It takes some time to get used to this beverage which is usually short , thick and sweet !

As a Turkish coffee has many nuances you must find your way through them all until you get the one that suits your particular taste . Then , in order to enjoy it at a local coffee shop , you must also equip yourself with three Cyprus chairs ! And ... you must learn to relax .

So , take one chair to sit on , one in front of you so that its side bars make a foot - rest and its seat your coffee table , and put one at the side of you , turning it to such an angle that your left arm may rest along its back ! Now that you have found the most comfortable position , sit up straight again and clap your hands for the waiter . When he comes , order your coffee by the grade of its sweetness ; it is quite unnecessary to mention the word "coffee" . Say "Enan glyki parakalo" and your waiter knows that although you have simply asked for "A sweet one , please" you cannot mean anything other than a sweet coffee .

The coffee used is a very finely ground variety which can be bought loose or in small paper bags .

If you want to make a Turkish coffee at home you can get various sized " Imbrikia" - little coffee pots to hold from 1 to about 7 coffee cups .

Put the measured water for the numbers of coffees you want to make in the "imbriki" , then add the necessary coffee and sugar and stir . Put the pot onto the flame and let the liquid just rise to the rim , then take it off .

Serve by putting a little of the froth into each cup with a teaspoon and then carefully pour the rest of the coffee so as not to spoil that froth which is called "kaimaki" - boiled - and this you achieve by pouring the coffee from the pot into the cup from a height , or by letting it boil for a few seconds .

Do not drink the whole coffee as there is a thick sediment at the bottom of each cup . This is very useful in fortune telling .

Fortune telling is a woman's job , and I am sure that amongst all your newly acquired friends there will be one who can tell your fortune !

To have your fortune told you must turn the coffee cup upside - down . Careful now ! The best way is to put the saucer over the top of your cup and , with a swift movement , turn both cup and saucer over . That's it ! Now , let it stand for a while to dry then lift the cup and put it onto the side of the saucer and let it drain completely . Should the cup stick to the saucer it means that the one you love loves you !

You do not say "Thank you" to the person who tells your fortune , but "Oti pothite" which means "Whatever you wish" ... and the answer is "Episis" - "The same to you" .