Despite the fact that in European countries this invigorating drink began to be consumed only a couple of centuries ago, classic coffee has managed to be enriched with hundreds of different varieties and methods of preparation. Greek coffee stands apart, the real taste of which can only be appreciated when traveling to Hellas. Greece is a land of true connoisseurs of coffee pleasure: it is not for nothing that the Greeks have a common saying that good coffee is remembered for 40 years. What is the secret of local recipes? We'll find out in today's article.
History of Greek Coffee Frappe
The Greek coffee frappe recipe is over 60 years old. It was first tried at an exhibition in Thessaloniki by a representative of the Swiss company Nestlé, who could not find boiling water for his instant coffee and used cold milk and a shaker to whip up drinks.
At that time, the composition included ingredients such as milk powder, cold water, and instant coffee powder. As practice shows, drinks using natural ingredients are much tastier, so at home you can prepare a cool cocktail for a hot evening with whole milk, espresso from natural beans. You can cool the ingredients with crushed ice, crushed in a blender or in a shaker.
History of the origin of the drink
Frappe officially first appeared in 1957 at a fair in Thessaloniki. During the international event, coffee powder was presented, which should have been poured with boiling water, but could also dissolve in cold drinks.
During the break of the event, Dimitris Vakondios wanted to make coffee, but could not find boiling water. Attempts to prepare a classic drink were futile, so the man decided on an unexpected experiment.
He poured cold water into the Nestle instant coffee and shook the liquid well. The result was an unusual chilled coffee with plenty of foam, which Dimitris liked.
In Greece, due to the hot climate, the recipe attracted public attention. Chilled drinks are vital in the country. The method of preparing Vacondios did not require a special cooling method, and was loved by both bartenders and ordinary people.
To enhance the cooling effect of the drink, crushed ice was added to coffee. A little later, the unique name frappe coffee was borrowed from the French language.
The management decided to popularize the drink in hot countries. For the Greeks, this cooking method has become the main one in the country. Baristas have invented three types of frappe: glycos, metrios and sketos, which differ only in the sugar capacity.
The basis for frappe is always instant coffee. Ice is used in different ways, sometimes it is crushed, added to the drink and shaken, in other cases ice cubes are poured into the coffee.
Cypriots loved the version with milk, called frapogalo. 90 percent of the coffee is filled with milk, only 10 percent is left for water to get a fluffy foam. Moreover, the fattest milk available is used. Sometimes a third component is added - ice cream.
Cooking recipes
To prepare the classic Greek iced coffee called frappe, you use instant powder. Add 150 ml of pure ice water, a few ice cubes and sugar to 2 teaspoons . Place everything in a shaker and shake until foam forms. Pour into a glass and add more ice.
Frappe with cream
The milk component makes the drink softer. To prepare Greek frappe coffee with milk or cream, you need to take:
- 2 tablespoons of natural ground grains;
- 60 ml water for 1 serving;
- sugar to taste;
- 40 ml ice water to dilute the drink;
- 40 ml cream or full fat whole milk.
Preparation procedure:
- Brew espresso in a coffee machine, add and stir sugar.
- Cool the drink.
- Add ice water and cream.
- Beat until foam forms.
- Add ice and serve.
You need to drink the cocktail slowly through a thick straw.
With ice cream
The pre-brewed espresso is cooled, then mixed with ice cream and a third chocolate bar in a blender to grind the ingredients. Ice, preferably crushed, is added to the resulting whipped mixture. The drink is whipped into foam again and served.
With fruits
Iced coffee in Greece may be served with fruit, such as cherries, to add sourness. To do this, prepare espresso and cool it. At this point, pit the cherries and grind them in a blender with ice. Place the cold mixture at the bottom of the cup and pour in espresso.
Greek coffee with fruit can be made with the addition of cream, for example strawberries.
Iced coffee frappe. Recipe in winter variation
Ingredients:
- espresso – 100 ml;
- milk – 150 ml;
- grated black chocolate – 25 g;
- flower honey – 1 teaspoon;
- ice - 5 cubes.
Preparation:
- Fill tall glasses 2/3 full with crushed ice.
- Chilled freshly prepared espresso, milk, most of the chocolate and honey in a blender until thick foam is obtained.
- Pour the mixture into glasses with ice. Decorate with remaining chocolate.
Kaimaki
The legend about coffee, which appeared in Greece, is associated with kamaki - the foam that is formed when brewing coffee in a Turk. If the time has come for a girl to get married, then you can determine whether the groom likes you or not by the quality of the foam on the coffee. If it is dense and tall, the groom can count on reciprocity. If Greek coffee is served without foam, then the wedding will not take place.
The secret to making lush foam in the Turk is that the drink is never brought to a boil, but is removed every time the foam begins to rise. This technique is done 2-3 times, and it came to the Greeks from Turkey. The drink is considered properly prepared if there is still foam at the bottom at the end.
Cherry frappe
This is a frappe recipe for lovers of berry additives.
Take: 250 milliliters of double espresso, 100 grams of pitted cherries, ice cubes.
- Brew espresso or prepare instant espresso.
- Blend the cherries in a blender and mix with crushed ice.
- Place the cherries with ice in a tall glass and carefully pour the espresso down the sides.
- Garnish the drink with a couple of pitted cherries, pre-chilled in the freezer. Insert the tube.
Elliniko
This recipe for natural Greek coffee is almost exactly the same as what is prepared in the East. The fact is that the Greeks were once under the rule of the Turks, then they freed themselves and declared independence. Some dishes and drinks from those times have remained relevant to this day.
For helliniko, you need to properly grind the grains, turning them completely into dust. The process goes like this:
- Pour 2 teaspoons of powder into a copper pot, add sugar and add water.
- Place on fire and watch when the foam begins to rise.
- As soon as this happens, the Turk is removed from the heat and left for a minute.
- Place on the fire again and bring to a boil.
The ritual is repeated three times. It is important to maintain a time interval between heating and cooling. This Greek equivalent of the oriental drink is served with a glass of water.
Interesting! In Greece, people never drink coffee quickly while running off to work. This ritual is performed in a cafe, although the prices there are much more expensive.
Historical frappe recipe
The simplest recipe for a summer delicacy is very popular not only in Cyprus, but throughout Europe. It captivates with its softness, extraordinary taste and range of ingredients.
To create a traditional treat we will need:
- Ground beans/instant coffee – 2-3 tsp;
- Milk/cream – 30g;
- Granulated sugar – 2-3 tsp;
- Cream from a container;
- Chilled boiled water – 200 ml;
- Ice – 2-3 cubes.
Cooking method:
- If you use instant coffee, you just need to mix it with sugar and cold water.
- If you use ground coffee, you must first prepare a strong espresso from it, strain off excess grounds and cool it.
- Add milk to the cooled mixture and beat with a mixer until thick foam appears on top.
- Pour the mixture into a chilled cup, add crushed ice (you can also use cubes), decorate the top with whipped cream and chocolate chips/cinnamon if desired.
The cool treat is ready! Recommended to serve as a cocktail: from a tall glass through a straw.
Coffee Freddo – espresso and cappuccino
Greek coffee Fredo has two varieties - espresso and cappuccino. The first one is prepared simply - cold espresso and ice are mixed. The drink is not strong, as the melting ice cubes dilute the drink.
Greek Fredo Cappuccino coffee is made with cold whole milk, plus espresso and ice. The milk is pre-whipped cold to form foam. Put a lot of ice - up to half the container.
Instead of regular milk, you can add condensed milk, then it will be a very sugary drink that can make you thirsty in the summer. For the summer heat, an unsweetened strong drink with a double shot of espresso is more suitable.
Frappe with ice cream
Coffee frappe, the recipe of which involves adding ice cream, is already a real cocktail.
Take 200 milliliters of espresso (preferably double), 100 grams of ice cream, 100 ml of milk, ice cubes, dark grated chocolate.
- Prepare espresso (it is recommended to make strong coffee, it should be hot).
- Whip the ice cream with milk until foamy.
- Pour crushed ice into frappe glasses and pour in ice cream and milk.
- Carefully add coffee. There is no need to stir – the drink will naturally form beautiful streaks.
- Sprinkle the frappe with chocolate and insert the straws.
Drink without cooking
To get a larger dose of caffeine, it is recommended to infuse coffee beans in cold water. It is best to do this at night - in 6 - 8 hours all chemical compounds are extracted into the liquid. Honore de Balzac is considered the first author of this drink.
Greek coffee is prepared from a mixture of beans - Robusta and Arabica. The ratio of varieties depends on the preferences of cafe visitors. If a person likes a sour-bitter taste, he will be offered a mixture consisting of 50% robusta.
It also contains more caffeine - almost 2.5 times, so the drink will be very invigorating. This is not recommended for hypertensive patients or people with heart problems to drink in hot weather. For everyone else, increased dosages of caffeine are not scary, especially if you drink a glass of water before a cup of Greek coffee.
The degree of extraction also depends on the grind - the finer it is, the more caffeine and essential oils will get into the water. You can make a drink without cooking from green grains - this type is popular among those people who watch their figure or practice a healthy eating style.
Roasted grains are tastier, but less healthy. Greens contain a large amount of the antioxidant chlorogenic acid, but when frying this chemical compound is completely destroyed.
To make extracted coffee without boiling, you need to pour ground beans into a container. The degree of grinding does not matter in this case. The mixture is left overnight and can be drunk in the morning.
How to choose the right coffee?
Frappes are prepared differently in different countries. But there are strength categories that need to be clarified at the establishment, especially Greek, when ordering:
- Strong black (from the Greek - sketos);
- Medium sweetness (from Greek - metrios);
- Sweet (glycos).
These categories show the amount of milk or cream added to the drink, its sweetness and method of preparation.
Cyprus coffee
Those vacationing on the island of Cyprus, not far from Greece, can be offered a cup of the Congolese Robusta variety in the cafe. This is a very rich drink, unlike Arabica. The preparation recipe is no different from Turkish, but Cypriots do not like it when Cypriot coffee is called Turkish.
There are several types of sugar based on the amount of sugar:
- sketo – 1 spoon or without sugar;
- metrio – 2;
- in Greek glyco coffee there are 3 - 4 tablespoons of sugar - to taste it is sugar syrup with the addition of espresso;
- Frappe is an iced cocktail, also called Greek coffee.
When ordering, the name of the coffee in Greek must be supplemented with the characteristics described above so that the barista knows how much sugar to put in the cup. If you don't specify, he will put 1 spoon.
In Cyprus, the most famous and best-selling brand is Dundalis.
Video: How to properly brew Greek coffee drink
Classic methods
Prepare 200 ml double espresso, 150 ml water or milk, sugar to taste, ice cubes.
Shake milk and espresso in a shaker or using a mixer. By the way, there is a special beater for frappe, thanks to which you can achieve the formation of a beautiful light brown foam. Place ice in a glass and pour in the milk-coffee mixture. Serve with a straw.
And here is a faster-to-prepare frappe recipe (the same second algorithm): pour instant coffee (any coffee you like) into a glass, add sugar to taste, pour a couple of tablespoons of milk or water, then whisk the mixture thoroughly. Ideally, you should get a strong foam that does not leak out if you turn the glass over. Next, pour water or milk - after a while, the foam and liquid will form two layers, and the drink will take on a beautiful appearance.
How to Serve Coffee
Frappe, due to its low temperature (approximately 10-15°C), is served in tall cocktail glasses. If you don't have one, then a tall ceramic cup or latte glass will do. To avoid tooth sensitivity, the glass is equipped with a straw. If the cocktail contains berry puree, the straw should be thicker than usual so that the drink can pass through easily. According to technology, frappe should have a high layer of persistent foam, which is obtained by whipping coffee water with milk.
The foam does not allow various additives to settle, thanks to this you can decorate the cocktail in a wide variety of ways. Coconut flakes, marshmallows and other toppings are often used for this. The drink is often prepared with the addition of juices, for example, orange, pineapple, pomegranate. Frappe is usually served with light desserts: sherbet, panna cotta, cheesecake. The cocktail goes well with the French dessert creme brulee with its characteristic baked caramel crust.
Traditional Greek coffee
In addition to Frappe, people in Greece also like to prepare other types of coffee drinks. And here the palm undoubtedly belongs to the famous Greek coffee.
“I love natural coffee,” is a phrase you can often hear from a Greek. Residents of sunny Greece are accustomed to not wasting speed at the expense of quality. Therefore, to properly prepare Greek coffee, many nuances should be taken into account.
Which variety is better: Arabica or Robusta
For the Greeks, not only the technique is important, but also the initial qualities of the product. The type of coffee determines the taste and aroma of the finished drink. To prepare a Greek coffee recipe, it is best to use a mixture of Arabica and Robusta varieties.
Is it possible to replace ground coffee with instant coffee?
Instant coffee varieties are used in Greece to make the cold coffee drink Frappe. Greek brewed coffee is always just coffee made from ground beans. There are no exceptions to this rule.
The secret of cooking
There are a large number of methods for brewing coffee, and each of them has its own advantages.
Greek cold Frappe is a coffee valued for its quick and easy preparation. With traditional Greek coffee, things are completely different. The Greeks simmer the ground grains on the stove very slowly; they practically do not even cook them, but bake them. And in the drink recipe, it is necessary to maintain exact proportions so as not to disturb the ideal taste combination.
Greek coffee is prepared only from ground beans and always in a Turk with a narrow neck. Pour water into the bowl and bring to a boil. Then add 2 tablespoons of coffee and a spoonful of sugar, and then put it back on the fire. Brew the drink until thick foam forms, observing certain nuances.
In order to reproduce the traditional Greek method of brewing coffee, you need to place the Turk on a flame divider. In the absence of the latter, you can use a complicated, but more convenient method. Place a frying pan with sand (layer 2-3 cm) over low heat. As soon as the sand warms up, we place the Turk directly on it and brew our Greek coffee. During the brewing process, the drink must be stirred constantly.
Thick Greek Kaimaki
Foam deserves special attention. Greek coffee always contains large air bubbles in the cup, which appear from heating the coffee oil. This effect is called "Kaymaki". It is very interesting that this phenomenon even has its own local legend about matchmaking. If a girl doesn’t like the groom, she will present him with coffee without foam, and the gentleman who likes her is always treated to coffee from kaymaki.
To prepare such foam, you need to know the secret of the local coffee ritual. And it lies in the fact that the drink should never be brought to a boil. As soon as the coffee is ready, the Turk is removed from the stove, and after a couple of seconds they are put back. To obtain thick foam, this trick must be done several times.
It is worth noting that coffee from kaymaki is not finished until the end, because... There is a thick residue left at the bottom.
Coffee with cream foam
And in conclusion, I would like to tell you about a recipe for delicious strong coffee with creamy foam. This method is considered a classic of Greek cuisine.
To prepare this drink you will need the following tools and ingredients:
- ground coffee (1 tsp);
- sugar (1 tsp);
- cold water (60-70 ml.);
- copper Turk with a narrow neck;
- spoon for making coffee.
Pour water into the Turk, add coffee and sugar. Mix thoroughly and place on medium heat. We carefully monitor the appearance of bubbles and the formation of foam. As soon as the drink rises, quickly pour the foam into the cup and put the Turk back on the fire. After a couple of seconds, we repeat the ritual and return the drink to the stove. When the foam rises for the third time, pour the coffee completely into the cup. A delicious drink according to the Greek recipe is ready!
Greece has everything! And special coffee recipes as well. While traveling through the resorts of sunny and unique Hellas, do not forget to get acquainted with the traditions of local cuisine and enjoy the unique taste of dishes and drinks. Have exciting trips and delicious taste experiences!
Coffee story
There are legends about the appearance of this natural “energy drink”. The most common of these is associated with the shepherd Kaldim and the events that occurred in Ethiopia in 850. This is how this story sounds according to handwritten sources.
Kaldim drove his herd along picturesque mountain slopes with rich vegetation. Suddenly the shepherd began to notice that, after chewing the leaves of a wild plant, the goats became too vigorous and excited: they began to run, jump furiously, and butt. The young man was frightened and thought that the goats were poisoned, and their inappropriate behavior was a sign of their death throes.
After thinking a little, the shepherd decided to seek advice from the wise monks. He collected several coffee fruits and brought them to the monastery. After listening to the young man’s story, the monks decided that the devil had sent these fruits to earth and they should be burned immediately. The grains were thrown into the fire, and then a rich coffee aroma, hitherto unfamiliar to people, spread throughout the entire monastery.
Judging that such a smell was unlikely to be poison, the beans were quickly pulled out of the fire, crushed and poured with water, thus preparing the world's first coffee drink. The monks liked the black water, and the invigorating properties of the drug helped the ministers tirelessly stay awake during long night services. Later, the popular drink in monastic circles began to be prepared in nearby cities, from where the fame of coffee spread throughout the world.
The most famous brand is Lumidis Papagalos
Coffee is brought from Greece for gifts and as a reserve. Those people who have been on holiday in Greece or Cyprus recommend local brands. They say that they like it more than in the East.
You can buy locally packaged varieties in cafenios or supermarkets. Kafenio are small establishments for communication, which are almost gone in big cities, as they have been replaced by large cafeterias. You can come here to discuss business or just relax alone on a day off, drinking a cup of Greek coffee.
The most popular variety is Loumidis Papagalos - it is a national pride. The brand is over 100 years old – it was previously a food retail business. The stores also sold loose roasted coffee. At the moment, you can buy beans of varying degrees of roasting, the packaging of which differs in color.
“Coffee with a Parrot” is a mixture of Arabica and Robusta, the best varieties of both. If you have no idea what souvenir to bring home, you can buy Greek coffee Loumidis Papagalos. It can be found in the capital of Greece - Athens in the company's company stores.
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Alcohol recipes
For those who like to drink coffee even in the evening, we offer the top 5 most popular liqueurs suitable for a cold treat:
- Amaretto;
- Kahlua;
- Banana liqueur (easy to make at home, strength 25-35 degrees);
- Orange liqueur (if cooking with milk, add carefully);
- Cherry liqueur.
You can experiment with this set of liqueurs and add to your taste. The treat will be soft, but with a twist, like a real alcoholic cocktail.
