've had a lot of bad cups of coffee in my life but I still continue to drink it and I learned a few lessons along the way. For example my dAd makes a better cup of coffee than the guy behind a counter at the gas station does. I like dark roasted coffee better than a light roast. Independent coffee houses are better than chains (sorry Starbucks and Onda). Iced Americanos (espresso, water and ice) are better than just about any other iced drink you can stack them up against (and no I don't want any added flavor).  You've got to have both coffee beans and water in your coffee maker at 6am to actually make a pot of coffee.

The lesson learned this time is that just like every other bad cup of coffee/espresso I've had in my life, there are bad cups of Turkish coffee as well and you've just got to figure out who makes the best cup or how to make it yourself and then you're set. So I am glad that I gave Turkish coffee another go.

After all, I was told recently that, and I quote, " it's the one good thing the Turks left us with." The "us" in this case I'm pretty sure includes both the people and the country of Bulgaria.