Washington - To kick off the new year, the Yunus Emre Institute hosted their third virtual Turkish coffee happy hour session. Though this was a program that we would normally hold at our Washington D.C. office, virtual Turkish coffee happy hour on Zoom has been a lively time for everyone involved. The fantastic history of Turkish coffee was brought straight to our guests’ living rooms on January 8th 2021. Fun is always guaranteed when learning about a cultural item with such a rich history dating back centuries ago, especially with a new trivia format!
The third virtual Turkish coffee happy hour commenced on Friday evening with a diverse group of excited Zoom guests. The event was hosted by Public Relations Assistant Harper Clark as he guided the guests along through the programs’ four unique sections. Harper first welcomed everyone and introduced the program to new guests. He then described the historical traditions behind Turkish coffee in the misafir odası, or guest room, section. In the mutfak section, meaning kitchen, the group eventually learned about the authentic process of brewing Turkish coffee on a sand machine. As the program went along, the guests asked a few questions during the sohbet session, or chat, about the process behind brewing Turkish coffee, its history, and how to brew your own at home. Our guests went head to head in order to put their new knowledge to the test in a Turkish coffee themed game of trivia.
All of the guests had a really fun time engaging with Turkish coffee and the importance of Turkish culture. There were also a number of great questions about how to brew Turkish coffee at home and how it was traditionally brewed centuries ago. The fun really started with the competition for the grand prize of their own personal Turkish coffee set. After nearly a dozen questions and a tight race between all of our guests, we had a first prize winner. Though we can only award one winner, it’s safe to say that all of our guests had a great time learning about this valuable cultural tradition and meeting each other along the way.
The Yunus Emre Foundation is a public foundation designed to educate the public about Turkey and its language, history, culture, and art. The Foundation makes such related information and documents available for use in the world. Facilitating cultural exchange between Turkey and other countries is a central objective of the Foundation. If you are interested in receiving more information, please email washingtondc@yee.org.tr.