FRAPPE COFFEE - THE GREEK COFFEE

In Greek: ΦΡΑΠΕ, pronounced frah-PEH

      Frappé coffee is considered the national summer coffee of Greece, and is available at all cafés. It is Greek and was first introduced in 1957. It is the basis for the North American "Iced Cappucino" as well as the Anglo-European "Float" and the European "Frappuccino".
      Even though it's considered a summer drink, Greeks drink it year round.

      Frappé is a cool refresher on a hot day for all coffee lovers. It's a foam-covered iced coffee made from instant coffee, and while it can be whipped, the traditional version is shaken. Its main characteristic
is the thick frothy layer at the top of the coffee.

      It combines the cafeine boost with the enjoyment of a cool refreshing drink. It accompanies the often difficult waking up morning procedure, the studying time, working time, relaxation time and the time with friends.

All coffee lovers must try it!


What You Need

• Shaker or jar with a tight-fitting lid or drink mixer (hand mixer)
• 1 cup cold water
• Instant coffee (Nescafe is your best choice, believe me)
• Sugar (optional)
• Milk (optional)
• Ice cubes
• Straw

Here's How:

1. In a shaker or jar (with a tight-fitting lid), add 2-3 cm of cold water, 1 teaspoon of instant coffee, and sugar to taste (1 teaspoon of sugar for medium-sweet).
2. Close tightly and shake for 30 seconds or more (with the shaker), until the mixture appears to be all foam, a nice, thick foam. (15-20 seconds with an electric hand mixer)
3. Put 3-4 ice cubes in a big water glass and pour the foam into it, add cold water until the foam reaches the rim of the glass
4. Add milk if you like, stir and...
5. Serve with a straw. Enjoy!!!

Tips:

1. The purpose of shaking or mixing is to create a large amount of thick foam.. the more the better. The secret lies in the amount of water you use during shaking - little water = no thick and "rich foam" -/- too much water = foam will look like soap bubbles.
2. If you have a soda fountain-type drink mixer or a small electric drink mixer, put the ingredients in step 1 into a glass to start, create the foamy base, and then add the water, ice cubes, milk, and straw to serve.

      The recipe is very easy and can be adjusted according to one's preferences. Frappe can be sweet (1 teaspoon of coffee and 2 teaspoons of sugar) or medium sweet (1 teaspoon of coffee and 1 teaspoon of sugar) or plain (black: 1 teaspoon of coffee and no sugar). You could also use decaf instant coffee. These dosages are for a relatively light coffee, if you are a strong coffee drinker then make the coffee teaspoons 2 instead of one and adjust the sugar accordingly.

                Go ahead and shake it, baby!!!

 Watch this video on how to make your frappe coffee!




Frappe Variations

• Kahlúa, Baileys (my personal favorite), Irish Cream or other liqueurs are sometimes used for additional variation.
• Many cafes add a ball of vanilla ice-cream into their frappe instead of milk.