KEY POINTS:
A cup of Turkish coffee, strong, bitter and black, is for many the defining symbol of Turkish tradition, yet many Turks prefer imported cappuccinos and lattes or tea.
Traditional coffee - heated slowly in a special pot and served in small cups with a light froth on top - has been around since the 16th century. It is steeped in ritual and takes time and care to prepare.
But Turkish coffee is less well-suited to the pace of modern life. Young Turks are more likely to grab a cappuccino, espresso or double mocha macchiato from a global coffee chain as they dash to work.
Some see this trend as evidence that Turkey is becoming more fragmented and Westernised. Others say tea - the sweet, black variety served in thin glasses - is more Turkish than coffee.
From the days of the Ottoman empire when it first arrived in Istanbul from Yemen, Turkish coffee spread to parts of Europe. It is still drunk in the Balkans and across the Middle East.
The amount of coffee imported annually from Brazil to make the traditional Turkish beverage has remained constant at 9000 tonnes over the past 45 years, even though Turkey's population has more than doubled in that period to 74 million.
Total tea consumption jumped to 220,000 tonnes last year from 150,000 just five years ago.
- Reuters
