The History
Of Greek Coffee
Greek coffee has a long history and enjoys a close relationship with wider Greek culture and tradition. It’s easy to see why – Greeks are a community-focused bunch and what better way to catch up and share news than over a richly-flavoured coffee.
When we say a long history, we’re not joking. Coffee in Greece goes all the way back to when the country was a part of the Ottoman Empire, around 1450-1820. The Ottoman Turks introduced coffee to the Greek people, and it was actually called Turkish coffee until the 1950s.
If you’re familiar with your European history, you’ll know why. Relations between Turkey and Greece deteriorated from 1955 when Turkey began to expel the Greek population from Istanbul. Following this, Greeks began to drop any ‘Turkish’ vocabulary from their everyday language. After the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, Greece permanently made the switch to referring to coffee as ‘Greek Coffee’.
Two Greek families are attributed with providing the rest of the world with their first taste of ground Greek coffee – the Loumidis family, in 1919, and the Samourkas family, in 1923. Both families are still in business today, exporting Greek produce, including coffee, around the world.
In modern times, Greeks see Greek coffee as still very much a part of their history and cultural tradition. You’ll typically find cafes fall into two distinct establishments:
- Kafeterias: A larger, more modern cafe
- Kafeneios: An older, more traditional cafe, usually having been around for decades
Both will serve traditional Greek Coffee, but if you’re seeking a more authentic experience when travelling in Greek cities, you should opt for a kafeneio for your caffeine fix. Here, you’ll be more likely to find older generations coming together to share coffee over a newspaper, card game, or heated discussions about their country!
Kafeneios tend to use the traditional copper briki to make the Greek coffee, and in some ultra-traditional establishments, you might even be able to try Greek coffee brewed in hovoli. This is the process of placing the briki into a bed of hot sand to boil and is considered a very traditional – and best by some – way of making Greek coffee.
But be prepared, Greek Coffee can be an intense experience!
Interested in bringing a little Greek flavour to your morning coffee? Check out our guide on how to make the perfect Greek coffee at home.
Greek Coffee Australia is a collective of passionate Greek coffee lovers who embrace the traditions we grew up with alongside the emergence of new innovations in brewing traditional coffee.
Contact
60 Alexandra Pl,
Murarrie,
QLD 4172
Ph: 0438 588664