Frapelia (from Greek φραπελιά) is a drink made with the leaves of olive trees (elia). It is very bitter, and is drunk with more sugar than the Greek cold coffee frappe whose frothy head it resembles (hence the name).
It is a current trend originating from Anna Drouza's controversial talk show because of its allegedly supposed to treat cancer. No scientific research has ever proved that. The show caused a hype all over Greece, with producers packaging and selling olive leaves in the markets.
Some doctors say that it may even be harmful due to the toxicity of the leaves.
The term "Frapelia" is actually a combination of two words: 'frappé' and 'elia.' Frappé is French for 'to hit' or 'hit' and when applied to food means to beat it or to whip it such that air is mixed in with whatever is being prepared (eggs for an omelette, cream, etc....). 'Elia' means olive tree. In Greece, a "frappé" (φραπέ) is instant coffee mixed with the desired amount of sugar (or none) and then beaten/whipped by hand or by small hand mixer; this substantially improves the taste of the coffee and reduces negative intestinal effects somewhat. Milk is then added, if desired.
Frapelia or Frappelia (as it should be spelled) contains no coffee. It is simply a handful of olive leaves (the leaves, not the olive or the tree) thrown into hot or warm water, and then blended/beaten/whipped, essentially making an amalgam of an olive leaf infusion and air. The mixture is then strained to remove the leaves and can be drunk. Leaving the leaves in can lead to an upset stomach, as they are difficult to digest. The taste is extremely bitter, so it is generally mixed with freshly squeezed apple, orange, carrot, or beet juice, or any other juice the drinker may care for. This is done to cover the taste, and generally only leaves a slight residual bitterness in the palate (depending on amounts, of course).
While frappelia was given national attention in Greece on Anna Drouza's show in 2007, it has been around for a long time, as part of the rich tradition of "old wives' cures" and herbal remedies used by Greek practitioners called "praktikous" (some of whom have medical training, some of whom do not, some of whom are priests, some of whom are not). A huge national debate ensued with advocates claiming quasi-miraculous curative properties (e.g. cures cancer), while opponents complained of witch doctoring and the lack of medical references and certifications. The Greek medical community, including the Greek national medical association, has been largely negative on frappelia, but this is primarily because there are no studies and there is no research on the potential curative or harmful properties of olive leaves. The medical community is quite naturally concerned that people may forego conventional, tried and tested treatments for so called miracle remedies, especially where difficult to treat diseases are concerned (e.g. cancer, aids, Alzheimer's, diabetes, etc....).
It should be understood that no formal studies have been conducted on the curative properties of olive leaves, but they are by no means toxic (perhaps they might be in massive quantities). No deaths or adverse effects have been reported as a consequence of frappelia consumption; quite the contrary, the majority of people drinking frappelia regularly for even short periods of time reported improved energy, the cure or improvement of various minor ailments, improved cardiac performance, improved blood pressure, pathogen elimination (e.g. fungi and yeast infections), and so on and so forth.
While there are currently no broadly known or acknowledged medical studies on olives leaf and/or olive leaf extract, and no known clinical human trials, there is an ample body of anecdotal knowledge dating back to Hippocrates; at the same time, there is currently a great deal of hype around olive leaves and olive leaf extract, usually being promoted by companies selling olive leaf extracts as a food supplement or cure.
Ultimately, the olive tree and its fruit (the olive) present a real bounty, and the Greeks have been using olive leaves, olive oil, olives, olive pits, olive wood, and all parts of the olive tree for food, medicine, soap, cosmetics, moisturizers, lubricants, etc...... for thousands of years, and no adverse effects have come to light from the use of any olive related product (note the term 'use' as opposed to the term 'abuse'). The abuse of even the best and most positive substances can have deleterious effects.
Dosage varies, but generally one half to a whole glass is consumed once or twice a day (generally, one glass of 200ml per day in one or two doses) in combination with water or fruit juice. Often consumed in conjunction with a light meal.
Lastly, anybody seeking to try frappelia as a remedy or health supplement should ensure that they take proper care and observe reasonable standards when it comes to consumption of olive leaf frappe. Make sure to use properly cleaned leaves preferably picked from wild olive trees. Olive trees can be found everywhere in Greece (and many other Mediterranean countries), but many of them are being actively cultivated and as a consequence are regularly sprayed with pesticides and fertilizers. These chemicals are difficult to remove, and will not be removed by simply rinsing under running water. It is far better to simply pick the leaves from a tree that is growing wild or to purchase the leaves from certified organic sources.
Anybody suffering from life-threatening or severe ailments (and everybody else for that matter) should not use frappelia as replacement therapy