Greek coffee and Turkish coffee are the same. Both are traditionally brewed over a flame. In Greece, households have small camping gas canisters and the coffee is made in a metal container with a long handle. You have to be patient when making this type of coffee. It’s necessary to watch it carefully so that it doesn’t boil over. The trick is to whisk the coffee from the flame just before it does. Then you have to lower the heat and return the coffee to the flame. Let it simmer and remove it again just before it boils over. It is served in small cups and the sediment is left in the bottom – unless you enjoy eating coffee grounds, that is. Sugar is added to the pot with the coffee and stirred into it.

Greeks can spend hours in a cafe with just one coffee. You don’t add milk to this type of coffee. It’s thought that boiled Greek coffee can boost the metabolism and

Some scientists believe that a daily cup of Greek coffee is the secret to a long life. Greek coffee is full of polyphenols and antioxidants and only has a moderate amount of caffeine in it compared to other types of coffee. Of course, the food plays its part in the healthy Mediterranean diet too.

The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest in the world, with olive oil used in cooking and in salads. A lot of Greeks grow olives and have them pressed for them, so many families have their own supply of virgin or extra virgin olive oil. Olives are also integral to the Greek diet and are even on the breakfast table.

Most people eat fresh fruit and vegetables every day, and these are thoroughly washed and cleaned so that herbicides and pesticides are more or less eliminated. Many people, especially those who live in villages grow their own produce and use natural fertilizer excreted by their animals. The Greek diet is a very healthy one.

Greeks also drink wine with meals and some of this is homemade. Many Greeks grow there own grapes.

It’s hardly surprising that people live longer than others in the Western world. Meat is fresher as are fruit and vegetables.

Greek coffee is just one of the components of the Mediterranean diet, and it is usually consumed in small quantities on a daily basis. Greeks seem to believe in moderation.