I’m not a big coffee drinker; I do like to sample different kinds of coffee. Just a sip here and there. The first time I had Turkish coffee was travelling in Morrocco. Mostly, I drank tea on that trip. Just how they pour the tea was an experience in itself.
Last month I went to Nuba in Kitsilano for a light meal with my sister. A very late lunch, early dinner.
Nuba was opened by Ontario-native Lebanese-Canadian Victor Bouzide who wanted to share his family’s recipes that go back generations. The Kitsilano restaurant, one of four locations, was designed to be like a Lebanese taverna, a step back in time into the pre-civil-war era. There are different nooks in the small cave-like interiors. We sat in what I guess is the main room. Nuba’s been around since 2002, first at 322 West Hastings Street. This small 15-seat place served hundreds of customers daily. At that time, hummus, pita wraps, and falafel weren’t as big as now, though being mostly pescatarian then, these were the healthy items on my personal menu.
We started with Turkish coffee.
The whole traditional process of preparing the coffee starts with medium-roasting green coffee beans in a wrought-iron pan. They are ground after cooling in a wooden box that absorbs oil. Turkish coffee is brewed using very finely-ground beans and those who love coffee say it’s a must to hand-pound the beans in a wooden mortar. A conical flask called a cezve is used to brew the coffee over a fire, starting with cold water, teaspoons of coffee, and sugar, if desired. A foam is formed at the neck of the flask. This is then poured into ceramic or porcelain cups. These are often beautiful cups.
We enjoyed our coffee, waiting for our spread to arrive.
