The rich Bosnian coffee taste is not something someone can quickly brew in a Keurig.

That is why the Kentucky Museum will host a Bosnian coffee demonstration today from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in honor of the international year of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Kentucky Museum, located on Kentucky Street, has also been home to “A Culture Carried: Bosnians in Bowling Green” for the past month and will continue until June 2018, but this exhibition is just one facet of the IYO or International Year Of program which is currently in its fourth year.

The event itself is part of an academic course within the Folk Studies department in the Potter College of Arts and Letters, and it provides an opportunity to expose students to cultural customs of Bosnia and to intrigue students to become globally-oriented. Meghan Loughry, a student in the course, held a role in planning the demonstration.

“I am very excited about experiencing the demonstration, as well as learning more about Bosnian culture, especially from two women who live in Bowling Green but still practice their culture,” Loughry said.

The subject of Bosnian coffee is something that has intrigued all sorts of people for ages. The long and often complicated process begins with roasted coffee beans that are pulverized into a fine powder and cooked in a small copper-plated pot with a long neck. After boiling, the water is set to the side, and then coffee is added to it and boiled again.

The experience is part of the year-long celebration, which began this past May and is characterized by a film festival, cultural workshops, and demonstrations throughout the year that works to spotlight not only the country but the demographics of this country’s immigrants living in Bowling Green.

Previous events include a seminar called Bosnia and Herzegovina 101 held in the Downing Student Union to highlight the cultural distinctions between the U.S. and the Eastern European country. Also, in mid-September WKU held the Bosnia and Herzegovina film festival, which displayed a wide range of films depicting the Bosnian war from 1992 to 1995. The film festival focused on the political past of the country in hopes of bringing the issues to light to those in attendance.

The relationship between Bowling Green and Bosnia and Herzegovina has had an ongoing presence, culminating the more than 5,000 Bosnian immigrants living in Bowling Green today. But Loughry is confident these experiences aren’t going to end soon.

“Not only this, but in November there will be another event hosted by my class, and it will be all about Bosnian pita,” Loughry said.

The pita also has political significance, serving as something cheap made to feed families during the Bosnian civil war.

As for IYO’s future, Cuba has been selected as the 2018-2019 country of the year and will continue this tradition followed by Kenya the following year.

Reporter Noah Moore can be reached at 270-745-2655 and [email protected].