One Cup of Turkish Coffee Brings the World Together – Turkish Airlines

For the past ten years, I’ve literally traveled the world searching for the best coffee. From cafes in Barcelona to farms in Ethiopia and of course, sips of coffee history in Istanbul. But I was never really impressed with airplane coffee, which is why I usually made my own until now. I’m Brodie Vissers, filmmaker and drink explorer, and when I found out about the extensive drink menu in Turkish Airlines business class, I knew that would be my next coffee adventure. So let’s hit the skies. My first leg of the journey from Spain to Thailand would bring you through Istanbul, so I had a short three hour flight with enough time to relax, sip some homemade lemonade, and dig into some good Turkish meze with ayran of course. A unique yogurty Turkish drink. A little bit of salad followed by balik yes, fish. And I was happy to taste some nice Spanish flan for dessert. And to top it off, my first taste of Turkish coffee on an airplane with local Turkish delight. We’re pulling into Istanbul now, and I moved swiftly to make sure I had enough time in the Turkish Airlines lounge before my next flight. In case you’re wondering where to find it, just pass through the concourse, find the E gates, and head towards E1. You’ll find the lounge up the escalator, scan your boarding pass and you’re in. For me, it felt a bit like a small theme park, but with Turkish food, Turkish drinks, and even a piano that plays itself all for your enjoyment. You can even lock your things safely away with a few taps, your fingertip so your hands are free to grab yourself a bit of cherry juice. Some sort gozleme, dig into the salad bar. Lentil soup. Sip on some Turkish tea. Or of course, some Turkish coffee. And don’t forget Turkish delight. And try not to spill. Cookies, cakes, baklava. They even have a simit cart. And that I mention food. But my favorite today was the Turkish ravioli with yogurt and spices. Catch some news. Watch the concourse. And I couldn’t help myself. I ordered a bit of chicken and kebab with bulgur to slam down before running to my next flight. Oops. Mine’s boarding soon. Let’s get out of here. Back on board with a full stomach. It was time to look at the menu. Oof! Okay, let’s choose our main course for later. Now in the sky, let’s explore the seat before dinner arrives. A little light up here. Everything really is at your fingertips. Lighting, seat recline. This is the cool part right here. And there’s even a snacks button. Not really, but they brought it anyway. Testing out the bed for later and locked away, I found some really nice noise canceling headphones, like my own personal cinema at 900km an hour. And just like that, it was time to eat. They started me off with some more corba and an assortment of different starters. And check this out. Honestly, pretty cool. A little bun made from a 12,000 year old bread recipe, and ancient grains from the tash to polar region of Türkiye. So good. Can’t skip the olive oil. And now time for my lamb shank. A little palate cleanser, baklava, and the moment I’ve been waiting for. Sip Turkish coffee with baklava after a nice meal at 12,000m in the sky. Now time to catch some Z’s before we land. But first Turkish breakfast, some simit, my favorite, cheeses, dips, and of course, Turkish tea with some fresh juices. And to wrap it all up, let’s dig into some morning crepes and a nice iced latte just before landing in Thailand. Thanks to Turkish Airlines, I arrived, rested, full and of course fully caffeinated. See you next time.