280/365: National Frappé Day

Today’s food holiday may have you foaming at the mouth. October 7 is National Frappé Day!

If you’re wondering what a frappé is, well, it’s all Greek to me. No, really: the frappé was invented in Greece in 1957 and is considered the national beverage, popular with both locals and tourists alike. During an International Trade Fair in Thessaloniki, Nestlé  was demonstrating a new beverage geared toward children: an instant chocolate drink made by combining chocolate with milk and mixing it together in a shaker. “New” product?! This sounds suspiciously like chocolate milk to me! In any case, a Nestlé employee, Dimitris Vakondios, was craving coffee but couldn’t find any hot water nearby, so he mixed instant coffee in the shaker with cold water and ice cubes, accidentally inventing a delicious, frothy beverage. The word frappé is French in origin, and refers to anything chilled. In the past couple of decades frappés have become popular around the world; in the U.S., they refer to either a chilled or frozen iced coffee drink. Starbucks’ Frappuccino is one popular version, but even McDonald’s has recently gotten into the act with the introduction of their own frappé.

Speaking of the Golden Arches, we grabbed a caramel frappé from there to split this morning. All things considered, it wasn’t bad, but a little on the sweet side.

Related articles

• How to make an authentic Greek-style frappe, at home (travelmammal.wordpress.com)
• Top 10 International Coffee Drinks You Should Try (toptenz.net)
• The History of Greek-Style Frappe (podilatokafe.wordpress.com)
• Earl Of Sandwich Blended Frappes Long Before Starbucks (npr.org)
• Ye Olde Starbucks: A 17th century frappe (yorkshirepost.co.uk)