Upon arrival in a new country my first thought is always- how scary are the public restrooms, and what coffee beverage is the country's hallmark. In Athens for the first time I discovered the answer to both of those questions: eh somewhat scary, and the frappe. Not the American version of a frappe, which is more of an ice-blended, or the French version which includes ice cream, the Greek frappe is a delectably thick foamy frothy concoction made from instant coffee, sugar, and water.
The Greek frappe was said to be invented in 1957 at the Thessaloniki International Fair by Dimitrios Vakondios, a Nestle sales representative. Vakondios reportedly mixed Nescafe instant coffee ground with water in a shaker meant for Nesquik cocoa. Coffee crema as you see on top of an espresso are products of the proteins in the coffee. Proteins trap air producing bubbles, or foam.
Nestle would then begin promoting the frothy drink- shaken, not stirred across Athens. Promotional materials for the Nescafe Frappe gives the following instruction: "all you have to do is beat Nescafe, sugar, and cold water." So when in Greece, do as the Greeks do...just beat it.