In many languages, the term "Turkish" coffee has been replaced by the local variant name as a political euphemism - as in "Greek coffee" (ελληνικός καφές ellinikós kafés), and "Cypriot coffee" (κυπριακός καφές kypriakós kafés) - or it is dropped altogether. The words for "coffee" and "coffeeshop" remained unchanged in Greek as in the other Balkan languages.
In Greece, Turkish coffee was formerly referred to simply as τούρκικος 'Turkish'. After the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, the name soon changed to 'ελληνικός' 'Greek': "...Greco-Turkish relations at all levels became strained, τούρκικος καφές [Turkish coffee] became ελληνικός καφές
[Greek coffee] by substitution of one Greek word for another while
leaving the Turkish loan-word, for which there is no Greek equivalent,
unchanged."The recipe remained unchanged.
Greek coffee is easy to make. First, measure the required cups of
water into the briki. The measure should be one of the cups that the
coffee is going to be served in. It is advisable not to make more than 3-4 small
cups of coffee at a time.
Greek coffee can be made in four different ways. He
can be sketos (without sugar, strong and bitter), metrios (medium,
usually with one teaspoonful of sugar), glykys or vari glykos
(almost honey-sweet) and glykys vrastos - sweet but boiled more then once
so it loses most of its froth. Depending on which art of Greek Coffee you like,
measure and add into the briki the coffee, a teaspoonful of coffee per
cup, and the sugar. For a medium coffee the best balance is to add the same
amount of sugar as coffee. Put the briki on a low heat and stir its
contents a little, until the coffee is diluted in the water.
Hold the
briki by the handle all the time as it boils so quickly and spills
everywhere. Watch it starting to rise with a bubbly foam. Let it rise - and
don't panic! - until it reaches the lips of the briki and then
immediately withdraw from the heat. Once the coffee has been made, let it stand
for one minute to allow the coffee grounds to settle at the bottom of the
briki. Pour a little in each cup, to distribute the froth in all the
cups. Then proceed and just fill them up to the brim.
Greek coffee is never
stirred once it has been made and served and is drunk slowly. Serve it together
with a glass of cold water.
