No trip to Greece would ever be complete without a famous frothy, refreshing Greek Frappe. Whether you’re sitting on the beach and soaking up the warm Mediterranean sun or seated at a cafe on the Plaka observing the Greek street life, there is nothing better than sipping one of these cool drinks. One of the highlights of our trip was enjoying Greek Frappeās wherever we went!
Frappe History
A Nescafe representative at the 1957 International Trade Fair in Thessaloniki, Greece invented the very first Greek frappe. Dimitris Vakondios worked for Nestle and was introducing a new chocolate beverage for kids. When Dimitris went on break he was unable to find any hot water to make his Nescafe Classic coffee, so he mixed the instant coffee with cold water in a shaker and the resulting foamy concoction has gone on to become synonymous with Greek coffee culture.
Ordering a Greek Frappe
In Greece, frappes are sweetened three different ways: sketo, without sugar; metrio, about 1-2 teaspoons of sugar; and glyko, more than 1-2 teaspoons of sugar. Since we are watching our sugar intake, we make our frappes metrio.
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How to make a Frappe
The trick with Greek frappes is that they must be made with instant coffee. For a true Greek frappe, however, it’s imperative to use Nescafe Classic. The Greek version of Nescafe classic produces the most glorious foam, which, if we are being honest, is the best part of the drink! The recipe itself is beyond simple–just two teaspoons of instant coffee, cold water, a touch of sugar, non-dairy milk, and ice. That’s it!
Add 2 teaspoons of Nescafe Classic to a shaker or glass. Add sugar and cover with water, using just enough to cover the coffee and sugar. Do not add too much water, as this will decrease the frothiness of the drink. Use a stick blender create a frothy foam. Add ice and then extra water followed by milk. In Greece, this is called me gala which means “with milk.” Use non-dairy milk to keep the fat content and calorie count down. Otherwise, just add cold water to fill the glass.
Stir with a straw, and stir periodically while drinking to combine the froth with the liquid. Getting to the bottom of your drink and there’s still foam left? No problem, just add a little bit of water to prolong the tasty goodness! Once, you’ve enjoyed a classic Greek frappe, you’ll be saying so long to the expensive iced or frozen beverages served at coffee houses!
Have you tried to make a Greek Frappe at home? Tell us below by leaving a comment! And if you post it be sure to tag #Hearthealthygreek.
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Greek Frappe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1-2 tsp Nescafe Classic
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
- 1/2 cup ice
Instructions
- In a 1-pint wide mouth mason jar add water and Nescafe Classic and sugar.
- Blend with a stick blender until frothy and thick whipping in as much air as possible. If you d not have a stick blender, add lid to jar and shake for 30 seconds or more.
- Add ice and the splash of almond milk and top with a little extra water to fill the cup until the foam rises above the top of the glass.
- Serve immediately.
