Turkish Coffee Fortune‑telling

Turkish Coffee Fortune‑telling

Talking about your problems with friends over a cup of coffee is a great way to get advice. InTürkiye, this goes to a whole new level with the tradition of coffee fortune-telling(占卜), or kahve fali.

Turkish coffee is made with grounds(渣滓) so fine they' re like powder. These get boiled in a small pot,and when they' re served,unlike espresso or filtered coffee drinks, the grounds go in the cup too.

While a person drinks, the grounds sink to the bottom of the cup. And a fortune-teller— sometimes a professional, sometimes just a friend— looks in them for patterns(图案) and shapes believed to tell the drinker’ s future.

There are some rules, though. Before the fortune-teller can properly examine the patterns, the drinker must turn their cup upside down on its saucer and let everything cool completely. Then, the fortune-teller will look at the patterns in the grounds for different shapes believed to have specific meanings. For example, a star is believed to mean the drinker will travel soon, while an eye could mean someone is jealous (妒忌的) of them. And an ear means the drinker shouldn't believe everything they hear!Even the cup and saucer may have something to say.For example, it's believed to be very good luck if, after cooling down, the cup sticks to the saucer.

Fortune-telling is just one part of Türkiye’ s rich coffee culture, with the drink having been brought to the region from Yemen nearly 500 years ago.

Kahve fali is thought to have begun in the 16th century among Ottoman palace women, who were not allowed to go to the coffee shops that had become popular in Istanbul. And along with learning their futures, Kahve fali. was a way to share news and gossip(闲话).

The tradition is still loved today, with millions of Turks even using apps that give AI fortunes or connect them with people online for readings.