We may earn commission from affiliate links →
How To Make Croatian Coffee (Okay It’s Turkish Coffee, But Same, Same)
One of my favorite things to give as a gift when I travel is coffee. I love finding all types of coffee of the world, buying it, drinking it, and as I said gifting it to friends and family. There are so many benefits of coffee – more than just the buzz!
On my recent trip home to Australia, I took half a suitcase full of Croatian coffee to hand out as souvenirs.
The type of coffee I’m referring to is known as crna kava (black coffee) and has roots that stem from the Ottomans.
I call it Croatian coffee because it’s coffee in Croatia, but you probably know it as Turkish Coffee. Be warned this is strong coffee and when you start making it your house will be full of that lovely coffee aroma.
Each packet I gave to my Australian relatives (who love coffee as much as me) all wanted to know how to make Croatian coffee. It made me realize that its not so obvious, and so I repeated myself over and over. Now, when they ask, I can share this recipe.
Coffee to Croatian’s is important. No, seriously, really important. On a daily basis, people are socializing, meeting, dating, etc. at the local Coffee bar or at home around the dining table drinking Croatian coffee.
Croatian Coffee Recipe
I love buying Croatian coffee and gifting it to friends and family. Each time I do, they ask, how do you make Croatian coffee? So here is how...
Ingredients
- Water
- Sugar
- Finely ground coffee
Instructions
- Measure the water into the pot by using one full espresso cup for each person
- Add 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar to the pot per cup of water. (My mother-in-law adds one teaspoon)
- Boil the water
- Take the pot off the heat. This is very IMPORTANT OR ELSE IT WILL SPILL OVER. Stir in one heaped teaspoon of finely ground coffee for each cup
- Stir rapidly with a circular motion and return the pot to the heat
- Watch the pot like a hawk. When the coffee begins to bubble up (do not let it boil), pull it off the heat, let it settle, and return it to the heat and do it again
- Let the coffee settle to allow the grains to fall to the bottom, then pour into your serving cups
Which Croatian Coffee Should You Buy?
My Croatian coffee of choice is Jubilarna, Franck Coffee. I like Franck coffee, but more so love how it comes vacuum packed in a brick-like package. Very easy to pack in a suitcase.
Which Coffee Pot Should You Use?
I own a few, they all do the same job in my opinion. Here are some like the ones I own.
PLUS: When something like a warm cup of Croatian coffee plays such a significant role as it does here in Croatia, I feel it my duty to help you – the traveler with these tips to help you find your way through the coffee ordering scene – enjoy.
Oh and, if you love coffee as much as we do, you may want to know where the world’s best coffee spots are like these.
How do you make your Croatian coffee?
Share
My wife and I visited Croatia (Split, Hvar, Dubrovnik) for our honeymoon and fell in love with the coffee. However, we would always order the “kava sa slagom” (with cream). Any chance you know of a recipe to make the cream the way they do?
Hmm, hard to say, but, they prob just used canned whip cream to make it easy.
We fell in love with this coffee on our honeymoon in Croatia. Any chance you could share the specific hardware you use to make the coffee?
I would start on Amazon like here
I love to drink Turkish strong coffee. I will try on this Sunday. Great recipe of Croatian coffee.
I love to drink Turkish strong coffee. I will try on this Sunday. Great recipe of Croatian coffee.
Thanks for the post. I’ve re-pinned to my Slovenian food & coffee board to show people how to make it.
My husband is Slovenian and I get a lot of Turkish coffee when we visit. They always fill it to the top, leaving little room for milk. I need milk and sugar! I’m more of a mild Barcaffe kind of gal. 🙂
Yes, i agree. Turkish Coffee is very STRONG. 😀
I have a much lazier technique. I put enough water for 2, straight from the tap, into the pot, and place two scoops of coffee on top of the water (14g total, which is about the same as a tablespoon measurement I think).
I then turn on my electric hob, the small burner, and turn the dial to the third highest setting.
I do not stir. 11 minutes later, I turned the dial down a notch, and stir gently, and watch the pot, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. My intention is not for the water to boil.
Before the coffee begins to burn, I take it off the heat, and leave it to stand for up to 1 minute, before pouring each cup, pouring the coffee against the side of the cup instead of letting it drop straight to the bottom.
I then add a little milk, sugar, and leave it to sit for at least 5 minutes before drinking.
Whilst I wait, I often have a glass of water.
This technique seems to work well with Franck Coffee and Barcaffe Classic, I alternate between these two depending on which is on special offer.
This is not so different from your technique, except the coffee is sat on top of the water whilst the water slowly heats up.
The reason I don’t put the coffee in first, as I would have in the past, is it seems that this stops the coffee from falling to the bottom too quickly, forming a small barrier which absorbs the heat and burns the coffee.
Your technique is probably better, but mine is less effort I think!
I can make it. I like the smell of it. But not the taste. I like cappaccinos.
They are good too 😀
What a coincidence! It’s the exact same way to make Turkish coffee
It is Turkish coffee!!!
*rolls eyes*
Not really. Although not all Turks make coffee the same way, most like to boil their coffee, which ruins the flavor to my taste buds.
I couldn’t cope I’d be awake for a week!
Especially when it’s this brand of coffee
Filmpje goed gekeken John van der Velden??? Johan Willemse lust graag ‘s morgens een lekker bakkie croatian koffie bij z’n ontbijt
What about the milk?
What about it?
You did it like I am doing every day! Bravooooo!
Greeks do it too.
Dean Bukvić After a few hundred years it can.
Ah memories of my friend danka in melbourne
Seriously, “Croation” coffee, you are either seriously deluded or not well travelled. My best friend of 40 years is Yugoslav, been there grew up with them and italians and greeks in West Footscray; don’t give me this shit about Coration coffee. Imbecile.
Your friend isn’t Yugoslav he or she is Serb so let’s get that straight because only Serbs still say Yugoslavia which doesn’t exist anymore..little history lesson for you before you start dumping your know it all shit around
I’m waiting for my gift xmas is not far away..
I never get this right! Thanks.
Hope it helps you <3
Chasing the Donkey Croatia can’t be fuckin’ same-same….
Prava Bosanska nikad nije bila Hrvatska neznam sto ljudi robjeni UBosni zaboravljaju svoje gdje su rdjeniBosanki katolici nikad nece biti Hrvati
Nego sto? Kinezi? ?
Ne, nego bosanci! 😉
Yes! I love this coffee!
I too love my Franck ❤️❤️
Nawww you guys
Can you read? If so TRY IT……
Serbians make it also, as do Italians
I can name you dozens of ciffee drinking countries…and?
Well what are u waiting for?
Croatian Coffee? Really?
I would be great to be sitting in an outdoor cafe in Zagreb or Glina enjoying this ❤☕
I desperately need one right now
Turkish coffee is now Croatian coffee?Really?
Ok if you say so.
Like Greek coffee is not Turkish coffee too. When the Ottomans pulled out they left behind many things – slightly modified. You can find Burek all over Europe spelled slightly different and meat on a vertical rotisserie – (kabap, gyro, shawarma, it all means the same thing in different languages).
As far as Croatian/Greek/Turkish coffee though – they should have taken it with them. I’m not sure why anyone would drink that swill IMO. Not a fan.
Clearly you CANT READ! Haters gonna hate.
Your article is nice, but that doesn’t make the coffee taste better. Maybe it’s an acquired taste.
We have a say in Croatia : O ukusima se ne raspravlja. You do not discuss tastes.
Drinking Starbucks coffee and one “muddy” over here is totally different concept of drinking. It is more than a drink. It is a ritual. You always remember your first allowed cup in your teens. It means you have grown up and you are allowed into that magical important grown up moment that only adults are allowed.
This is just a bit of the story.
I’m from Zagreb, and the way I’ve been taught (the “traditional” recipe) is: one teaspoon of coffee for each cup, PLUS one additional teaspoon for dzezva 🙂
Btw, I like your blog, have sent links to friends in the USA who have been questioning me about Croatia. Thanks!
Ahhh cool, yeah sometimes I throw in an extra one.. but mostly when I forget how many I added hahhaha
Wouldn’t you drain the coffee beans before drinking the coffee? How could you drink the coffee with the beans still IN the coffee? I’m not sure I could drink coffee beans?!!
It’s not beans, it’s ground coffee. The granules sink to the bottom.
Today calls for a Croatian coffee. Oh yeah! Thanks for this.
The coffee is good this way but if you could actually buy the coffee in beans and slightly roast them dry in a frypan then mill them in the old fashioned brass hand mill, you will get an even tastier freshly roasted flavour from your brew.
I’ve never tried that – maybe I should as I really love coffee. Thanks Zeljko!
Which kind of pot would I buy, like on Amazon? Some look copper, some just metal, some enamel.
Thank you, nice blog.
This is my favourite one (I have several) and best of all, it’s one of the least expensive. HIC Turkish Warmer, 24-Ounce Capacity, Made of Stainless Steel
Well, almost the same. But after the first heat, there is a cream formed on the coffee which we pour in the cup, as a bonus. We call it the coffee sauce. Pretty cool cup of coffee and great source of caffeine.
I was a espresso drinker, but changed to Turkish a while ago and I don’t think I ever regret it. 🙂
By the way, found ya on G+. Good luck.
Croatia is beautiful the Adriatic coast, Food, Wine, culture and the coffee. Plan your next trip
Turska kava, ili domaća kava = croatian coffee
Back in the Day when I studied “srpskohrvatski” in Split, I was taught to bring it to a boil 3 times, pull off the heat, sprinkle a few drops of cold water on top to form a foam. Spoon some foam into each cup(one never drank coffee alone) and then pour each cup.
My wife is Italian and has changed her preference for coffee she loves the Croation.
Ooopsie, there goes her Italian passport 🙂
I also love coffee and enjoy buying and receiving it a a gift from different places. I prefer to filter my coffee before drinking though!
Thanks for sharing! I’m excited to give this a try, never had “Croatian” coffee, but I’m ready for it!
Turska kafa
I would be needing the teaspoon of sugar like your mum. We love coffee too. My hubby even roasts our beans.
Wow, I have never known anyone to do that. How is that done at home?
there is no such a thing called croatian coffee
Very likely the way you do.
Luckily you noted “turkish” as we’ve (Dubrovnik / konavle region) always called it turska kava (turkish coffee) and the other being Nes (nescafe). Prava kava (real coffee) has always been noted as espresso.
Phew luckily 😛
I drink croatian coffee when visiting my in-laws who live in Dubrovnik. However, I always miss my American style brewed coffee. My sweet mother-in-law recently purchased a coffe pot so that I can make my own American style. It’s her way to make me feel at home. I do love macchiatos from the local cafes around the area and greatly appreciate the glass of cold water that’s always served! Wish they did that here in US.
Nawww ain’t she sweet! And yes, a glass of FREE cold water is always a bonus. That costs extra is lots of places around the globe sadly.
I wonder if my hubby would like this – he loves espresso. I may have to try it!
I am sure he would – lemme know if you try it.
As a kid, I didn’t like the coffee, so I used to pour it into the nearest houseplant. Then I’d flip the cup upside down onto the saucer, and take it to my Aunt. She used to read or fortunes in the coffee grounds.
HA, those poor plants. Ive never had my fortune read, I need to find someone who does that!
Turkish coffee is amazing. I still remember when Sabrina Bešić Greatheart made it for me in louisiana
This is exactly how Romanians prepare their coffee. I grew up making coffee like this, but I am so much happier now, with my Expresso machine.
Ahh yes, an espresso is a little easier 🙂