VIDEO | Making Frappé (Greek iced instant coffee)

Frappé

Here I am with the first ever Digital Scullery video in English. Cheers to all the friends of the Greek blog for the idea, by the way if people hate the video I’m blaming you 😉

I honestly thought about doing the Greek accent but I sound so fake that I just stuck to my own. So no funnies there I think. Anyway.

In this first ever Digital Scullery video in English the only classic recipe from modern Greece I could think of was the Frappé coffee – beloved in Greece. The actual phrase “drinking Frappé ” in Greek has become sort of like a cultural symbol. Depending on the context it could mean that you’re just chilling or – in some cases – that you are just lazying about.

So, on to some history. Frappé literally means shaken. It’s a way of preparing instant coffee. The legend goes that in 1957, at the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair, Dimitrios Vakondios, a Nestle employee wanted to make a hot cuppa with their Nescafé instant coffee. He couldn’t find hot water so he used some cold water in a shaker. The rest – as they say – is history.

And here is the little video of how to make it.

Most of my British friends who have travelled to Greece and tasted Frappé loved it so I’m always asked how you make it. Plus I do my bit in promoting it during the summer as I make it in the office. People are amazed with the nice foam on top. By the way. In Greece you don’t eat the foam. It’s not cappuccino, get a grip (and btw you should not be eating the capuccino foam either, it’s there to be slowly incorporated in the coffee). The Greek way of drinking Frappé is basically to stir it from time to time with the straw, sitting cross legged, possibly gossiping a bit. As Greeks we can keep this up for hours on end.

Frappé

INGREDIENTS (for 3/4 or 1 pint glass)

  • 2 teaspoons of instant coffee (not the expensive variety with the hard little nuggets. you need the normal stuff that easily dissolves in cold water)
  • sugar to taste – you can do it with no sugar at all. one teaspoon is close to bitter, two is medium, three is sweet. Don’t add sugar at the end (beats the purpose of the foam)
  • milk to taste – after you’ve shaken it.
  • cold water
  • ice cubes
See the video for the technique.
Hope you enjoy it.

Frappé

VIDEO PODSAFE MUCIC:

I’m So Happy, Bombskare
Drunken Sailor, Blaggards

35 thoughts on “VIDEO | Making Frappé (Greek iced instant coffee)

    • Hey there you amazing philosopher you!

      Thanks so much. So happy you noticed and like the new look too!

  1. Thanks Sophia,

    Iam from India.. Thanks for the Greek Frappe!!!! i will try hem at my office and share pictures….

    • Hey there Prashanth! Glad you like it. Please do send me pics, I’d love to see Frappe going international 🙂

  2. Λίγο ο αφρός σου ξέφυγε και βγήκε παραπάνω! Αλλά σε βάζο δεν το είχα σκεφτεί ως τώρα, ποτέ μου… μεγάλη ιδέα!

  3. When I heard your (great) accent, the first thought that came to mind was: In case I have to leave and go somewhere else in the E.U. to live and work, I’m screwed. I won’t understand a thing and no one will understand me. Case closed.

    All time classic, the Greek frappé! The jar was a nice tip, I didn’t know and it never occured to me.

    • Man, don’t. Seriously. Some people just have a good ear for accents and they pick them up. I’m just one of those people. After a week in Glasgow I start sounding Scottish 🙂

      Glad you liked the jar idea!

  4. The contraption that goes “whirrr” is called a (coffee/milk) Frother, Auntie.

    Great video BTW. You look great.

    • Thanks Eliza! Glad you enjoyed it.

      Drop me a line anytime you want me to share something that you’d like your other half to make for you 😉

  5. Variation 1: Frappe Latte
    Use only milk. It makes it lighter and it cures hunger as well as thirst 🙂

    Variation 2: Frappe tis vrisis
    When your heater is off or when you sick with cold. Just use tap water and no ice cubes.

    Variation 3: Frappe karavisio
    When you don’t have jars, shakers etc. You use a spoon. If you have proper frappe glasses and use the spoons you have for soup (and if you have lots of practice) you can stir the mixture by hand. Plus not so much froth (some people – me included – think that froth is just wasted coffee). Minus it come natural to Greeks but foreigners really need to practice.

    Tips:
    – Froth eventually will turn into coffee. Give it time.
    – Frappe doesn’t go stale. If you have only had half just put it in the fridge and finish it another time (you may even add new ice cubes). Don’t throw it away. We are having a crisis here, we need to economise.

  6. Great video – fun to watch.
    Have just moved from the UK to Greece so have put you on my favourites for recipe ideas

      • Been here 3 months now. Never seen so many thunder storms in my life – but love them. Have a look on FB at our sunset tonight – WOW x

  7. Pingback: Greek Orthodox Lent menu: Going vegan(ish) | Digital Scullery

  8. Sophia! I’m going to try this later today–I bought a coffee this morning, so I have to finish that first. Your video is lovely, as are you! You did a great job. Really looking forward to having these frappes this summer.

  9. Just made two of these–one for me, and one for the husband. They’re deliciously cold and refreshing! Two thumbs up from each of us. Thanks for sharing, Sophia!

    • Hey Elle! SO glad you and your hubby enjoyed frappe.

      I’m on a mission to get it on London coffee shop menus but I would consider a menu appearance on your part of the world a huge WIN 😉

        • Ah. I thought it might be easy but its exceedingly difficult to convince people that this coffee is not in actual fact a pint of Guinness 🙂

  10. Pingback: Say It. I Dare You. - Page 2242 - CurlTalk

  11. Pingback: Coffee experts? - CurlTalk

  12. Σοφία χάρηκα γιά το video σας, αλλά έβαλες πολύ νερό στο βαζάκι αρχικά. Αυτό έχει σαν αποτέλεσμα να μη γίνει πολύ πλούσιος ο αφρός. Και μετά πρέπει να βάζεις παγάκια στο ποτήρι και να προσθέσεις το μείγμα σιγά σιγά. Κατά τα άλλα ήταν τέλεια. Βέβαια το βζζ βζζ είναι καλό όταν κάνεις φραπέ για μεγάλη παρέα. Προσωπικά από εμπειρίες μου έδωσα μαθήματα καλού φραπέ κατά την διάρκεια παρουσίασης nes cafe σε Σλοβακία και στην Αντάλια, σε ξενοδοχείο Papillion 5*. Και είναι αλήθεια, δυσκολεύτηκα αφάνταστα να πετύχω να κάνω αφρό (σημείωση χωρίς ζάχαρη να χτυπηέσαι αφρός δεν πετυχαίνει)
    Και για την ιστορία ( από Βικιπαίδεια)
    Η δημιουργία του φραπέ ήταν τυχαία. Κατά την διάρκεια της Διεθνούς Έκθεσης στη Θεσσαλονίκη το 1957, ο αντιπρόσωπος της ελβετικής εταιρίας Νεστλέ στην Ελλάδα Γιάννης Δρίτσας παρουσίαζε ένα νέο προϊόν για παιδιά, ένα σοκολατούχο ρόφημα που παρασκευαζόταν στιγμιαία αναμιγνύοντάς το με γάλα και χτυπώντας το με σέικερ.

    Ο Δημήτριος Βακόνδιος, υπάλληλος του Δρίτσα συνήθιζε να πίνει Nescafé που ήταν στιγμιαίος καφές και παρασκευαζόταν από την Νεστλέ. Σε ένα διάλειμμα που έκανε κατά την διάρκεια της έκθεσης θέλησε να πιει καφέ αλλά επειδή δεν έβρισκε ζεστό νερό, σκέφτηκε να χρησιμοποιήσει το σέικερ για να φτιάξει τον καφέ του με κρύο νερό. Έβαλε καφέ, ζάχαρη και νερό, τα κούνησε και δημιούργησε τον πρώτο καφέ φραπέ της ιστορίας. Μετά από χρόνια δήλωνε ότι δε μπορούσε να συνειδητοποιήσει πως ένα απλό πείραμα τον οδήγησε στην εφεύρεση του διασημότερου ροφήματος στην Ελλάδα.
    Καλά να περνάμε, στην υγειά μας

  13. Pingback: Frappé | CoffeeKazaam! CoffeeKazaam.com

  14. Thanks for sharing your info. I really appreciate your efforts and I will be waiting for your
    next write ups thanks once again.

  15. Hi,
    Love ur recipe 4 frappe. I am 53 and have children your age that have just discovered frappe. I lived in Greece for four years when I was in my 20’s and made it exactly like u only less water when shaking as it eliminates all left over froth in glass that goes to waste.

    Well done
    Dez

Leave a Reply to Prashanth.K.P Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *