Michele’s original diary, in her own words. Additional context follows the story ↓
THE DIFFERENCE
The Greeks boil their coffee rather than brew it.
Every morning since I have arrived in Crete I start the day with Greek coffee and it's amazing! That's quite a compliment coming from Seattle, the birthplace of coffee in the U.S.
Why is Greek coffee so much better?
Well, it's all in the preparation which creates a higher concentration of more protective compounds than your average cup of joe.
The Greeks boil their coffee rather than brew it. This method also creates a foam the Greeks call kaimaki, which adds a rich, creaminess to the coffee. They use Arabica coffee beans which are ground to a very fine powder which also delivers a higher concentration of antioxidants per cup!
THE BREW
This process of boiling coffee extracts much more nutrients from the coffee beans than the filtering method.
Could it be one of the secrets of the longevity of the locals?
A recent study found that the elderly residents of the Greek island called Ikaria who drank the coffee at least once a day displayed better overall cardiovascular health. Well, whatever it is, I'm taking this practice back home!
GREEK COFFEE INSTRUCTIONS
1. Grind freshly roasted coffee beans to a fine powder.
2. Fill 1 small coffee cup or demitasse cup* with cold water
3. Add the cold water to a briki**
4. Put 1 teaspoon of the ground coffee beans into the briki.
5. (optional) Add your desired amount of sugar to the briki. An average cup of coffee has 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in it.
6. Use the measuring teaspoon to stir the coffee and sugar into the briki's water. Let the coffee sink to the bottom of the briki and dissolve the sugar into the water. Remove the teaspoon from the briki.
7. Place the briki over a gas burner.
8. Heat the briki on low until the water just starts to boil (an incomplete ring of foam should form on the coffee's surface).
9. Remove the briki from the heat before the foam ring closes. Pour the coffee into the cup and serve.
*demitasse cup: small cup used to serve Greek coffee. It’s actually a French word meaning half cup.
**briki (μπρίκι, pronounced BREE-kee): a small long-handled pot with a pouring lip designed specifically to make Greek coffee and is traditionally made of brass or copper.
Science, tradition & further reading
What the coffee study tells us
The Ikaria study reported an association between boiled Greek coffee and a measure of blood-vessel function in older adults. It was observational: it did not show that coffee caused longer life, or that boiled coffee is healthier than every filtered preparation. Ikaria is a different island from Crete.
The ritual and the recipe remain part of the original diary. The research below offers a separate way to explore the question raised by its title, with attention to preparation and the limits of an association.
References & further reading
- Consumption of Boiled Greek Coffee Is Associated With Improved Endothelial Function: The Ikaria Study (2013) · Small observational human study
- Coffee Consumption and Mortality From Cardiovascular Diseases and Total Mortality (2020) · Large prospective observational cohort
Original writing: Medicine Wild Greek Diaries · 2015-06-04
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