On June 27, 2024, Ply Pasarj will be competing in the Cezve/Ibrik category at the World Coffee Championships in Copenhagen. 🎉
This is an exciting milestone because it is the first time that the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has sent a representative from Canada to compete in the Cezve/Ibrik category at the World Championship level! This follows Ply's win at the 2024 Canadian National Cezve/Ibrik Championship back in April 2024.
What is Cezve/Ibrik?
A Cezve, or Ibrik, refers to the small pot used to brew delicious Turkish coffee. A Cezve/Ibrik typically has a narrow neck and a wide bottom with a long handle. Traditionally, a Cezve/Ibrik is made out of brass or copper and they are used to boil coffee that is finely ground.
How does the Cezve/Ibrik competition work?
The World Coffee Championships encourage Cezve/Ibrik competitors to blend their creativity and skill, from craftsmanship of the actual brews to their knowledge of the Cezve/Ibrik tradition. During the competition, competitors prepare two drinks in 15 minutes — one being a more simple Cezve/Ibrik brew and the other being a signature Cezve/Ibrik brew. It is recommended that the ingredients used in these brews highlight the coffee qualities chosen by the competitors. There are two sensory judges, which means Ply will brew 4 total drinks. These judges are looking for brews that bring forth a balance of sensations, including sweetness, bitterness, and acidity.
How Ply got involved with Cezve/Ibrik
When we asked Ply what got him interested in Cezve/Ibrik, he shared with us:
Turkish coffee is something that I have not had a lot of experience with as it is not widely available here in Canada. So when they announced that Canada will hold the first-ever Cezve/Ibrik competition it sparked an interest in learning more about the tradition and another method of brewing coffee. I ( and the team) were blown away by the first brew we ever brewed at the shop using our coffee. It has a complexity and flavour profile that you can't get using other brewing methods.
Watch Ply compete in the 2024 Cezve/Ibrik competition
Ply is competing at 12pm Copenhagen time, GMT +2 (8 hours ahead of MST). While it means an early morning for some of our readers, it's not every day you get to witness our very own competing in the world champs!! Set your alarms, get your brews going, and join us in cheering Ply on: Stream the competition on the WCC YouTube channel here.
Watch Ply brew Cezve/Ibrik in our April 2024 subscription video
While we wait for the competition to stream, we invite you to check out our April 2024 Subscription video, where Ply uses the Cezve/Ibrik method to brew our Costa Rica Ivan Solis coffee.