Dreaming of the new experiences that come with travel? The Queen City’s, Rüya Turkish Coffee is bringing those dreams to life through bold brewed coffee and personalized fortune-telling experiences. Inspired by her parents who lived the immigrant dream, Rüya founder, Melis Aydogan shares the cherished practices of her immigrant ancestors through conversation, connection and coffee. Fortune-telling allows us time to reflect on life, talk about what we want resolved and what we are looking forward to: our dreams. Hence the name Rüya, which translates to “dream” in Turkish. The conversations and dreams shared over Turkish coffee connect all of us, regardless of culture, politics, or religion. Rüya continues this dream and serves to shape a world that everyone can call home.
Turkish coffee is the oldest known brewing method and is a vital part of Turkish culture. For more than 500 years, the historic brewing method has paved the way for people of all ages and backgrounds to unite through coffee and conversation. Interestingly, this is the same manner in which coffee was consumed by sultans and sultanas in their palaces during the Ottoman Empire! After the coffee is consumed, the beloved ritual of fortune-telling that follows brings a little mystery to the table. Turkish coffee is unfiltered, so after you sip on the liquid and tip your leftover, sludge-like grounds onto the saucer, a friend, family member or professional can read your fortune from the resulting shape. Families often read one another’s fortunes after meals as a way to come together and connect.
Rüya was started thanks to a grant Melis received to open a Turkish Coffeehouse, with a mission to change the narrative of immigrants in America cup-by-cup, conversation-by-conversation. Rüya’s hope was to give not only her parents (who immigrated to the U.S. from Turkey), but all immigrants, 1st-gens, and others a home away from home that brings back happy memories, and in turn, allows long-time residents and immigrants an opportunity to welcome and support each other.
As the Turkish proverb goes, if your Turkish coffee tastes “dark as hell, strong as death, and sweet as love,” then you’ve got it just right.
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Check out some of the readings Melis recently shared with 21c artists Zoë Buckman and Grimanesa Amorós!
Interested in a Rüya Turkish coffee experience? Join Melis at 21c Cincinnati for Rüya’s Welcome Home immersive film and pop-up coffee bar. One-on-one session are available with Rüya’s master fortune teller, Melis’s mother, otherwise known as Mama Rüya, Saturday’s and Sunday’s from 8am-3pm, January 8 – March 20, 2022. Pricing is $5 for a cup of Turkish coffee and $25 for a traditional Turkish coffee fortune reading. Interested in taking this experience home with you? Purchase a Turkish Coffee Kit during your visit or online.
