Turkish university offers country’s first course on all things coffee

Turkey's Okan University in Istanbul has started to offer the first full-time class on coffee in Turkey, immediately attracting the attention of dozens of both gastronomy students and coffee lovers.

Interest in drinking as well as preparing coffee has recently been on the rise in Turkey. Though it is not entirely a new phenomenon, since Turkish coffee is a tradition and habit of the region's people with a decadeslong history, new styles of coffee brewing have become popular in the last couple of years.

Observing the increased popularity of third wave coffee shops and styles in Turkey, Okan University opened the country's first coffee class within its gastronomy department. The courses is given by certified coffee instructor and consultant Cenk Girginol for three hours each week.

The course consist of various topics, including the history of coffee, the coffee growing process, espresso techniques and drip coffee cupping. Since the classes not only include theoretical lessons, students will also get the chance to practice what they have learned in applied classes.

Saying that the students are going to have detailed knowledge on every aspect of coffee, Girginol said: "They are going to learn all the details about coffee that may be served in any café, restaurant or a hotel. Students that take these classes can be a barista or an operation director in a related company after finishing the course."

Although in terms of coffee consumption Turkey is behind many other countries with 550 grams per person a year — while in Finland it is 12 kilograms and about 7-8 in Italy, it has been increasing with each passing year.