Day 49: Greek Coffee, Καφές, Time for a coffee break!

We have been working so hard on many different projects.  Today seemed like one of those days that we just needed to take a few minutes and relax.  What better way to do that than to have a coffee break.  But, we chose not to turn on the coffee pot and wait for that to brew -- that's what we do every morning.  No, today, we wanted to treat ourselves to a refreshing break.  We chose to make our afternoon treat a Greek coffee.  There are many people who may call it Turkish coffee, but we're Greek, so it is Greek coffee.  Even the packages are in Greek!

Greek Coffee different brands and packages.

Anyway, it was time for a break.  Now, we know when at the store, you will find several different brands of Greek coffee.  We have tried several brands, and realize that it is not important what brand you buy, it is all in how you measure the coffee that makes a good cup.  We always have one package that we are using and one in the freezer for backup.  Whatever brand you choose, and how you choose to store it will vary.
How you store the coffee is the issue.  You want to make sure that it is kept air tight in a cool, dry place.  Many households keep coffee in a cabinet.  That's what we do.  And, we keep this nice tin in the cupboard because it is easy to identify on the shelf, and easy to open when we want to make coffee.  Some folks just keep the bag in the freezer or refrigerator.  Some people keep their coffee in a jar.  It is important that you find the answer that works for you.

Different coffee brands pictured with a briki on the right.

In the picture, you will see that we have the pot to make Greek coffee, which is called a briki, μπρίκι(pronounced bree-kee).  It is available at many different stores and bakeries, and comes in different sizes, depending on how many cups you want to make at a time.  Our briki is about 15 years old, and was purchased at a Greek bakery here in the city.  The shape may vary a little between rounded or angular, but they all share the point that they are wide on the bottom and more narrow on top.  This is to allow the foam to build when boiling the coffee.  The longer you boil the coffee, the less foam you get.

The foam on top of the coffee is called the kaϊmaki (καϊμάκι -- pronounced kah-I-mah-key).  Many people like it on top of the coffee, but some prefer none.  Making a good coffee can be judged by the amount of καϊμάκι created in the briki.  To get the foam to build, you must time the boiling process just right.  The trick is to take the briki off the heat right as the coffee starts to boil.  The more it boils, the less καϊμάκι you have.  We made one cup with καϊμάκι and one without so you can see the difference between the two.  Notice that they are two different colours. The καϊμάκι is light, just like the dry ground coffee.  The one with no foam has a deeper colour, which looks very strong.

On the right traditional ground coffee for automatic drip and percolators.  On the left, Greek coffee, fine ground and similar to espresso.

Greek coffee is considered strong, but that is because the coffee grounds stay in the coffee.  Even when you are drinking it, you will get a bit of the "sludge" (for lack of a better term) in your last few sips.  And, if you let the briki sit for a minute before pouring the coffee into the cup, you will minimize the amount of sludge in the cups.  Since it is served in a demitasse, the residue will be more noticeable than if it were in a typical coffee cup.  For those of us who LOVE Greek coffee, we sometimes have it in a traditional coffee cup.

One more note about Greek coffee is that there are different ways to drink the coffee.  There are three levels known as σκέτο (ske-toh), μέτριο (me-tree-oh), and γλυκό (glee-koh).  These mean bitter, medium, and sweet.  These terms refer to how much sugar, if any, you add to the coffee before cooking.  If you don't like sweet, then you would take your coffee πικρό (pee-kroh).  If you like a little sweet, then you would order μέτριο (me-tree-oh).  And, if you have a sweet tooth, you would probably like to have your coffee γλυκό (glee-koh).  In making ours, we decided to make them all the same way -- μέτριο (me-tree-oh).   We believe that this is the most common way, and when you are making coffee for company, you may forget to ask, or if you want to introduce someone to Greek coffee, then μέτριο (me-tree-oh) is always a safe choice.

So, how do we make this treat, exactly?  First, we gather our ingredients.  You will need some ground Greek coffee, water, sugar, and the briki.  Measure 1 heaping teaspoon of coffee per cup of coffee that you are making.  If you are making more than 6 demitasse cups, then make two batches.  

Put the coffee in the briki.  Then, add the water that you measure using the actual demitasse.  Use one demitasse full of water for each cup of coffee you are making.  

Then, depending on the sweetness, add the sugar.  For μέτριο (me-tree-oh) coffee, add one teaspoon of sugar per cup of coffee.  The more sugar you add, the sweeter the coffee will be.  

Mix the ingredients in the briki,and put it on medium-high to high heat.  Watch the pot carefully because once it gets to a boil, the coffee will bubble right out of the briki!  Oh, and the smell of burnt coffee on the stove is not very nice.  So, bring the coffee up to the point when it just begins to boil.  Then, remove it from the heat.

To serve Greek coffee, pour enough into each cup to fill the cup. 

Then, with a spoon, top each cup with the   καϊμάκι as you like.  Serve with water and a cookie or biscuit (koulourakia, paximadia, or cookies).

This treat is always served with a glass of cold water.  Perhaps that is to balance the strong nature of this drink.  So, pour yourself a cup, sit back, relax, and enjoy an afternoon of Greek coffee.

Today is the Saturday of Lazarus.
Below is an excerpt from the Hymn of the Feast Day of Lazarus (day before Palm Sunday)


Apolytikion: First Tone By raising Lazarus from the dead before Your Passion, You confirmed the universal resurrection, O Christ God! Like the children with palms of victory, We cry out to You, O Vanquisher of Death; Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that 
comes in the name of the Lord!
(Source: http://lent.goarch.org/saturday_of_lazarus/learn/)