This is a silly little recipe. We wonder if it is even a recipe at all! Regardless of whether it is or not, we couldn’t resist sharing this post, primarily because many of you seem to enjoy the memories that Mia Kouppa brings up. So, we wonder, how many of you were served warm milk with a touch of coffee growing up?
What wonderful memories we have of summer trips to Greece, and what additional, vivid memories we have about the preparation to travel. In particular, we remember the care that our parents put into the gifts they would bring over for family. Suitcases were packed full of items which they felt would be appreciated, either because they were costly in Greece, or difficult to find. Often in the gift rotation were bedsheets, fabric for our uncle, a priest, to be used to make his everyday robes (ράσα), and thick, plush, bath towels. Yes, those towels in particular took up a lot of space, but they served an additional purpose; they were used to wrap and protect the many, many, jars of Nescafe instant coffee that we were lugging overseas. As we sat on the suitcases, trying our best to squish things down enough so that our folks could close them, we remember asking, “Why in the world are we bringing our family instant coffee?”, and the answer was always, simply, “For frappé!”.
In an age of franchised coffee shops, professional baristas, and expensive coffees with presumptuous names, we introduce you (or re-acquaint you) to Greek coffee. Ta-da! This is not a coffee that you will drink solely to give you the caffeine fix that you need to function. This is not a coffee that you will take with you in a travel mug as you schlep to work or school. It is a coffee which should transport you to a place where life slows down and where the very act of drinking it will be as pleasant as the drink itself. Who knows, it may even be good for you!
