Enjoy a different taste of coffee in Europe

Coffee is not only considered the "national spirit of the country" of Southeastern Bosnia-Hercegovina, but also a symbol of its identity here.

While Western Asian, North African and Southeast European countries all serve coffee similar to that of Turkey (same method with coffee powder, they only add the name of the production region), Bosnia-Hercegovina Coffee is one of the few countries that named coffee not simply for their self-respect and national identity.

If you want to taste coffee with indigenous people, you should order a cup at Nanina Kuhinja. This is a restaurant located near Bascarsija square, the capital of Sarajevo in Bosnia. The patrons here will tell you "Bosnian coffee is not like Turkish coffee," and the difference lies in the blending process itself.

A street corner of Sarajevo. Photo: Patrick Horton.

Both types of coffee are roasted into small powder and cooked in a small pot with a handle called džezva. Turks have a traditional way of cooking džezva with an arbitrary amount of sugar and cold water before placing in the kitchen. When making Bosnian coffee, cold water is put into the kitchen first, when the water boils, pour a portion of it out. The coffee was then added to a warm džezva and set on low heat for a few seconds to boil again until the water overflowed and foamed. This process can be repeated many times and the amount of hot water previously removed is added to the džezva kettle.

For connoisseurs only need a few minutes to discover the difference when drinking. The process of adding hot water to the end of the Bosnian makes the foam thicker and coffee flavor darker. For first-time visitors, when looking at the service will see the difference between coffee of Bosnia and Turkey. In Turkey, the džezva pot is placed in the kitchen, not brought to the table and the coffee is stored in a small cup. In Bosnia, coffee is served with a metal tray with whole džezva pot, a cup of ceramic, a glass of white water, a small plate of sugar and a candy called rahat lokum.

When you enjoy Bosnian coffee, take a sip first. Use a spoon to scoop the top layer of foam and stir the coffee in a warm džezva (no foam is no longer Bosnian coffee). If you are a sweet drinker, you should not put the whole tablet in the coffee, but take a small bite in the mouth and take a sip of coffee. This drink helps you feel more clearly the sweetness and richness of Bosnia coffee.

Bosnian coffee is not Turkish coffee. Photo: Vladimir Dostalek

There are two interesting points when serving coffee in a warm džezva. The first is that the sediment will be deposited (this is also a feature of Turkish coffee) at the warm bottom, not the cup. The second one is the copper coating on džezvas to keep the coffee hot longer. Coffee cups in Bosnia are small, so the amount of coffee you drink is less than usual, but the taste is more intense. In addition, Bosnians have the habit of sitting for hours chatting over a cup of coffee. They regard coffee as the nation's drink, and drinking it is a traditional tradition that plays an important role in gatherings.

Arriving in Bosnia, visitors will be somewhat surprised to see images of young people drunk in espresso in cafes located on the old streets. Although they prefer to enjoy European coffee rather than Bosnian coffee, they still maintain the slow and leisurely drinking style. It is especially rare to see them drinking and using their mobile phones at the same time. They simply sit and chat and drink coffee with friends, enjoy the small pleasures of life.