What Is
What is a frappé?
3
min read
When summer hits, everyone seems to walk around towns and cities with an iced coffee in hand, and it could very possibly be the iconic frappé. Sales of this super popular cold beverage explode as temperatures soar, but do you know what the magical drink contains, and where it’s from? Find out what a Frappé is and learn how Nestlé played an instrumental role in its creation.
Make your day a little more indulgent
The Frappé we know and love is pronounced ‘frap-pay’ and when loosely translated from French, it literally means ‘iced’. This delicious drink is generally made of water, espresso, sugar, milk, ice and is shaken, blended or beaten to combine the ingredients. Enjoyed in a tall glass, it tends to be served with whipped cream and toppings like sweet sauces. A Frappé is traditionally made with coffee, but it doesn’t have to be! Some are made with tea, juice and even hot chocolate.
Frappé’s around the world
When ordering a Frappé, what you get really depends on where you are in the world. In Greece, you can expect a couple of tablespoons of instant coffee, sugar, water and milk (if you want them), which will then be put into a cocktail shaker and shaken to get the frothy layer on top. In Bulgaria, don’t be surprised if it’s served with soda instead of water. Denmark substitutes the water for milk and Serbia serves the frappé with milk or ice cream and freshly whipped cream on top. However, one of the really different frappé variations is in Boston, where it’s actually a milkshake made with ice-cream and is simply pronounced ‘frap’. So, if you’re a frappé lover, enjoy the experience of discovering every unique variation to be found!
Frappé origins
The ‘café frappé’ started appearing in the mid-19th century with some drinks possessing a slushy-like texture and others appearing similar to an iced coffee. However, the frappé really kicked off in 1957 at the Thessaloniki International Fair in Greece. The story goes that a representative from Nestlé was demonstrating an instant chocolate drink for children with a chocolate base that was added to milk then shaken in a shaker. When on their break, an employee of the Nestlé representative realised there was no hot water to make their coffee, so instead they mixed the instant coffee granules with cold water and ice cubes, mixed it in the shaker and voila, a modern frappé was born! This version of the frappé is still incredibly popular in Greece today and you can find it in most coffee shops across the country.
What’s the difference between a frappé and a Frappuccino?
Many people think they’re the same thing, but they’re completely different! The Frappuccino is an iced cappuccino. The beverage is a coffee mixed with milk, sugar, coffee, ice, all combined and mixed in a frozen yogurt machine which gives it a very creamy and smooth texture.
