General knowledge of boutique coffee culture Greek native coffee

Espresso arrived in Greece 20 years ago, but it was not until 10 years later that the coffee became popular locally. Marianthi Milona, a Greek food critic, believes that going to a cafe for coffee brings a sense of social identity locally. She points out that despite Greece's economic woes in recent years, people still pay for coffee. "As a Greek, you can stop buying expensive food or clothing, but you will definitely pay for a cup of coffee." Milona explained. Even at home, Greeks prefer espresso. According to Euromonitor International, sales of Italian espresso machines in Greece rose 40% between 2008 and 2013 and will continue to rise over the next five years.

On the streets of Greece, Italian espresso is conquering every Greek taste bud. Every new hotel has an espresso machine. "This was very rare five years ago." said Yiannis Giannopoulos, an Athenian architectural engineer with years of experience in overseas architectural design. Chrysa Gerolymatou, the managing director of Mikel Coffee, a six-year-old company, believes that Greeks now drink espresso because they find it trendy and fashionable. Whatever the reason for the espresso craze, she believes, most Greeks are now hooked on it. "In the early 1990s, Greeks had only two choices, either to drink traditional Greek native coffee or instant coffee." she said.

The Greeks have loved coffee since ancient times. They now drink more coffee per capita than even the French and Italians, and are on par with Americans. Greeks spend time each week in cafes enjoying delicious coffee. Meanwhile, Greeks pride themselves on their native coffee. If you think Greeks drink Turkish coffee, expect a beating anywhere in the Greek peninsula. But today, while Greece's indigenous coffee remains a symbol of their country, more and more Greeks are drinking an imported variety: espresso. If we insist on adding reasons, then we can only say that economic globalization has led to all this.

In fact, this is not the first transformation of Greek coffee culture. As early as the mid-20th century, Greek native coffee experienced the impact of instant coffee. Although instant coffee is now dismissed, at that time drinking a cup of instant coffee was considered one of the ways to approach modern Western civilization. "This quick coffee brewing method makes Greeks feel like they are part of Europe." "It makes them feel like they don't belong in the backward East." This idea comes from the historical shadow cast by Turkey's brutal rule over Greece during the Ultraman period.

At the time, locals also invented a local drink: Frappe, which is instant coffee made into a smoothie and then drunk through a straw. But now, Frappe has been completely replaced by Italian espresso. This is because it is convenient to drink cold and hot, which is very important for Greeks who suffer from summer fires.

So, is espresso really going to replace local coffee altogether?

"Absolutely not." Milona believes that the Greeks will never abandon their traditional coffee culture. But Giannopoulos believes that Greek coffee has slowly disappeared from people's dinner tables. Only people over 65 are sticking with traditional local coffee these days, while younger people are more interested in pursuing fresh coffee making methods.

Either way, if Italian espresso continues its trend, Greece's indigenous coffee is doomed. (This article comes from the Internet)