Hi coffee nerds, for this post I thought I do something a little different and have a look into a suburb. As coffee adventures we’re prepared to search all over Sydney for the best right? And when we talk about coffee, what sort of suburb do you think of? Surry Hills? Marrickville? Bondi?… Auburn?

No seriously, Auburn. Auburn is one of Sydney’s Turkish centres and as such you can find some of Sydney’s best Turkish coffee.

What’s Turkish coffee I hear you saying? Don’t be worried fellow nerd here’s some cheat notes:

• Turkish coffee is a method of preparation for coffee, not a specific kind of coffee.
• Beans for Turkish coffee are ground very, very finely.
• Turkish-ground coffee can be stored as any other type.
• Like other sorts of coffee the flavours of the bean are traditional to the style.
• Grounds are in the cup when served.

So, where was I? Nerd two and we find ourselves a little way down Auburn Road, at Mado an excellent Turkish restaurant. I’m not sure how many other food blogs you read, but this place has gotten some serious foodie love. If you’re interested in our mains I got a lamb and chicken shish kebab, Nerd two the maras kebab. Both amazing.

At the end of our meal I asked for a small Turkish coffee and nerd two a Turkish tea. I’m not an expert in this kind of coffee, but hey we can all give it a go.

The coffee was presented in a traditional, small decorative cup with more-or-less matching saucer. The crema of the coffee was both rich and thick.

The aroma brought me back to my travels in Turkey and Eastern Europe quickly. The aroma was a little spicy and slightly fruity. Tasting the coffee, it was everything you’d hope for. It was a think and rich experience, very syrup like in consistency, with a little fruity flavour meets wheat like after taste. I quickly hit the bottom of the liquid, and the grounds, a very satisfying experience.

Few thoughts from this coffee experience. It would be interesting to see non-Turkish coffee shops try out this style, I wonder how this would go, with say some interesting single origins?

Second, lets say you’re already a fan, and you want get a hit of the Istanbul experience at home. The great news is Auburn has some great supermarkets. Take a walk up to Gima on Queen Street and pick up a tin of Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi Mahdumları’s coffee, direct (in a very round about fashion I imagine) from Istanbul’s oldest roaster. Incredible! They even have some instant Turkish coffee makers if you’re without your own cezve (copper pot).

Overall, it’s a great adventure. While I don’t want to rate the coffee against the lattes, long blacks, espressos, double ristrettos and macchiatos as it’s a different experience. The adventure (and coffee) is well worth the trip for any coffee lover.