Frappe is a French word meaning ‘chilled’ but is liberally used all over the world now.

Frappe refers to anything made in a cocktail or a hand shaker with crushed ice cubes.

Originally invented in 1957 by a Nestle employee in Greece, it is still popular as the coffee frappe. A bit of instant coffee, water and sugar are poured in a glass. This is blended well with cold water, ice cubes and some evaporated milk. Shaking it vigorously in a shaker produces the foamy drink. This Greek instant coffee version has been adapted by other cultures now. But it is still best had with a straw.

Frappe that is made with minimum or no water is popular in Cyprus. Serbia makes one with ice-cream instead of milk. A dollop of fresh cream can be added on top. In Italy it is a milkshake with different flavors. Bulgaria goes a step further to add Coca Cola to the coffee frappe recipe. Turkey, Denmark and Thailand also have their own versions. Everyone wants a part of the tasty, carefree experience.

A coffee shop in Boston invented the ‘Frappuccino’ by combining the coffee and milkshake elements together. The popular brand Starbucks brought the trademark rights eventually. Now it sells both the Frappuccino version as well as the Greek styled frappe. That’s called good marketing skills!

Kahlua and Baileys Irish crème are added to make an exotic liqueur variation at times. A characteristic of this drink is the thick frothy foam on top. Initially it was prepared manually where you had to shake to get the long lasting bubbles. New age technology has now added the spray dried frothier look. Your refreshing drink can be dark or crunchy. It can even have added berry tones to it.

Greek frappe is widely enjoyed by all youngsters and marketed to visiting tourists as a signature drink. The only variations that Greece has allowed is with the sugar content. It offers the glycos, metrios and sketos versions. For people who are not clear, it means sweet, medium and plain referring to the sugar level. The Nescafe frappe is now exported all over Europe.

A frappe is also similar to a milkshake according to some people. The difference is minor and depends on where you might live. A milkshake uses more syrup and flavoring. It is commonly available and sometimes overlooked. A frappe is a more sophisticated offering and uses bits of ice as well. It is used innovatively all over. 

Elevating it to the National drink status in Greece has spiked up its popularity!

The creativity that this chilled foamy drink provides has sparked off many drink related competitions. New flavors and techniques are added and socially shared. 

Bars want it to be synonymous with stimulation and excitement. 7^th October is officially celebrated as the annual frappe day. Many people celebrate this date as a well-deserved holiday.

It can also be served as a desert or an appetizer by adding some fruit based flavor to it. Some say it is similar to the Italian Granita since it uses ice and rich puree flavors. Others compare it to the frozen sorbet or sherbet. Though these might be similar in some ways, the Frappe has its own unique identity.

Say hello to an important Hallmark of coffee culture today.