This Sweet And Satisfying Coffee Order Will Make You Look Like A Local In Greece

One of the best things about traveling to another country is the chance to experience, even for a little while, what it's like to live there. You can find menus in English with things you recognize, but to have an authentic restaurant or café experience, it's worth trying to order like a local. Greece is the perfect place to try this out if you're a coffee-lover. There is a sweet and satisfying coffee order that makes you look like a local, and you're probably going to want to recreate it at home. 

The freddo (which is φρέντο on the menu and pronounced like it is in English) is incredibly popular in Greece, and it's perfect for a hot day, coming in espresso and cappuccino versions. Essentially, it's a shot of hot espresso that is put into a metal cup, then blended with ice, and sugar if you like it sweet. You can add foamed milk on top for a freddo cappuccino (φρέντο καπουτσίνο, just like English). If caffeine is your poison of choice, you can also order a freddo espresso (φρέντο εσπρέσο, pronounced as you do in English as well), which is two shots of espresso instead of one. Is your mouth watering yet?

Though iced coffee drinks are popular all year in Greece, the summer temperatures can hit average highs in the 80s and 90s Fahrenheit. This is the perfect drink to cool you off and fuel your exploration of this gorgeous country. Don't be intimidated by the Greek spellings. We have them here to help you recognize them on the menu, but you can also use the Google Translate app by holding your phone camera over the menu for an immediate translation. 

The freddo is not the only popular iced coffee drink in Greece, however. You can also get a frappé (or Φραπέ, again pronounced like English), a drink that was created by accident. In 1957, a Nescafé salesman named Dimitris Vakondios wanted coffee at the Thessaloniki International Fair and put instant coffee in a shaker with cold water. It worked beautifully and became very popular. To make it at home, you put two teaspoons of instant coffee and a few tablespoons of cold water in a shaker, as well as sugar (to say "with sugar," say "με ζάχαρη," pronounced meh zak-ah-ree) if you like. You shake it and pour it over ice. Then you can add milk and/or water ("with milk" is "με γάλα," pronounced meh gah-lah, and "with water" is "με νερό," pronounced meh neh-roh). 

Of course, you can't just order coffee if you're in a café in Greece, or you'll miss out on some yummy Greek desserts. You may have had baklava (μπακλαβάς, same as English), which is layered phyllo dough with nuts, soaked in honey. However, you may not have tried koulourakia (κουλουράκια, or kou-lou-ra-kee-ah), which are Greek butter cookies. You can also try loukoumades (Λουκουμάδες, pronounced loo-koh-mah-des), which are kind of like deep-fried donut holes with honey, cinnamon, and walnuts. Traveling is the perfect time to try something new, and if that something new is mouth-watering, so much the better. However, you may want to pick a spot in town. A number of travelers have gotten overcharged while eating at popular Greek beach restaurants, so make sure you know the prices beforehand. Απολαμβάνω! (Enjoy!)