Greek Coffee (Ellinikos Kafes)

Name: Greek Coffee (Ellinikos Kafes)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1 drink
Ingredients: Water; Greek coffee; Sugar:Granulated sugar

Greek Coffee Easter Brunch Drink Winter Comfort Food Easy

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1 drink Easy

Total: Under 5 mins Active: Under 5 mins

11 Ratings

Ingredients (3)

Water
Greek coffee
Granulated sugar

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Greek coffee preparation has as many variations as there are Greeks. Some people swear by boiling the coffee three times and stirring only once. Others boil once and stir, stir, stir. No matter how you take it, this coffee is usually sipped slowly and paired with lively conversation.

Special equipment: You’ll need a briki, a small copper or brass (or sometimes stainless steel) pot that’s narrow at the top and wider toward the bottom so that the grounds fall to the bottom.

Serve the coffee in demitasse cups that are about 2 ounces each.

What to buy: Be sure to use Greek coffee, which is a light-roast coffee and is very finely ground. It can be found at most Greek grocers.

This recipe was featured as part of our Greek Easter Celebration menu.

by Amy Wisniewski

Instructions

1Using one of your demitasse cups as a 2-ounce measure, fill the briki with as many cups of cold water as cups of coffee you want to make. Add 1 heaping teaspoon of coffee grounds for each 2-ounce cup of coffee. Add granulated sugar, if desired: 1 teaspoon per demitasse cup for medium-sweet (metrios_) or 2 teaspoons per demitasse cup for sweet (glykys_). For an extra-strong-sweet cup (vari glykos or glykys vrastos), add 3 teaspoons sugar and 2 teaspoons coffee grounds per 2 ounces of water.
2Heat over medium heat and stir just to incorporate the grounds and sugar. As the coffee heats, foam will rise. Be sure to hold onto the handle of the briki to keep it from falling over. When the foam nearly reaches the top, remove the briki from the heat and let it stand until the grounds have settled a bit, about 1 minute. Pour a little foam into each cup, then fill each cup, moving the briki up and down to help settle the grounds. Serve with a cold glass of water.

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