Making Botz

Mr. Goon, my erstwhile ( though sometimes bossy) host and guide in Israel assured me that cafe botz, or mud coffee, is a favorite Israeli form of Turkish coffee. It’s handy if you don’t have a coffee maker. You do need to grind the beans, however.

Then you put a teaspoonful of ground coffee (any kind will do) into a small glass or cup, and gently pour in boiling water. Stir the top of the liquid and let the grounds settle. Sip. I suppose you could put sugar and milk in it, too, but why spoil good coffee?

Tasted great in Israel. Alas, my first home try laced my tongue with coffee grounds. Maybe they need to be finer ground so they sink faster? Mrs. Charm suggested a spot of cold water to help them sink. Didn’t work.

Then Mrs. C., the intelligent member of this three-ring circus, went out and bought Turkish coffee and had it ground especially fine. Almost to powder. Bingo. Just don’t try to reheat your glass or cup in the microwave. It stirs up the grounds something awful.