Greece's "Kung Fu Coffee" Lives Up to Its Name

Greece property investment immigration focus on life in Greece: Coffee was born in Africa in the 13th century, and after three centuries of exclusivity by the Arabs, it spread to Europe in the 16th century. The habit of drinking coffee has been popular in Europe and America for centuries, gradually evolving into a "coffee culture."

There are distinct coffee cultures around the world: the romance of France, the elegance of Austria, the passion of Italy, and the efficiency of the United States. Each coffee culture is a microcosm of a social state, reflecting the local way of life.

Greek coffee is completely different from coffee in other European and American countries. Its brewing method is very traditional: ground coffee beans are placed in a small coffee pot with water and boiled until it bubbles, then both the water and the grounds are poured into a small coffee cup. When brewing, one spoonful of coffee powder with one small spoonful of sugar is called medium-sweet; adding two small spoonfuls of sugar is called sweet; and adding no sugar is called "pure."

Greeks love to meet friends at coffee houses, and it takes fifteen minutes for the coffee to be brewed. Once the coffee is served, it takes another fifteen minutes for the coffee grounds to fully settle. People use this time to greet each other, discuss family matters, and catch up on news. The coffee cups are very small, the content is very little, and half of it is coffee grounds, so Greek coffee truly deserves the name "Kung Fu Coffee."

Yet, Greeks can spend half a day drinking such a small cup of coffee. The further you get to the bottom, the more grounds there are, and the small talk increases accordingly. In the end, some elderly Greek women will even divine fortunes based on the shapes left by the coffee grounds in the cup—it may sound unreliable, but the accuracy is surprisingly high.

Greek men enjoy the custom of discussing politics in traditional coffee houses. A history professor at the University of Athens says: The Greek coffee house is a continuation of the "ancient Greek agora." From ancient times to the present, Greek men have enjoyed "expressing their opinions."