Coffee can be enjoyed anywhere in the world – due to the high popularity of this drink, it is available in most places. So, when it comes to this beverage, Greece definitely won’t be the first location you think of, yet people living there adore it. Believe it or not, coffee is an essential part of their culture, and there are few finer places in the world where you can sit peacefully and have a pleasurable coffee drinking experience. The country might not be well-known for coffee, but we believe it should be due to the simple fact that it is pretty unique.
Greek coffee can be enjoyed by all types of drinkers. It is the world’s 17th biggest coffee-consuming country with 176 ounces of it per capita. Sounds impressive, right? Because the Greeks drink so much of it, you would naturally think that they actually know how to produce it right!
What is Greek coffee actually? To make it more clear to you, we can compare this drink to Turkish coffee and other ones from this area, including Serbia, Armenia, and Cyprus. The beans for Greek coffee are roasted at a specified temperature and crushed into a fine powder. Rather than being brewed, this one is actually boiled. For that particular reason, the final cup has a pretty rich and creamy flavor. It is mostly produced from Arabica beans that have been crushed into powder.
You might be a little surprised when hearing the phrase “Greek coffee”. Like Armenian coffee, Serbian domestic coffee, and Cypriot coffee in Cyprus, this is Greece’s way of claiming something that is a huge part of their everyday lives.
When it comes to Greece coffee, the origin of it is often debatable due to the simple fact that we already mentioned – it is pretty similar to the coffees of its neighboring countries. Turkey, as well as other countries in the Caucasus, North Africa, and the Middle East, are claiming to have invented this drink. This has frequently been backed up by tense political relationships between different regions. For instance, in the late 20th century Turkey invaded Cyprus, straining Greek-Turkish ties. These occurrences led to the changing of nomenclature from Turkish coffee to Greek coffee.
This coffee is prepared in a pretty common way, mostly with a fine grind. People living in Greece usually boil it in cezve or ibrik which is a very thin and tall kettle. In tiny demitasse cups, coffee is usually drunk 3-5 times each day. In general, each cup has little more than 100 mg of caffeine, which is equivalent to roughly a cup and a half of American coffee. Greek coffee is perfect for social events due to its leisurely pace. It is not unusual to observe individuals talking over Greek coffee at local cafeterias. A normal Greek coffee break might run for more than an hour and a half. This is plenty of time to talk, catch up, and gossip – it also underlines the fact how much this drink is loved by people living in the country and why it is one of the most important parts of their culture.
Making greek coffee is not very hard, some would even consider it pretty simple. The “briki” makes a very powerful brew with froth on top, which is split amongst glasses when it is poured. It has three important characteristics that are essential to the process:
Sugar can be added straight to the brewing coffee, and the amount contributed determines the four primary types:
Sweet boiling coffee, or glykys vrastos, is another variant of Greek coffee. This drink has been cooked several times and does not include any froth.
So, now comes the tricky question – How to make Greek coffee? The coffee is made using a steeping process in which the beans are coarsely crushed and then heated in a tall pot called “briki”. In order to start preparing your coffee, it is important to gather a few things, here is the list:
Once you have gathered all the important stuff, it is time to start the coffee-making process, which looks something like the following:
This coffee is drunk, frequently loudly and slowly. In genuine situations, a single cup of coffee can endure for several hours. Greek coffee has lately gained popularity among the younger generation, who order “doubles” and frequently add milk to it.
Because Greek coffee is strong, it is usually served with a glass of water. It is typically served black, however, some people like it with additional sweeteners. It is served in a tiny cup, similar to an espresso, and should be drunk gently. Do not consume it immediately after being served. Allow the grounds to settle at the bottom of the cup before drinking them. Drinking it is a bit of an art form, owing primarily to the grounds. All in all, I can tell from my experience that with Greek coffee, you can definitely enrich your coffee drinking experience and make a pretty pleasurable process that is nothing too complicated – additionally, you can perfect your techniques simply with several tries.
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