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Ouzo and the Traders of Genoa
By Caterina Pizanias, The Art Exchange ART
Ah,
Ouzo! So synonymous with Greece,
its name alone can conjure the sun-drenched beaches and seaside tavernas of the
Aegean, and the sweet smell of sun-dried octopus grilling over olive wood
charcoal. Now oh so fashionable for natives and travelers alike, ouzo had
somewhat more humble (and much more favorable) beginnings.
It
started life as tsipouro, tsikouthia or raki, a strong,
clear liquor distilled from the “wastes” of wine making. It was perfected in
the monasteries of Mount Athos in the Halkithiki region of Greece and later
traveled throughout the mainland, the eastern Aegean islands, the Cyclades and
Crete.
One
might ask, how did we go from tsipouro to ouzo?
Apparently in the early 19th century the area of Tyrnavos (Central
Thessaly) was producing first-rate tsipouro (as it still does) which was
being shipped to Marseilles via Genoa. While in transit in Genoa, the traders
marked the tsipouro crates with Uso a Marsilla, that is, “For
use in Marseille.” Over the years
they started using a short hand, simply writing Uso (pronounced
“ouzo”), a more user-friendly reference than tsipouro or tsikouthia.
Interestingly,
a similar fate happened to Greece’s sun-dried sweet wines from the island of
Santorini. They too had their
crates written up as Vino di Santorini (“wines from Santorini”).
Short-hand writing by traders renamed them Vinsanto, and that is
how the wines are referred to this day, with most consumers being unaware of the
origin of the grapes and their name.
Ouzo’s
origins are entwined with the frugality of Greeks, and our habit of wasting
little. After grapes have been pressed to extract the must (the liquid that will
be fermented into wine) we are left with a mash consisting of stems, seeds and
grape peels, all of which is distilled twice. During the first distillation, the
producers use mostly anis seed or fennel for tapering the taste of alcohol.
During the second distillation, each will add different aromatics – alone or
in combination – such as cardamon, mastic, ginger, cinnamon and others
to leave their own mark on the final product.
In
some parts of Greece, the making of ouzo is a communal affair where all the
families in the village take part in day long celebrations called rakizia.
Food and wine are shared throughout the day while family after family boils and
distills its raki (a process that usually takes about three hours).
If
you are in Greece at the end of September, go to the village of Falatathos on
the island of Tinos and experience its annual rakizio, a ritual that is
worthy of Dionysos! But since most
of us cannot always control our times of travel, Athens has a number of ouzeris,
or ouzadika, places where ouzo is served with a number of mezethes
(small tapas-like food servings that go well with ouzo).
There
is one such place, named – you guessed it – Ouzadiko in the Kolonaki
district of the city, where proprietor Stella Perdikas has available for tasting
close to 500 ouzo brands (large-volume production) and about 150 rakis
(artisan/family productions). And, of course, she has first rate mezethes
to accompany her vast selection.
Ouzo,
tsipouro, tsikouthia, raki – all are to be sipped slowly
and their flavor savored. In the not so distant past, Greeks drank their ouzo
straight or maybe with a bit of water – but never with ice – in tiny glasses
called kanonakia.” Now tall glasses full of ice cubes are the order of
the day. But any old timer will advise you to never put ice in your
ouzo because you’ll get a headache and its taste will be diluted.
And guess what? Chemists back this folk wisdom: apparently ice breaks
down ouzo, gives it a cloudy look and releases anethol, an alcohol that
contributes to headaches!
So,
next time you are in the mood for some ouzo, try it neat, sketo, as we
say, or maybe with a bit of water. But failing that, go ahead, use ice cubes. .
. no one should argue on matters of taste!
And while you are at it, try this recipe for pickled octopus to accompany
your ouzo.
Htapodi Meze
Clean
the octopus well (or have the fish shop clean it for you) and prepare it for
marinade: Always precook the octopus to ensure its tenderness. Place octopus in
a heavy bottomed pot and add the vinegar. Cook over high heat for a few minutes
until octopus begins to release its juices. Lower the heat and continue cooking
for an hour or so, until the octopus becomes tender. (You might need to add a
few drops of water if the pot dries out) Cool
the octopus and cut into bite-size pieces.
Prepare
the marinade:
Shake
above ingredients well in a dressing bottle.
Pour over the sliced octopus and refrigerate for a few hours or
overnight.
Yia mas!!