Region: The Balkans
Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina (and neighboring countries)

Bosnian Coffee

Bosanska kahva, kafa, kava
Босанска кахва, кафа, кава

An everlasting and unbreakable bond

Running a cafe in Bosnia and Herzegovina is guaranteed success! Bosnians (and Herzegovinians) of every walk of life, young and old, are coffee fanatics and their love for a good old bean brew goes back centuries.

Coffee in Bosnia is life – social life. Bosnians will rarely miss out on an opportunity to have a cuppa and a chat with friends, family, colleagues or even strangers. It’s a centuries old social practice or even ritual, which is repeated several times a day.

This enjoyable moment is called kahvisanje, which is best translatable as caffeinating. But forget standing at a bar pouring down an espresso Italian style, and don’t even think about ordering an American to go. Relax, ’cause having coffee in Bosnia is gonna take you a while.

The first coffee drinkers of Europe

Besides the aforementioned cultural and social aspects, there is another reason why drinking coffee in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a unique experience. Bosnians are the oldest and most experienced coffee sippers in Europe as it was in Sarajevo where the first coffeehouse in Europe (outside Istanbul) was opened. Far back in 1534, way before Vienna, Paris or London.

Except for in cafes around Baščaršija – the very center of Sarajevo’s oldest quarter, Italian style coffees have conquered the hearts of the people. At home however, a traditional coffee pot called džezva is working overtime as one of the most utilized kitchen tools.

The experience with coffee drinking can be noticed in the nicknames that the Bosnians give to their cup of coffee. It all starts in the morning with a razdremuša, a strong cup of coffee that needs to get us going (razdrmati = to shake things up).

A dočekuša is the first coffee offered during a home visit (dočekati = to welcome). The coffee that follows is often enjoyed during a good conversation and is called a pričuša or razgovoruša– from the verbs pričati and razgovoriti meaning chatting. But when a sikteruša is served, well… then you’ve received your cue to leave. As sikter means get lost, this is last cup that you’ll be offered as a guest.

Enjoying Bosnian coffee at the Neretva near the Old Bridge (Stari Most) in Mostar, Herzegovina.

The real deal!

After your coffee at the Baščaršija square, it is the ticking sound of hammers that draws you in a centuries-old adjacent alley called Kazandžiluk. This narrow street is the only surviving part of a booming copper market that was founded right after the Ottoman takeover in the late 15th century.

The street is named after the copper kettles (kazani) that were made here for the Ottoman army. Nowadays, the few remaining kazandžije or copper smiths specialize in making coffee pots, water cans, dishes, trays, coffee grinders and small souvenirs.

Ottoman legacy

The Ottoman Turkish influence is still very evident here. Besides preparing kahva in a džezva, it is served in a fildžan – a small cup without handle. These three words entered the BCMS language (Bosnian/Croatian/Montenegrin/Serbian) through Ottoman Turkish, with sources being: kahve/قهوه‎, cezve/جزوه‎‎ and fincan/فنجان‎ respectively.

I hear you saying, so Bosnian coffee is basically a Turkish black cup’o joe. Well… not entirely. Differences can be found in both preparing and serving. For instance, coffee isn’t added to hot water like in Turkey, but actually the other way around.

Another crucial difference is that Turkish coffee is immediately prepared with sugar, while Bosnians with a sweet tooth will find sugar cubes will be served next to their cup and the coffee pot, which in Turkey usually doesn’t leave the kitchen.

Not convinced? Have a look to compare yourself here at Vacay Flavors!

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Did you know that …

… the first cafe in Europe (outside of Istanbul) was opened in 1534 in Sarajevo?

… Bosnian coffee is different from Turkish coffee in both preparation and serving?

… there are three words for coffee in Bosnia and Herzegovina – kahva, kava, kafa/кафа?

… coffee to go is not a popular thing in Bosnia and Herzegovina at all?

Bosnian Coffee

Recipe by Chef Franky BuzCuisine: BalkanDifficulty: Moderate

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

This recipe below is good for a strong cup of coffee. This recipe can be adjusted to personal preference. Experiment to find the proportions that work for you!

Ingredients

20 gr. or 2 tbs of ground arabica
amount of both coffee and water depends on the size of the pot and cups, as well as personal preference
50 ml. water
sugar cubes (optional)
Turkish delight/rahat lokum (optional)

Directions

Boil water and set aside. You approximately need the amount of one cup per coffee. If you have a larger (and wider) coffee pot, add some more water.
Put ground coffee in the coffee pot and heat up the coffee for half a minute (without liquid). Avoid burning the coffee by moving the coffee around.
Lower the temperature and slowly pour the water into the coffee pot. You can take the coffee pot from the hob/burner if that’s easier. Stir quickly.
The coffee starts foaming and rising very soon. Take the pot from the hob when it is about to spill from the pot. Repeat this process once or twice more.
Take the coffee from the hob and let it rest for 30 seconds. This allows the grounds to settle at the bottom of the pot.
Scoop some of the foam (kajmak) from the coffee with a teaspoon and add to the cup. Slowly pour the coffee into the cup and sip away! Sugar is usually added in cubes and a piece of Turkish delight and a glass of cold water are served next to this strong cup of coffee.

Notes

Coffee from a dzezva or ibrik/briki is prepared all over the Balkans. The above recipe is typical for the Bosnian way of preparing, which slightly differs from the traditional Turkish way.

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