Coffee in Greece is a huge part of the Greek culture, but unlike other destinations that focus on the drink itself, Grecian coffee culture is much more of a pretext for spending time with friends and family and doing that very Greek thing to do, slowing down and appreciating life. Here is everything you need to know about the coffee culture in Greece.
Many destinations have an intrinsic, cultural fascination with coffee. In Ethiopia, where the drink was invented, it is a drawn out, formal ceremony used to welcome guests, in Turkey the brew is treated more like a desert and is so beloved they even have a proverb dedicated to how it should be made; ‘as black as hell, as strong as death, and as sweet as love’. In Italy on the other hand coffee is taken so seriously you will start a full blown fist fight if you order the wrong type of coffee at the wrong type of day!
All across the globe, coffee is an absolute global phenomenon.
In Greece, it is the social lubricant of their slow, friendly, social way of life.
What Is Greek Coffee?
Traditional Greek coffee, to differentiate it from most of the rest of the world, is unique in the way it is prepared but still heavily influenced by its shared heritage from the Ottoman Empire. Prepared in a small pot called a briki, placed on hot coals or ash covered with sand and served piping hot in a thick-walled cup known as a demitasse cup next to a glass of cold water. It can often be accompanied by a spoon sweet, a sugary paste placed in the glass of cold water.
When coffee shops began to spring up around Athens and the surrounding towns and villages, they became the modern day version of the ancient Agora, the focal point of the community, where locals go to gather together and discuss the latest community news.
By the 1960s, coffee shops were ubiquitous in Greece and new coffee based drinks were experimented with, eventually becoming the modern day frappé, a frothy iced coffee prepared in a shaker like a cocktail and usually served with a diabetes causing level of sugar, and the smaller iced freddo espresso and freddo cappuccino, served cold with a froth of chilled milk.
Greek Coffee Culture.
Whatever type of coffee you choose, it is essential that you take as much time as humanly possible to enjoy it! Greek culture loves to slow down and socialise, and if you can spend time with friends and enjoy a sweet treat or two alongside it, then all the better! If you should be working when you are taking this essential coffee break, then you’ve hit peak Greek cultural immersion, because if nothing else the Greeks have an absolutely perfect understanding of a good work/life balance! And if you are alone, then that’s okay, you should still take your time and savour your coffee! Your time can be spent people watching and breathing in the fresh air, because this is what Greek culture is all about. Not so much about the drink itself, but the country’s deep rooted traditions of hospitality, socializing, and enjoying simple pleasures.
Ordering A Coffee In Greece.
Be prepared for your Greek coffee experience, as your body may not be used to the double whammy baseball bat to your gut of a ton of caffeine and sugar all at once! Take it slow and go easy at first, after all that is what the Greek way of life is all about!
To ask for a coffee the Greek phrase is enan kafe perakalo, and then whatever type of coffee you want. Don’t worry if you invariably mess up the pronunciation like I always do, the always impressively multilingual waiters and waitresses will take pity on you and help you out.
When ordering your coffee the waiter may ask you how much sugar you want. You can ask for it extra sweet (glykos), medium sweet (metrios), or without sugar (sketos), which doesn’t seem to really be a thing in Greece and may get you an odd look! If you want it really authentic ask for a vary glykos, which means double the caffeine, double the sugar and double the risk of a toilet incident or heart attack! It’s a good think the rest of the Greek diet is so healthy! If you want milk added, then ask for me gala.
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