Ouzo

Traditionally considered Plomari Ouzo and be the best. Plomari there are four distilleries below: Isidoros Arvanitis Barbayanni, and Gianatsi Pitsiladi. Plomari still produce ouzo with traditional ways. Ouzo Arvanitis, also known as  ouzo of Plomari  Barbayanni is the most commercially producing ouzo Plomari. Singles museum of ouzo Barbayanni near the beach of Agios Isidoros which is visited by thousands of visitors each year and is the most important attraction in Plomari. For ouzo and to draw reliable conclusions should ask those who drink ouzo for years in places of Plomari.

 Barbayanni ouzo and traditional cauldron from the distillery Giannatsi.

The delicacy.

The best meze for ouzo is mainly seafood. At restaurants Plomari you can try amazing dishes such as salted and smoked fish, scallops, mussels and clams episis very tasty and the octopus is served with various combinations like wine sauce, vinegar, grilled or potatoes in saucepan. Squid and cuttlefish are also very good choices to accompany your ouzo. The most important thing is that everything is fresh and local, not frozen.

The Name

The origin of the name of ouzo is not known with absolute certainty. It is thought that the name is derived from the following incident: A company exported the drink in Marseille and in boxes of exportable batch showed the words "uso Massalia", ie "to be used in Marseilles." For some reason the phrase became synonymous with good quality ouzo, and then the word "Marseille" was gone and the word uso = ouzo hereinafter characterized drink. This view tends now to be abandoned, as it is not scientific but folklore. Authoritative sources show that L is derived from the in Turkish uzum, which means "bunch of grapes" and "decoction of raisins" (see Sir G. Clauson, An Etymological Dictionary of Pre-Thirteenth Century Turkish, Oxford 1972, pp. 288).

The History

The beginnings of the history of ouzo is unknown. It is speculated that the drink was produced in a similar form since antiquity yet. The sure thing is that it was already known at the time of the Byzantine Empire. During the Ottoman period, the ouzo was widespread in parts of present-day Turkey, but also in the Middle East. The increased production of ouzo and local spread in Greece after anaxartisia the country from the Ottomans.

The Preparation

Ouzo is mixture of ethyl alcohol (alcohol) water and various aromatic herbs, one of which always aniseed. Ouzo, in contrast with the raki, is usually only a small proportion of distillate grapes. According to the law, this percentage is at least 20%. However produced and ouzo are distillates and higher rates. The distillation is done in special distilleries (boilers), which is preferably of copper ftagmena. After mixing the components followed by "cooking" of the mixture, more than once. The final product is usually between 40 and 50 ABV. Ouzo in Greece called "ouzo" is patented in 1989 as Greek and drink can be produced and named in this way only in Greece. Some places with a long tradition in the production of ouzo is Lesvos especially Plomari Tyrnavos and Kalamata. The drink is consumed today in Greece and abroad.

The consumption

Ouzo is usually accompanied by appetizers, such as salted fish, octopus, salads etc. Served in small or thin and tall glasses and add cool water to drink with ice or without ice. After adding water to drink displays characteristic whitish color, due to the anise contains.