Small amount, strong, dark, refreshing and delicious is the most common way to describe Greek Coffee.

The method of preparing a Greek coffee is slightly more complex than the Nescafe coffee. It is not a process of boiling the kettle, adding the coffee and sugar, pouring the water and milk and serve.

To prepare Greek coffee one needs the correct equipment. This is the ‘imbriki'. An ‘imbriki' is a beacon that is placed on an oven for the ‘boiling' of the coffee. There is no English name for the ‘imbriki', yet some have given it names such as coffee beaker, mini pot etc.

After purchasing an ‘imbriki', the next step is to purchase the Greek coffee pack. It does not usually come in a tin, but rather a plastic package.

Measure a Greek coffee cup of cold water and place the water in the ‘imbriki'. Place one teaspoon of coffee into the water and sugar according to the individuals taste. Switch on the oven and when the coffee has warmed up; stir a few times so the sugar and coffee can dissolve. Do not stir again. Bring the coffee to a boil. The mixture will start to bubble and then rise. Just before it will rise to half way up the ‘imbriki', remove off heat.

Place the coffee in a Greek coffee cup and serve hot. It is custom to serve the coffee with a glass of cold water. This is because the coffee is strong and the water helps wash the content down and because the mixture is fairy ‘thick'.

Just before you reach the complete bottom of the cup, you will notice a thick gathering of the coffee, so called left over. This should not be drunk.

After the coffee has been enjoyed and washed down by the glass of water, the cup is some times turned upside down onto the saucer. Some people believe that they are blessed with the talent of reading ones fortune in the coffee cup.

After the coffee has hardened onto the cup the person who drank the coffee will give it to the person who can read their future. Whether this is a myth or it really can come true, is up to you.

A real fact is that majority of the people in Cyprus drink Greek coffee and almost always this coffee is served at family or friends gathering.