Demitasse
small cup used to serve Turkish coffee or espresso
A demitasse (; French: "half cup"), demi-tasse, or espresso cup is a small cup used to serve espresso. It may also refer to the coffee served in such a cup, though that usage has disappeared in France by the early 20th century.
A demitasse typically has a capacity of approximately 60–90 millilitres (2–3 US fl oz), half the size of a full coffee cup (a tasse à café is about 120 millilitres (4 US fl oz)). The Italian Espresso National Institute recommends serving espresso in a white china cup holding 50−100 ml. They are typically ceramic and accompanied by matching saucers, but some coffeehouses and china companies also produce brightly decorated varieties. Another type of demitasse has a glass cup set into a metal cup-holder frame, called a zarf in Turkey.
Demitasse cups are small because they usually serve espresso, which is a stronger, more concentrated coffee, best served in smaller portions.
A demitasse-sized cup, known as a finjan, is traditionally used for serving Turkish and Arabic coffee.
“Demitasse” enters the record as small cup used to serve Turkish coffee or espresso. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Demitasse, small and used can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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