Türkiye (f Turkey)

In Türkiye, hot sand is sometimes used to brew coffee. The pot, called a cezve, is lowered into heated sand, which surrounds it and distributes the heat evenly.

As the coffee begins to foam, the pot is lifted and lowered again and again. Turkish coffee is so closely tied to the country’s culture that the tradition is inscribed on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Sand as a stovetop. An unusual use for a very ordinary material.