For many centuries, Greece has offered beautiful things to world civilization. After all, it is the home of democracy, theatre, cartography, and the Olympic Games. Apart from making contributions to science and government, the nation is also the home of Greek coffee.
The beverage is a strong brew with a delicious flavor. For this reason, it has attracted lovers from all parts of the world.
You don’t have to travel to Greece before you can enjoy this amazing drink. With a few ingredients, you can learn how to make Greek Coffee from your kitchen table.
What is Greek Coffee?
Greek Coffee is a coffee beverage that is a major part of Greek culture. Unlike other coffee drinks, Greek Coffee has a frothy top with ground coffee particles at the bottom of the cup.
The origins of Greek Coffee are quite sketchy. Originally, coffee was brought to Europe by the Ottoman Turks. But after Greece had issues with Turkey, the name was changed to “Greek Coffee”.
Types of Greek Coffee
There are various types of Greek Coffee. As expected, these beverages have various levels of sweetness. Now here are some of the 3 common forms of Greek Coffee.
1. Metrios
Metrios coffee consists of coffee and a single teaspoon of sugar. Most times, this type of beverage does not have too sweet or bitter.
2. Glykos
If you prefer something sweet, Glykos is the best option for you. After all, it has more sugar than other types of Greek Coffee. When prepared, a cup of Glykos contains at least two teaspoons of the sweetener.
3. Sketos
Sketos is famous for its bitter taste. Unlike other types of coffee, this beverage does not contain any type of sugar or sweetener.
How to Make Greek Coffee
These are the traditional steps for making a perfect cup of Greek coffee. For this reason, we will be using the skip the coffee maker and stick with the following items.
Items for Making Greek Coffee
- A Briki – a traditional Greek pot for making all types of Greek coffee.
- Demitasee cups – small coffee cups
- Glass Water Cups
- Greek Coffee
Steps for Making Greek Coffee
1. Boil the water
Take an expresso cup or demitasse cup and fill it with water. Pour the water into the briki. Depending on the number of people you want to serve, you can pour between 2 – 6 cups of water. Heat until the liquid boils.
2. Add the coffee
Check if the water is boiled. If it feels hot enough, pour in some coffee. The amount of coffee depends on the type of Greek coffee that you want to prepare.
If you are making any of the popular types of Greek coffee, pour one heaped spoon of coffee into the boiling pot of water. For extra strong Greek coffee, pour in two teaspoons.
Add some sugar to the brew in the pot. Just like how you added the coffee, the amount of sugar depends on the type of Greek coffee that you are preparing.
If you are making Sketos ( the unsweetened Greek coffee), you can skip the sugar. But if you are making Metrios, add a teaspoon of sugar to the boiling liquid. For Glykos, pour 2 heaped spoons of sugar.
After adding the sugar and coffee to the pot, stir.
3. Prepare the coffee
Set the heat to medium-low. Then, stir the coffee until it disappears from the top. Remember to avoid heating the brew too much or stirring the liquid for the second time.
Look out for some foam that will appear in the pot. If you are aiming for the perfect Greek coffee, you should have rich foam.
When the foam is ready, it reaches the top of the pot. At this point, take out the briki from the stove and serve the foam into the demitasse cups.
After serving the foam, pour the coffee into all the cups. As you pour the liquid, do not disturb the foam.
Then Serve and Drink
Hot Greek Coffee is served along with glasses of cold water. If you prefer eating snacks with coffee, you can use traditional desserts like Easter cakes, baklava, or regular cookies.
Can I Use A Expresso Machine to Make Greek Coffee?
Expresso machines might be great for cafecito or cappuccinos. But they are not the popular tools for whipping up the best types of Greek coffee.
So why do people avoid using expresso machines for this beverage? Well, maybe some drinkers feel that the coffee grounds might clog the unit while others believe that the machine might affect the flavor of the Greek coffee.
Instead, they prefer a briki pot as it is the traditional way to make this beverage. But before buying this item, ensure that it is built with either aluminum or brass. If they feel expensive, consider getting a pot made from stainless steel.
There are many types of briki pots on Amazon.com and other online sites. On these platforms, you can find models that fit every budget.
Can I Use Any Coffee Brand to Make Greek Coffee?
Sorry, but you can’t use any coffee brand to make a cup of Greek Coffee. After all, Greek coffee companies use different types of beans from the varieties used by regular brands. So if you use regular coffee to make Greek coffee, you will not get the original Greek flavor.
The best Greek coffee is made from the best Greek coffee brands. You can get them in any grocery store or online store.
Are There Any Benefits to Drinking Greek Coffee?
Unsweetened Greek coffee is a healthy beverage. To enjoy its benefits, experts recommend that you consume the drink in moderate amounts. It is also best if you do not add any sweetener or cream.
Now here are the top benefits of taking Greek coffee.
It Makes Your Health Healthy
If you take unsweetened coffee in moderate amounts, you will have a low chance of developing conditions like stroke. This is possible because the coffee has caffeine that reduces your blood pressure.
It Might Protect You From Dementia
Apart from exercise and healthy eating, consuming coffee can keep you from dementia. According to a study, people who took the beverage had a lower risk of experiencing the condition.
It Offers Loads of Nutrients
A cup of coffee contains nutrients such as vitamins, magnesium, riboflavin, and potassium. Although the nutrients are in small doses, they are beneficial especially if you take more than a single cup of coffee.
It Lifts Your Mood
Are you feeling depressed? Well, coffee can lift your spirits and make you feel better. Results from studies showed that people who drank as much as 4 cups of coffee experienced better mental health.
Wrapping Up
Greek Coffee is a strong coffee beverage with a frothy top and grounds at the bottom. It is preparable in three forms — sketos, glykos, and metrios.
Metrios is the unsweetened type of Greek coffee while glykos and sketos contain variable amounts of sugar. However, milk is not added to any of these drinks.
To prepare Greek coffee, boil the water in a briki pot and add coffee with or without sugar. After producing the foam, serve the foam and coffee in small cups.
Greek coffee has many benefits on the heart and mind. It also contains many important nutrients.
