A Very Greek Thing To Do ~
All over Greece people are slowly sipping their favourite drink through colourful straws – Greek Iced Coffee – A.K.A. Frappé. It’s part of the Greek Lifestyle – a chance to relax, catch up with friends & watch the world go by. Santorini is no different – it’s the middle of the summer – everyone is at the beach or around the pool. Do we serve frappé at our pool bar? Of course we do. C’mon guys, this is Greece!
Frappedize Yourself at Home
Made very simply from any instant coffee, as much or as little sugar as you want (a medium sweetness is 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar), evaporated milk and ice cold water, Frappé is easy and fast to make. Some people add ice cubes but we think that waters the coffee down. And of course you need a frappé whizzer – something that makes milkshakes.
How to Frap & Zap
There are a few variations on the order of things. We find the best way is this: Get a tall glass (a short one won’t do) and a teaspoon. Place 1 to 2 teaspoons of instant coffee and the same for sugar (how much depends on how you like your coffee). Pour a shot of room temperature water onto the mixture. Then whiz it up to a nice thick creamy texture. Get ice cold water and fill up the glass almost to the top. Add some evaporated milk. And there you have it – your own homemade Greek Frappé!
Greek Frappé is a very personal matter
Frappé is served everywhere in Greece – indeed some people fondly call it the Greek National Drink. Making the perfect frappé is considered an art – so you might find that you like it in some cafes and not in others. Everything is in play – the amount and thickness of the foam, how cold it is, the establishment’s interpretation on what is “sweet’, “medium” or “extra sweet”. You can also order it without sugar or milk – or black with sugar – or milk no sugar. Each man’s Frappé is a very personal matter.
Frappé Trivia
Greek frappé was invented in 1957 at the International Trade Fair in Thessaloniki. The representative of the Nestlé Company, Yannis Dritsas, was exhibiting a new product for children, a chocolate beverage produced instantly by mixing it with milk and shaking it in a shaker. Dritsas’ employee Dimitris Vakondios was looking for a way to have his usual instant coffee during his break but he could not find any hot water, so he mixed the coffee with cold water and ice cubes in a shaker. And thus the Greek Frappé was born!
