Kurdish coffee

Kurdish coffee (Kurdish: (قاوەی کوردی) Qehweya Kurdî or Qehweya Kezwanan^[1]) or menengiç coffee (Turkish: menengiç kahvesi), meaning pistachio coffee or terebinth coffee, is a traditional hot beverage in Kurdish^[2][3][4][5] and Turkish cuisine.^[6][7][8][9] It is made of ground roasted terebinth fruits (related to the pistachio) as the main ingredient, and is caffeine-free.^[2][8] It is particularly popular in parts of Southeastern Anatolia.^[10]

A coffee-like beverage made from the roasted fruit of the terebinth or "turpentine tree"

History

The beverage has been produced in historically Kurdish areas including Diyarbakır, Adıyaman, Mardin, Batman and Gaziantep for over a hundred years, with the latter of whom it is considered a traditional specialty.^[11] also having obtained the geographical indication certificate for "Gaziantep Menengic Coffee".^[12] It is considered a traditional specialty of Gaziantep.^[11]

The roasted and ground berries have been exported to Europe and around the world since the early 20th century.^[4] Although it contains neither coffee beans nor caffeine, it is known as coffee because seeds of Menengic are roasted and cooked like Turkish coffee.^[13]

In recent years, the processed berries in the form of an oily paste have appeared as a branded product in cans or jars.^{[8][additional citation(s) needed]}