According to a 2011 study released by chartsbin.com, despite its small scale, Greece ranked 15th among all countries in the world, with 5.5 kg of annual per capita coffee consumption. But in Greece, drinking coffee isn’t just a habit. It is a regular routine with friends in a busy café, in the summer outdoors by the sea, in a comfortable lounge, or on a road trip during winter.
Making standard Greek coffee requires a specific coffee pot type, called a briki, and a fine coffee bean grind. This can be served as sweet as pleases you, and you can skip the sugar entirely if you’d like. Unlike other European coffee types, it’s made to be shared with family and friends and is mostly gradually enjoyed during a visit.
Greek coffee is a deeply brewed coffee available in all parts of Greece. It is similar to the coffee that was served in neighboring countries and is an integral part of the culture of the region. Very often, the rich flavor captivates tourists, and they want to bring the taste home with them.
Ellinikos: Greek Coffee
- Author: Romae Chanice Marquez
- Recipe Category: Beverages
- Cuisine: Greek
The whole preparation and cooking time is for 10 minutes. This recipe is suitable for 4 servings.
Photo credit: @magnacreta
Ellinikos: Greek Coffee Ingredients
- 1 briki
- 1 demitasse cup
- Finely Ground Greek Coffee
- sugar, to taste
- water
Ellinikos: Greek Coffee Instructions
Step 1: Fill the briki with cups of tap water as you like to make cups of coffee using one of your demitasse cups as a 2-ounce measure. For every 2-ounce cup of coffee add 1 heaping teaspoon of coffee grounds.
Step 2: If needed, add granulated sugar: 1 teaspoon per demitasse cup for medium-sweet, or 2 teaspoons per demitasse cup for sweet. Add 3 tea cubes of sugar and 2 teaspoons of coffee grounds per 2 ounces of water for an extra-strong-sweet cup.
Step 3: Heat and stir over medium heat to mix the grounds and sugar. The foam will rise as the coffee heats. Make sure to hang onto the briki’s handle, so it does not tip over.
Step 4: Once the foam almost reaches the rim, remove the briki from the heat and allow it to stand until the grounds have settled, about 1 minute.
Step 5: Pour a small amount of foam into each cup, and push the briki up and down. This will help settle the grounds. Then, fill the cups with the coffee.
Ellinikos: Greek Coffee Additional Information
- The traditional Greek coffee, also known as “ellinikós kafés,” is a brew similar in quality to instant American coffee and is basically a variant of the Turkish coffee as it found its way to Greece during the Ottoman invasion.
- It is a thick, solid, black coffee prepared in a special little pot called a “briki” and served on top with a specific foam and the grounds at the bottom of a small cup.
- This coffee will take 10 minutes to prepare.
- This recipe will make enough ellinikos for 4 people.
- The cup’s small size doesn’t indicate that the coffee is supposed to drink like a shot. Instead, it is intended to be slowly sipped, ideally suited to the Greek coffee culture.
Image source: chowhound.com
About Ellinikos: Greek Coffee Recipe
According to the practice you have to rotate the cup after finishing your cup of coffee so that the sediment covers all the inside layers, put the saucer on top of the cup, turn it upside down and then wait patiently for the grounds to drain out of the cup.
Then, someone else has to look into your cup and describe the forms and shapes that the chalky substance takes for you. Other superstitions around Greek coffee have to do with spilling out of the cup a little, which is about bringing fortune and wealth.
Conclusion
The casual pace of Greek coffee-drinking makes it perfect for social gatherings. In a nearby cafeteria or kafeneio (a Greek coffee house for men), it is not unusual to see people speak about Greek coffee.
It’s also sometimes served in Greek homes for tourists and guests. A typical Greek coffee break may last more than 90 minutes. There is plenty of time to talk, catch up, and let the grounds settle.
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Featured Image: @oliveoilandbutter / Instagram.com, @greciantaste / Instagram.com