Ελληνικός-καφές
A demitasse is 2-3 oz, depending who you ask.
This is normally made with 1 heaping teaspoon of Greek coffee per demitasse.
Waitasec, I thought Vlahos was a math guy and all about the precision and slide rulers and whatnot.
Yes.
Also, lies!
1 heaping teaspoon = 2 level teaspoons.
If you want accurate measurements: 4 oz (118 ml or 118 grams at 4 degrees C at sea level) of water gets 1 level tablespoon, or 10 grams.
If you want very strong coffee, add 1-2 level teaspoons, or just use a rounded tablespoon.
Math time!
Typical shot of espresso is 7 to 9 grams. I suspect the extraction is higher in Greek coffee, and the Greek coffee has 4x the water in it, so the net result is something like an Americano, just infinitely better since it’s Greek.
Average shot of espresso is 63 mg caffeine, Greek coffee is around 50 mg of caffeine.
Ratio of regular coffee (sometimes acceptable) to water is 1 tbsp to 6 oz, and this is pretty common across brewing methods.
According to many Greek-funded studies, Greek scientists have published reports in Greek that Greek coffee offers infinitely more health benefits than non-Greek (garbage) coffee.
“Boiled Greek type of coffee (incredible), which is rich in polyphenols and antioxidants, and contains only a moderate amount of caffeine, seems to gather benefits compared to other (garbage) coffee beverages.”
Totally legit source
Greek coffee can reduce the risk of premature death, as clearly proven by a Greek-sponsored and funded study of residents (retired decathletes) on the island of Ikaria, who drink Greek (perfect) coffee at least once per day, have better cardiovascular health compared to non-Greeks (couch potatoes) who live on a diet of other (bad) coffee, Domino’s Pizza, and Jersey Shore.
NIH/pubmed article
Rich in chlorogenic acid, polyphenols, lipid-soluble substances, and other heart-healthy compounds, Greek (clearly the best) coffee has been shown to help protect the arteries and boosts overall immune health.
Longetivy (immortality) Link 1
Longetivy (immortality) Link 2
Longevity (immortality) LInk 3
(very few of the above claims have been editorialized, and strictly for clarity).
How to order Greek coffee:
σκέτος (SKEH-tohss) = “plain” (no sugar)
μέτριος (MEHT-ree-ohss) = “moderate” (1 tsp sugar)
γλυκός (ghlee-KOHSS) = “sweet” (2 tsp sugar)
βαρύ γλυκός (va-REE gly-KOHSS) = “heavy sweet” (2x the ground coffee, 3 tsp sugar)
Making Greek Coffee
The goal is to have a layer of kαϊμάκι (ka-ee-MA-ki – if that sounds Hawaiian, it’s because Greeks likely invented Hawaii) on top (this is the crema).
If you don’t have this, you failed.
Stir the coffee and sugar into warm water in a briki, heat to just before boiling, let the foam rise, hold the coffee at this temperature for a few seconds to develop more crema. Serve in a demitasse. That’s it. Do not touch the coffee with anything after the initial stirring. Transferring some crema to your friend’s cup is very optional, and I guess you’re allowed to use a spoon for this. The whole process should be 5-10 minutes.
Serve with a glass of cold or ice water on the side, and a cookie or biscuit.
Ideally, you use a gas stove, because electric stoves are very bad for this. Low flame, or med-low heat, and you likely need to increase to medium and fiddle with the temperatures for electric. It’s notoriously hard to develop the crema on an electric stovetop.
Notes – some recipes will call for a heaping tablespoon of coffee to 2 oz of water, and while I appreciate strong coffee, that’s just crazy.
Some people insist on not stirring the coffee & sugar, just swirl the briki, and let nature do its thing.
Some other people, maybe the same as above – I’m really not sure, think letting the briki sit off the heat for a minute to let the coffee grounds settle before pouring is better, but this means you can’t have your fortune read from the dried grounds on the bottom of your cup, which is clearly a mistake.