Overview
Cyprus Coffee plays a big role in the everyday life of locals. Not just for its unique preparation method but also for being such a big part of most people’s daily routine. More often than not, you will find a group of people gathered around drinking Cyprus coffee from small coffee cups accompanied by a glass of water to refresh the pallet.
Yet beyond merely enjoying its unique taste, preparing this strong brew takes a little skill to perfect.
Cyprus Coffee is made out of finely ground coffee beans, with various brands available in the market. Served in small espresso like coffee cups, it takes a heaped teaspoon of coffee to make a tiny demitasse cup, brewed with water and sugar if wanted.
Coffee is brewed in a small, long handled pot commonly known as the mbriki, which was traditionally made out of copper.
The tricky part is ensuring that the coffee slowly comes to a boil, while stirring it occasionally, and promptly taking the pot off the fire as the coffee froth begins to rise. The froth is commonly called kaimaki.
Cyprus coffee is quite strong and is served with a glass of water. One can order their coffee sketo (without sugar), metrio (with one teaspoon of sugar), or glyki (with two teaspoons of sugar). Milk is never added.
The coffee is best sipped slowly while leaving behind a thick layer of coffee grains at the bottom of the cup. The coffee remains are traditionally used by fortune-tellers who can interpret your future from dried patterns!
