If you have ever visited Greece there is no doubt that you have heard about the Greek iced Coffee that is called Frappe!For the Greeks , frappe is not just a coffee , it is a whole experience . Drinking Frappe means that you want to relax under the sun , maybe with a view of the sea , having a conversation with friends without any concern for this period of time, just enjoying life!
But what exactly a coffee Frappe is?It is a Greek iced coffee drink that is made from instant coffee (spray-dried Nescafé), water, sugar, and milk.The frappé invention was found through an experimentation by Dimitris Vakondios, a Nescafe representative, in 1957 in Thessaloniki. Frappe is among the most popular forms of coffee in Greece and Cyprus and has become a characteristic of the Greek coffee culture.The name frappe comes from French, which describes drinks chilled with ice.
This type of coffee established very quickly in Greece, with intense marketing campaigns in 1980s.
Let’s continue with the preparation.
A cocktail shaker or, more frequently these days, an electric milk frother or milkshake maker can be used to make a frappe. First, a thick foam is created by shaking or blending instant coffee (traditionally Nescafe), optional sugar, and a small amount of water. Ice cubes, cold water, and possibly milk (traditionally evaporated milk) are then added to the mixture in the serving glass. The drink is always served with a drinking straw since the thick foam that builds on top has an unpleasant bitter taste.
In Greece, a coffee frappe is generally ordered by specifying sweetness, and the amount of milk if desired. The usual sweetness levels bellow are, for about 2 spoonfuls of instant coffee:
- glykós (γλυκός /sweet) – 4 spoonfuls sugar
- métrios (μέτριος /medium’) – 2 spoonfuls sugar
- skétos (σκέτος /plain) – no sugar
Milk, more often evaporated milk, is generally not added unless it is requested with the phrase me gála (με γάλα/ with milk) it can also be requested without milk (horís gála -χωρίς γάλα)
Next time you ‘ll visit Greece order a frappe and you’ll never want to leave..
