Z food&drink
Savaya Coffee Market Brewing Coffee the Turkish Way by Marisa Bernal The rumble of coffee roasting is a welcoming sound for coffee artist and Savaya Coffee Market owner Burc Maruflu. “Coffee is my life. I wouldn’t be able to do anything else, in terms of business. This is a reflection of my passion.” Maruflu’s business opened in April 2009 with a menu spanning the globe and an intricate coffee roaster greeting guests at the door. “There are about 70 countries in the world that grow coffee. We carry beans from about 30-50, depending on the season” said Maruflu. As customers, or “Savayans” as Maruflu calls them, walk through the door they are welcomed by their world-wide black board menu. The menu offers coffee sold by the pound, or by the french press, ranging from Uganda, Brazil, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Yemen and Kopi Luwak. The geographical map painted on the back wall traces the origins of Savaya’s beans, many of which Maruflu has visited himself to bring coffee to Savaya. “This is what differentiates us from anybody else. We buy special selection, rare coffees, that are unique, and represent their original character, and roast them in front of people,” said Maruflu. With their roots in bean buying, Savaya Coffee Market stays true to its origin. “We don’t buy every bean. We have a very specific approach to what beans we buy and we only buy organic beans or beans that grow in a bio-dynamic environment,” said Maruflu. “The care of this business is in the coffee bean, so what’s in the cup stands out.” In a 2013 survey by the National Coffee Association, it was shown that approximately 83 percent of adults in the United States drink coffee. “Coffee is probably the most consumed beverage but it is not understood well,” said Maruflu. “We are talking about a seed from an entire plant. It absorbs everything that the plant takes in, so if it is grown with pesticides and chemicals, the whole thing goes to the bean.” For this reason, everything found in Savaya Coffee Market is organic, including the pastries. The passion seeping from Savaya stems from a long history of coffee brewing in the Maruflu family and Maruflu’s upbringing in Istanbul. “I learned roasting from my grandmother, Neriman, in Turkey at a very young age,” said Maruflu. “She was known for her coffee serving ability.” Much like Savaya, Maruflu’s grandmother roasted coffee for taste and not commercial benefit. 26 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | June 2013
When Neriman was a young girl she brewed and served her own coffee to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the New Turkish Republic, said Maruflu. “The biggest figure in Turkish history asked for my grandma by name to brew him coffee, and she did,” said Maruflu. “On her tombstone it says ‘the young woman who served Atatürk coffee,’ it’s what she was known for.” The passion Neriman had for coffee shows not only through Maruflu but through his employees, too. Employees take the time to let guests sample coffee, smell coffee beans, and explain flavor profiles before a purchase is made. “Burc has given us all the best ingredients and knowledge. He wants us to pursue in making the best drink possible,” said barista Isaiah Barker. “Each person has the right coffee for them, our job is to find it.” “We try everything that we make, whether it’s a coffee, an espresso, or an iced drink,” said barista Mike Pasquet. “It’s so we make sure we are on top of our game. It’s how we were trained.” Savaya also offers free Coffee 101 classes to people interested in learning more about coffee flavors, pairings and history. Maruflu continues to produce new coffee creations, including the new Kafette Turkish coffee brewing line paired with a brewing machine by Beko, said Barker. “Kafette is a modernized way to brew Turkish coffee with a three boiler process. Since Turkish coffee is ground very fine, the process really makes the grounds connect with the water,” said Barker. Another innovative coffee served in Savaya is the slowly brewed science coffee displayed in the shop that drips into large beakers. “Science coffee takes about 24 hours to make,” said Barker. “There is one drip every two seconds for the full 24 hours. The advantages of making coffee this way is that it doesn’t extract the acidity out of the bean. I believe we are the only coffee shop in Tucson to do this.” Savaya Coffee Market currently has three locations throughout Tucson, and has two new stores scheduled to open later this year. As for the name “Savaya”, Maruflu admits it has no meaning behind it. “I wanted a very unique name that is not associated with anything, so that the meaning forms here,” said Maruflu. “We are giving the name a meaning.” For more information visit SavayaCoffee.com.