The rule regarding coffee is easy in Bosnia and Herzegovina: All types of caffeine fuelled goodness are allowed — just don't order them to go if you don't want to be outed as a tourist immediately.

Why? Sitting down with your coffee, enjoying it, people watching is the whole point. Making a good cup of Bosnian coffee is a process that starts long before the waiter sets it down on your table, so taking your time to consume it is a sign of respect for the craft. The Bosnians have a word for what happens when you stop rushing: ćejf. 

So here's how you find yours.

What is the history of coffee culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Coffee arrived in Bosnia in the 16th century, carried along Ottoman trade routes that connected Sarajevo to Istanbul, Damascus, and Cairo. The first coffee house in Europe didn't open in Istanbul or Venice or Vienna but right here, in Sarajevo. Coffee wasn't a luxury. It was part of everyday life. And the kafana a place where business was made, news exchanged and disputes settled.

This didn't change much when the Ottomans left and the Austrians came. Coffee stayed. And the Kaffeehaus as a second living room, too. Now, it's deeply ingrained in Bosnian society. And that espresso at the counter or iced-coffee to go of the 21st century? Still not a thing.

What is Bosnian coffee and how is it made?

Let's start with an important distinction: Bosnian coffee is not Turkish coffee. The methods are related but the philosophy, the preparation, the taste, is different.

Here in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it all starts with a džezva — a small, long-handled copper pot. A heaped teaspoon of finely ground coffee per cup goes in, then hot water. The džezva goes on a low heat.  As the water comes to a boil again, the coffee blooms upward and forms a dark foam across the surface. This is the tell. Just before the liquid reaches a full boil, you pull the džezva off the heat.

Put a small amount of the kaimak into the fildžan (the small handleless cup), then pour the coffee slowly. The grounds settle to the bottom. You do not stir them.

That's the method. But every family does it slightly differently. The ratio of coffee to water shifts. Some families pull the džezva earlier; others let the foam rise twice. Some add the coffee to hot water, not cold. There is no single correct recipe — only your grandmother's recipe, which is, of course, the correct one.

Maida from Caffe Bar Andar in Sarajevo's Baščaršija shows you how it's done in our YouTube video:

How should you drink Bosnian coffee?

The coffee always arrives with a small glass of water. Some say, it is to clean your palate. Others say serving a glass of water was a sign of wealth. Not everyone could afford a well in their home.

Served with it is a sugar cube and rahat lokum (Turkish delight). You take a small bite, then a sip of coffee, and let the sweetness work alongside the bitterness rather than inside it. You can dissolve the sugar if you prefer or even add milk to it; nobody will object. But the coffee was designed to taste the way it tastes without sugar in it.

A little tip by the .Cheyf team: if someone makes you Bosnian coffee in their home, they are not just offering you a drink. They are telling you that you are welcome, that there is no rush, and that you can stay as long as the coffee lasts. Finishing quickly and leaving immediately is technically fine. It's also, somewhere deep in the cultural logic of this country, slightly rude.

Where to drink Bosnian coffee in Sarajevo?

You can find Bosnian coffee all over the city, but here are the places the dsa .Cheyf team loves to go for coffee:

• Café Bar Andar: Maida will be happy to show you live how to make Bosnian coffee here

• Ministry of Ćejf: It’s especially nice to sit here under the awnings in the summer

Hotel Europa: You can’t enjoy Bosnian coffee in a Viennese atmosphere anywhere else

If you join our Private Sarajevo City Tour with Bosnian Coffee & Local Stories, you’ll experience the entire coffee ritual. A real break is part of the tour.

Where to drink Bosnian coffee in Mostar?

Mostar’s coffee culture shares the same Ottoman roots as Sarajevo’s. Here, the .Cheyf team likes to stop for a coffee:

• Fabrika: You can sit in the pleasant shade of the courtyard of a former mosque

• Šadrvan: Here, coffee is served in the traditional way on a copper tray

• Café de Alma: Here you can learn how Bosnian coffee is prepared

Can I make Bosnian coffee at home?

Yes of course. You can buy the finely ground coffee beans in any Bosnian supermarket and replicate the above method in your own kitchen with a džezva. On our Sarajevo City Tour, the city's coppersmiths will happily advise you which one is the best for your stove and home.

And if you want the full version — the coffee, the atmosphere, the stories that come with it — our Sarajevo Food Tour and Private City Tour with Bosnian Coffee & Local Stories both include it.