Coffee is the staple of many household morning routines. It can help give a boost to your energy level in the morning and help you get going through the day. In Greece, however, Coffee is an opportunity to relax and enjoy the day and your family. How is coffee brewed in Greece?
Greek coffee is typically brewed in a Briki coffee pot. The coffee grounds, sugar, and water are all added together to the stainless steel pot and heated until it begins to boil.
Below we will look at what a Briki pot is and how to brew and enjoy Greek coffee.
A Briki pot is a coffee pot used to brew Greek coffee. They are small pots with a spout and a long handle. They come in various sizes and many Greek households will have multiple Briki pots to brew their coffee.
Briki is commonly made from stainless steel, but they can be made from copper and brass or enamel also. Stainless steel is the most popular material since it is the easiest to clean and maintain. The copper and brass versions are the rarest versions since they can be expensive and are not easy to repair if they do become damaged.
What Sized Briki Should You Use?
The Briki comes in multiple sizes and how many people you are serving will determine what size Briki you will need. The correct Briki size should hold as many cups as you wish to make with room for an additional cup. You will need additional room for the coffee to rise during the brewing process but not too much room especially when you first begin the brewing process.
Extra room in the Briki pot may cause some issues with the amount of foam you will have. This could be an issue when you begin brewing Greek coffee. After you are proficient in the process you will be able to limit the foam or kaimaki and brew the perfect cup.
Generally, it is better to only use the size you need and not use a very large Briki pot to brew a single cup of Greek coffee.
Generally, each Greek coffee cup will hold between 2 and 2.5 oz of liquid. The size chart of the Briki cup will indicate the number of cups of Greek coffee they can brew at one single time. Remember to account for the additional 2 oz of room needed when selecting the size of Briki pot you need.
Where to Purchase a Briki Pot
In Greece, there are Briki pots available almost anywhere. They are available in every supermarket as well as coffee shops that sell coffee grounds as well.
Outside of Greece, you should be able to purchase a Briki pot in an ethnic section of your supermarket. You can also visit a deli with Mediterranean products to find a Briki pot. If you are unable to find an authentic Briki pot, you will still be able to brew a traditional Greek coffee.
Types of Greek Coffee
There are three separate ways to brew Greek coffee. Unsweetened or sketos, sweetened or metreos, and very sweet glykos will determine the amount of sugar the Greek coffee is prepared with. When brewing or sampling your first Greek coffee, you should start with a sweetened version. You will be able to adjust the amount of sugar you use in the future according to taste.
There are also three separate parts to Greek coffee as well. The coffee grounds, the coffee itself, and kaimaki, the foam on the top of the coffee. The kaimaki is a sign of success when brewing a good cup of Greek coffee.
When you begin brewing Greek coffee for the first time you should only attempt to brew two cups at a single time. This will be easier for you to control the brewing process and achieve the proper amount of kaimaki.
How to Make Greek Coffee
To brew Greek coffee, you will only need a few ingredients. You should measure out the proper water you will need. To brew 2 cups of Greek coffee you should add between 4-5 oz of water in your Briki pot. You should also add two teaspoons of coffee grounds as well as 2 teaspoons of sugar to the water.
Place the Briki pot on the stove on medium heat and begin stirring the water until the coffee grounds are dissolved into the water. It should only take a few minutes until the coffee begins to boil. Once you have achieved a boil you should remove it from the heat in order to preserve the kaimaki that has formed.
To serve your Greek coffee, fill half of the first cup. You should fill the second cum completely. After filling the second cup, fill the remaining of the first cup. This will enable a relatively even distribution of kaimaki in both cups.
Wait a few minutes to allow the Greek coffee to cool and the coffee grounds to settle before you drink it. You can also serve a glass of water as well in case you do happen to get any coffee grounds while drinking the coffee.
Enjoying Greek Coffee
Of all the requirements to make a perfect cup of Greek coffee, the most important is time. It only takes a few minutes to brew a Greek coffee, it takes longer to drink. If you drink Greek coffee quickly you will risk drinking the grounds with the coffee. You should enjoy your Greek coffee and it should be a chance to settle in and slow down from our hectic schedules.
Sometimes that will involve a greater challenge than actually brewing the coffee but it will be worth it.
Conclusion
Greek coffee is made from boiling coffee grounds, sugar, and water in a Briki pot. They are heated until they begin to boil. Greek coffee is a staple of many households in Greece and allows families to spend time together away from their hectic schedules.
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