Let's have a coffee first...
It is nothing unusual that coffee is drunk as often and as happily in Serbia as anywhere else in the world. Coffee is a pick-me-up, is quick and easy to consume and is good to drink in company or alone. In Serbia, coffee is drunk on every occasion and is part of hospitality – when guests arrive, the first thing they are offered is coffee. It is called Serbian or Turkish coffee. The two names that the ritual drink has in Serbia obviously require an explanation.
What is it actually called: Serbian or Turkish coffee?
In the book “The Modern Cookbook” (Prosveta, 1967) there are two recipes: one for Serbian coffee and one for Turkish coffee.
These are the quotes:
Serbian Black Coffee
“Put water and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil. For one cup of coffee, you need one and a half cups of water, a lump of sugar and a teaspoon of ground coffee. When the water boils, pour some of it into a cup or another pot, brew the coffee and then put the pot back on the heat to let the coffee steep, that is, just let it brew, nothing more. Pour in the drained water, let the coffee stand for a minute or two, then pour it into cups and serve.”
Turkish coffee
“This coffee is most commonly drunk in Bosnia and is prepared as follows: put the coffee in a dry, heated pot and pour boiling water over it. The coffee does not need to be boiled anymore. The ratio of water, coffee and sugar is the same as in Serbian coffee, with the exception that the sugar is not put in the coffee but served separately. The finished Turkish coffee is served in small cezves, one for each person.”
So the difference lies in the nuances of preparation and sugar – in Serbian coffee, sugar is added directly to the coffee, while in Turkish coffee it is added separately. In Serbia, coffee is generally sweetened immediately, but in southern Serbia, sugar is often served on the cup.
Coffee in everyday language
But no matter how it is prepared: coffee is a very important ritual in everyday life in Serbia and people like to talk about it in all possible variations and situations. Here are some colloquial expressions related to coffee:
– muška kafa = men’s coffee – coffee brewed by a man, very strong (or unusual) coffee
– osedlana kafa = saddle coffee – coffee served with schnapps, juice and Turkish delight
– ćelava kafa = bald coffee – coffee without schnapps
– fenomenalna kafa = phenomenal coffee – coffee served on the train that looks like six coffees have been made from one coffee grounds
– studentska kafa = student coffee – bitter and so strong that you can’t sleep
– istorijska kafa = historical coffee – coffee as an occasion to meet and talk about something important, but it never happens
– homeopatska kafa = homeopathic coffee – coffee that contains less caffeine than water
– kafa sikteruša = coffee for goodbye – coffee after which the guest should leave
– najskuplja kafa = most expensive coffee – coffee in the betting shop
– kelnerska kafa = waiter’s coffee – the worst coffee you can imagine
– alarm kafa = alarm clock coffee – strong morning coffee for students before exams
– komplet kafa = coffee in the complete – Turkish coffee served with Turkish delight, carbonated water and pear brandy
– orbit kafa = orbit coffee – coffee without sugar
– kaubojska kafa = cowboy coffee – coffee drunk from a half-litre mug
– beton kafa = concrete coffee – very strong coffee, half filled with coffee grounds
– kafa udovica = widow’s coffee – coffee served without additives
– seljačka kafa = farmer’s coffee – extended coffee with whipped cream
Etc.