EVENTS: 2016 Izmir Coffee Festival
Last October 2016, Jason and I attended the first ever Izmir Coffee Festival. In honor of the 2nd annual Izmir Coffee Festival which starts today, I am recapping our experience from the last one. The same organizers, Next Organization and Ateş Prodüksiyon, of private festivals, also planned the Izmir Chocolate Festival in March 2017.
Coffee is no stranger to Turkish culture. In fact, Turkish coffee is one of the oldest ways to drink coffee and has long been a tradition in many homes. I cannot justify all the history that comes with Turkish coffee but you can read more about it here. Maybe one day I will feel comfortable covering it!
Turkish coffee made from a coffee powder and water mixture (sugar can be added as well) that is boiled briefly to get a nice foam – double boiled if you want more! The coffee is then poured into a small traditional coffee cups and usually serve with a glass of water and a small piece of candy. Yes, it is like a strong espresso! But be careful not to drink to the bottom of the cup or you will end up with a mouth of coffee bean grit!
Oh, there is so much more. I will have to write another post just about Turkish coffee! Or maybe I’ll get my friend Michael to…
Specialty coffee, on the other hand, is fairly new to Turkey. I can remember 8 years ago when I lived in Istanbul the only filtered coffee you could find was made at home or at Starbucks. To be fair, I didn’t know a lot about filtered coffee itself, but I knew a lot about what fancy creamers I wanted to go in them! My friend Michael was saddened by my lack of knowledge of coffee and all that comes with it! Through his love for coffee, I learned over time to appreciate the taste of coffee and the many ways you can prepare it. I am definitely not a pro, but I can drink espresso and black coffee without sugar and milk like a champ now!
Almost 10 years later, Turkey is home to lots of little startups for coffee roasting and small coffee shops serving not only filtered coffee but also options for pour-overs, Chemex, and AeroPress. In our neighborhood alone I can find 5-6 different coffee shops to enjoy my favorite way to drink coffee! Many of them do their own roasting too.
The 2016 festival was much larger than I anticipated and well planned with many booths representing mostly coffee companies, but there were several other small businesses stands that are selling miscellaneous items to give the guests some diversity. We also found a large area to grab lunch or dinner. Along with purchasing items from the businesses (or free sampling at some of the more generous booths), the festival offered workshops and held seminars on different topics related to coffee like ‘How to make coffee with an Aeropress’.
For those who want to visit for the whole day, the festival has a list of performers such as DJs, dance instructors, and sports instructors. The program rotates performers on a central stage with a large area to sit and enjoy your purchases and free coffee samples.
Here is a great video that walks you through the 2016 Izmir Coffee Festival. Don’t worry there is no Turkish (or even English) to worry about. Enjoy the music and check out the scenes.
This year’s 3-day festival starts Friday, October 13, 2017, and continues through Sunday, October 15, 2017, at the İzmir Arena. Pre-bought tickets are 38 TL each for 1-day or 76 TL for a 3-day entry. We are excited to head back to the 2017 festival and see what they have in store for guest this year!
For more information:
Website: http://coffeefestivalizmir.com
Address: 1649 Sokak No: 107 Turan – Bayraklı / İZMİR
Telephone: 0 232 382 2 382 & 0 232 382 38 28
Like this post? Pin it and share it with a friend!
