
How Greece Taught Me To Love Instant Coffee – The Story of Nescafe Frappe
by Darren Oliver
I remember when I tried frappe for the first time. A friend of mine (also a coffee lover) had just returned from a vacation in Greece. During a conversation, out of nowhere, he pulled out a can of instant coffee and said, “I bet you I’ll make you an instant coffee, and you’ll like it.” As a specialty coffee lover used to high-quality, lightly roasted coffee brewed with alternative methods, all I could do was smile with pity. “Okay, a bet on a bag of good coffee,” I replied.
That’s how I lost a bag of coffee, and that’s how I came to know frappe, a type of coffee created in Greece that today has become a staple of many coffee drinks in the best-known chains like Starbucks and Costa Coffee. So, being in Greece for the first time, I couldn’t deny myself the specialty of southern Europe. What is frappe, where did it come from and how do you prepare it yourself? Let’s go on this fascinating journey together.