OUZO 1954 suits the Greek summer. The ideal way to enjoy it and a recipe by chef Nikos Karathanos to accompany it.
In this beach tavern, the wave breaks just one meter from your chair. You feel the wet sand under your feet, the salt on your lips. On the table are spread the summer snacks: sun-dried octopus and pumpkin meatballs, greens, fried potatoes, country salad, and fresh fish. But, you are most looking forward to this moment: the time when the ouzo glasses will be raised by all the company in the health of the summer!
We have all experienced the image above. And most of us dream about it all year long… Well, the time has finally come for the dream to come true! Ouzo is the Greek drink that has become more associated with holiday carelessness than any other spirit. And how else, since it is an aperitif that goes perfectly with traditional Greek appetizers and large groups? Ouzo has a strong personality to it and has been identified with the popular culture of our country, creating images and memories at family tables, cafes, taverns and courtyards. It is no accident that it is an integral part of our cultural heritage.
If you love ouzo too, we have good news for you this summer: a unique ouzo that has been revived, following an old Smyrna recipe to the letter. It’s called OUZO 1954 and this is the story of…
We are in September 1922, the most painful autumn in the history of modern Greece. Smoke is rising from the port of Smyrna and the boats are drifting away in the dark waters full of thousands of refugees. The Asia Minors are leaving, but not alone. With them they take the love for Smyrna, the rich history of their small homeland, the knowledge and passion for distillation.
In the following days, ships arrive in Athens, Thessaloniki, Crete, all over Greece, as they did later with the exchange of populations. Inside these ships is the Apostolaki family, who after wandering for years, will finally settle in the refugee camps of Magnesia, where in a few decades the area will be renamed Nea Ionia – a tribute to the lost homelands.
The refugees of Magnesia are slowly setting up their lives in their new place. They rediscover their steps and habits, and the most beloved could not be missing from them. After work, they gather in homes and taverns where they clink glasses of tsipouro and ouzo. Soon, the locals join their company, and thus begins the history of ouzo in the region. But many more years will pass until the ouzo of this story is born, the Ouzo of the Apostolaki Family who settled here together with the other refugees.
What is the right way to serve ouzo?
The way ouzo is drunk is not accidental. It fits perfectly into the Greek way of life! We enjoy it slowly, consciously and without haste, feeling its pleasant aftertaste on our palate. Even the way it is served is a ritual. There is only one correct way to serve our ouzo and that is this: First, we pour the amount of ouzo we want to drink into the glass. Then we add cool water so that the ouzo gets its characteristic milky color.
Finally, we fill the glass with ice which will give the ouzo its ideal temperature. With this sequence, the ouzo will release all its herbal and spicy notes for us to enjoy in all their glory.
The appetizers of ouzo
In this successful balance of sweet, salty, cool and spicy, there is no room for loneliness. Ouzo is not drunk “dry”, you want to share it with good company of loved ones, known and unknown! There, among the clinking, the wishes and the teasing, ouzo is very much loved by small plates of salted fish, pickles, pickles, ointments, fried foods, cheese, grilled meats and fresh shellfish. Other times our national drink follows its season, “invading” elaborately in cocktails, cooking recipes and desserts, to take us on a journey through its summer aura and offer us an unprecedented taste experience. Fill the glass, then raise it to eye level, clink and say “Cheers”.
Let’s drink to summer!
Sushi Dumplings with wasabi yoghurt cream
A recipe by Chef Nikos Karathanos that goes perfectly with ouzo
Materials
- 200g spring onion, finely chopped
- 125g. mint
- 350g arborio rice
- Juice of two lemons
Preparation
- In a shallow pan, sauté the onion and then add the rice
- Add water slowly according to the philosophy of risotto. Once it is boiling (without sludge), add the mint and the lemon juice.
- Quickly spread it out on a large baking sheet and place it in the refrigerator to cool.
- To 125g of boiled rice add 5g mirin, 2.5g sesame oil, 2.5g rice vinegar, salt and pepper. Then, take the bamboo sushi wrapper, cut the nori in half, put some of the rice mixture into the nori sheet and wrap. Finally, cut it into small pieces.
For the yoghurt-wasabi cream: 200g drained yoghurt, 6g wasabi puree, a little lemon juice, 2 pinches of salt and pepper.
