Coffee Grind Reading
Cultures of the Middle East that practice divination in this fashion usually use left-over coffee grounds from Turkish coffee turned over onto a plate.
Traditionally, Turkish coffee is used for this, or any coffee that has grinds that sit at the bottom of the cup. The grinds are necessary to form "pictures" to be interpreted. The drinker of the coffee cannot read his or her own cup. The cup must be read by someone else. Most of the liquid in the coffee is drunk, but the sediment at the bottom is left behind.
There are at least two forms of coffee readings. Both require that the cup be covered with the saucer and turned upside-down. However, some traditions such as in Romania require that the sediments in the cup be swirled around the inside of the cup until they cover the majority of the cup's inside surface. Other traditions such as Armenian and Middle Eastern do not require this swirling but do require that the cup be turned towards yourself for showing your own fortune.
The coffee grinds are given time to settle and dry against the cup before a reading begins. The same is true with tea leaves.
After a reading, in Armenian or Middle Eastern traditions, the drinker will be asked to "open the heart". This is done by placing the right thumb at the inside bottom of the cup and twisting clockwise slightly. This will leave an impression behind that the fortune teller will interpret as the drinker's inner thoughts or emotions.