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Coffee pot pouring coffee into a small cup on a silver tray.

Bosnian Coffee (Bosanska Kafa, Kava, Kahva)

Aida
The traditional way to make Bosnian coffee. Rich, dark and delicious.
5 from 6 votes
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Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Beverage
Cuisine Bosnian
Servings 2

Equipment

  • 1 Turkish coffee pot cezve or džezva the volume of the same will determine how much coffee you'll need;
  • demitasse or fildžan coffee cups
  • (Optional) long handle teaspoon

Ingredients
  

  • water enough water to fill your džezva coffee pot plus a filldžan cup more; before cooking, measure how many demitasse or filžan coffee cups of water your coffee pot holds
  • finely ground medium roast Arabica coffee (other types will do as long as they're ground to a fine powder) amount of coffee depends on the volume of your džezva; think one heaping teaspoon per a coffee cup
  • (Optional) Sugar cubes, milk, sweets (like rahat lokum) or dessert

Instructions
 

Method 1

  • Fill a deep pot with water about one and a half times the volume of your coffee pot. Bring to a rolling boil on high and let it boil for a minute. Remove off heat. While the water is heating up, put your coffee grounds into a coffee pot (džezva).
  • (Optional) Before adding boiling water to the coffee pot, place the coffee pot with coffee grounds on the hot range, and heat it up for 30 seconds or so, shaking or stirring the coffee pot lightly.
  • Bring the temperature down to low. Pour boiling water into the coffee pot with coffee grounds about ¾ of the way, leaving a little bit of empty space in the pot. Stir the coffee quickly and well so that the mounds of coffee break apart, then remove the spoon. Cook for a few minutes, and don't step away. The coffee will form a light brown foam on top and start to rise.
  • Once the coffee rises and is almost about to spill from the pot, remove the pot from the hot stove ring, and let the coffee and foam settle down for a few seconds.
  • Slowly pour some of the remaining boiling water into the coffee pot to top it off, and return the coffee pot to the range. Cook coffee a short while more, until the foam starts to rise again. Remove the coffee pot from the heat just as the foam reaches the top again. (You can repeat this step once or twice if you wish.)

Method 2

  • Fill up a džezva coffee pot with water (all the way), and bring it to a boil on high. When it boils, take a coffee cup, and empty some of the water out into it. Bring the temperature down to low.
  • Add the coffee grounds into the coffee pot while stirring very quickly. (You may have to remove it from the heat for a moment so it doesn't spill over.) Once the coffee subsides in the pot, pour the water you took out into the coffee pot.
  • Cook coffee a short while more, until the foam starts to rise again. Remove the coffee pot from the heat just as the foam reaches the top again. (You can repeat this step once or twice if you wish.)

Serving Bosnian Coffee

  • Leave the coffee to rest for 3-4 minutes. When you're ready to serve it, start by grabbing a teaspoon of the foam and adding it to each cup first. Then pour the coffee in, slowly. This will allow the foam layer to rise to the top of each cup. Serve with rahat lokum, sugar, or milk, and a glass of water.

Notes

  • Measurements
Your measurements will depend on the size of the coffee pot you're using. The measurement used in this recipe is 1 teaspoon for every cup of water. After you've made coffee this way a few times, you'll find out if you like it stronger or weaker and can adjust accordingly.
  • Sugar? 
Some people will put sugar in the coffee while it's being made. However, this is a personal preference. If you're making it for yourself and a friend, you'd never assume how sweet they like their coffee and you'd serve it along with the coffee, not in it. 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!