Coffee Nomad

The Adventures of Wandering Coffee Fiend

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King Tut’s Cafe (Tempe, AZ) — Arabic/Turkish Coffee

March 21st, 2009 · No Comments · Arizona, Coffee

King Tut’s Cafe is located in Tempe, Arizona on Apache, just east of Rural. They are primarily a hookah bar but they also have a limited menu, including some food and, of course, Arabic coffee. As far as us westerners are concerned it is acceptable to equate the phrases “Arabic coffee” and “Turkish coffee.”

King Tut’s serves the best Turkish coffee that I have ever had (in my limited experience). The flavor was strong, but not acrid or sour. The coffee was just short of being coffee purée, but that’s exactly as it should be.

I spoke with the server who said that their coffee is of the Lebanese persuasion. Like anything else, the quality of the Turkish coffee you get depends on where you go and who’s making it. Of all the Arabic-style coffees, he said, Egyptians tend to make the most potent stuff.

Making Turkish coffee is simple as far as the King Tut’s server explained it: You need a little heating pot (shown above and below), which the Turks call a “cezve” — elsewhere its called an Ibrik. Fill the pot most of the way full, put in a couple of teaspoons of finely ground coffee and sugar (if you prefer, I had mine without) and then slowly bring to a boil.

King Tut’s Cafe used Najjar coffee for the coffee I tried, which, according to proper Arabic style, is pre-packaged with an extremely fine grind.

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