While in Greece I couldn’t stomach the local coffee very much. If anyone has ever tried “Greek style” coffee you’ll know what I mean. It’s a mean brew, all thick with a rich sediment that forms on he bottom of the cup. It’s sometimes referred to as Turkish coffee.
I personally believe it’s an acquired taste and one that I’m not really keen on enjoying. Still, every house I went to, I was offered this rich brew and I politely accepted.
However, I did get to enjoy the local iced coffee otherwise known as “frappe“. Dark, rich, cold with a golden foamy top this drink is very popular especially in the summer months.
People sit at cafes for hours with one of these sipping it very slowly enjoying its rich, intense flavours. The cruel irony for me is, that’s it’s made with instant coffee!!! Shock! Horror! I couldn’t believe it.
Apparently this is the best way to achieve the golden foam on top. While I believe instant coffee does serve its purpose (in extreme emergencies) I reckon I could achieve a similar outcome if I used freshly brewed espresso coffee from my machine. There are numerous ways to order it and I noticed the locals were quite specific about how they wanted it prepared.
It’s basically strong instant coffee added to cold water and ice cubes. It’s then vigorously shaken in a cocktail shaker. Modern cafes tend to use electric mixers to achieve that creamy foam on the top.
I was just glad that I could order espresso. Phew!
That’s my coffee of choice. Actually, a double espresso is my favourite. It kick starts the system like no other.
So as you can see there are numerous types of coffees to order in Greece. The frappe was nice but I could probably stomach it better on a hot day. The traditional Greek style coffee is something I would have with relatives out of politeness. Cafe culture in Greece is alive and thriving! Cigarettes optional!
Hi! I'm Peter. Welcome to Souvlaki For The Soul. My "little" space on the web. My blog is choc full of recipes, travel stories and photos. Have a good look around and enjoy your time here. Cheers!
Noticed this article about frappe is from 2007 so you probably know that you can order the equivalent of a frappe but made with espresso coffee??? It’s called a Freddo, or with a white frothy milk topping Fredo capuccino!
Glad I came across your blog keep up the good work.
From a greek-australian living in Athens.
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