Alexander Chalkidis

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  • A scientific exploration of why ouzo gets mirky with water

    Spectroscopy at the service of your cocktail!

    Here is the short version as I understand it: put the water first and then the ice.  Depending on how much alcohol the ouzo has it will react differently to extreme cooling.  Don’t overdo it cooling this drink because you then kill the aroma.

    And here is the long version:

    “Anethole is a rather nonpolar compound. The solubility of the ancthole contained in the Greek liqueur Ouzo is in a range in which the compound crystallizes out in the deep cold whereas it is still soluble in the beverage at room temperature. This effect can easily be observed in a Greek restaurant. When Ouzo is served as a well-chilled aperitif it appears cloudy due to precipitated ancthole crystals. On standing and warming, the cloudiness disappears by dissolution of ancthole in the aqueous ethanoL There is no other

    Looks to me like the scientists had one too many ouzos!

    flavour component in Ouzo which undergoes this change. Therefore, it can be used for a simple selective separation of ancthole just by filtration of the cold liqueur. However, it should be kept in mind that ancthole has a rather low melting point of 22 °C\ This has to be taken into consideration during any separation operations. All equipment used for filtration h3s to be precooled to avoid loss of ancthole by liquefaction.

    It is not to recommend to cool the liqueur still more than described here because then water ice also begins to crystallize. If you cool several brands of Ouzo you will find that the degree of crystallization of ancthole is different, which gives a hint about its varying content in the liqueur.

    3.2  Method

    Λ 500 ml volume of Greek liqueur Ouzois allowed to cool in a deep freezer at -20 °C overnight. The viscosity of the solution increases. Anethole crystallizes in the form of colourless leaflets, A sintered glass filter funnel is precooled in the same freezer and used for the filtration operation. The Ouzo is filtered by suction, which requires 30 min because the glass filter easily tends to become blocked by the ancthole crystals. To avoid this, it is to recommended to scrape of] the material from the filler surface occasionally by means of a pre-eoolcd spatula. During filtration, the temperature at the funnel should not rise above -12 °t.   Finally, a colourless crystalline mass (300 mg) is scraped out of the sintered glass filler funnel, put into a glass vial and immediately evacuated with an oil pump at 20 Pa and 15 °C to remove traces of water and ethanol Colourless crystals of pure anethole (150 mg) remain in the vial, which, depending on the storage temperature, can be kept as a solid or a liquid.”

  • Therapeutic qualities of aniseed: drink and then bathe in it!

    It isn’t just the aroma of aniseed that gives ouzo that distinctive flavor.

    “This spice possesses gas-relieving property. It is an excellent medicine for expelling wind from the stomach. It can also be taken, in combination with other digestive foods like ginger, cumin and pepper, in the form of an infusion.

    An easy way to prepare the infusion is to mix a teaspoon of aniseed in a cup of boiling water and leave it covered overnight. The clear fluid is then decanted and taken with honey. This helps gurgling in the abdomen. This is also useful in preventing gas and fermentation in the stomach and the bowels.”

    Hey, that is more or less how they distill ouzo so save yourself the trouble!  Here is another quote:

    “Anise oil opens bronchial pathways so you can breath again. Commonly used in aromatherapy for breathing difficulties – anise oil may have a good effect on asthma as a natural asthma remedy. Anise oil is also excellent fish bait and is commonly used by fisherman to attract trout.   Pure Anise Oil is also noted as helpful for flatulence, impotence, painful periods, migraines and colic. Anise oil is best used in baths, massage oils, facials and in a diffuser.”

    Right, so straight after drinking it we can pour some into our bath too!

    “Properties of Anise oil:

    • Main Constituent anethole (phenolether)
    • Carminative
    • Digestive
    • Promotes Harmony and Balance (Green)
    • Expectorant”

  • Ouzo dimino – what a bad name for a drink!

    ouzo museum lesvos

    “Dimino” in greek means “every two months”.  Seems a rather bad name for ouzo, but here is a useful text about the Production Methods:   (Pardon the Google translation slip ups!)

    “Small and big secrets of ouzo

    Lisvori anise “Pimpinella anisum“, fennel “foeniculum vulgare miller“, the star anise, cinnamon, the coriander, cardamom (kakoules)  enter the ouzo making process stills to refine the spirit.

    With ouzo, traditionally, the flavors are added through distilling the seeds in a solution of water and 100% ethyl alcohol from grape pomace.

    The charm of the distillation

    In traditional, hand crafted, copper stills we process  alcohol, grains and herbs for several hours. Then, the mixture is distilled and carefully controlled boiling and cooling the distillate. From the first distillation is separated and selected the “heart”, the most tasty part of the distillate, which is distilled a second time (redistillation) slowly with continuous inspection and testing. Before the double distilled “heart” is bottled, dilluted with soft water to ouzo, to obtain the desired alcoholic strength.

    The clear spirit condusive to a smooth and sweet ouzo 100% distilled and aged for two months to tie all the flavors and give you the great taste.

    The success of the recipe depends on the copper, the size and type of stills. The alcohol and aromatic plants will be added to determine final aroma and taste of the distillate. Each distiller has his own secret. That is the type and proportion of aromatic seeds used. Even in different fractions of the distillate to be used, the extraction prior to distillation, the size of the stills, etc.”

    Note that the process referred to above as “the heart of the ouzo” during distillation is what has now become the first premium ouzo brand, called “Adolo” by the same company that makes the No1 Plomari – Isidoros Arvanitis ouzo.

  • Fried mussels with lemon and ouzo sauce

    Fried mussels and ouzo

    INGREDIENTS

    • 1/5kgr mussels in shells
    • 3 cloves garlic (whole)
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2/3 cup of ouzo or tsipouro
    • 2 lemons (juice)
    • Salt and pepper
    METHOD
    1. Wash the mussels with a brush to remove the fluff parts.
    2. In a saucepan sauté the garlic in the olive oil.
    3. Once the garlic begins to golden brown, remove it from the saucepan.
    4. Add the mussels to saucepan, the lemon juice and cover the pan for 2′.
    5. Check if there is any mussels that have not opened and discard them.
    6. Add the ouzo and let it boil over medium heat until evaporates the alcohol.
    7. Serve as long as they are warm.

    Recipe from FoodBuzz – original article and photo link here.

     

  • Ouzo and alcohol abuse

    Ouzo has rather unfairly been associated with alcohol abuse despite the fact that it has not got the highest alcohol content in its category.  It is also (see drinking etiquette) quite well known that this is a “social” drink, to be consumed with food and friends.   Here is what happens however when it is done the “wrong” way as reported by the BBC:

    “Cocktail puts woman in hospital

    A teenager from Teesside has vowed never to drink again after a holiday cocktail caused her head to swell to the size of a football.

    Corinne Coyle (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)

    Corinne Coyle reacted to the 10 euro mixture of Baileys, chilli, tequila, absinthe, ouzo, vodka, cider and gin.

    The 19-year-old spent two days in a hospital in the Greek resort of Malia.

    Since returning home she has been treated at hospital in Middlesbrough where doctors said they did not know if her face would return to normal.

    Doctors in Greece said the swelling was caused by a chemical reaction and they had seen a similar incident within the past couple of weeks.

    She was allowed to fly home on Tuesday and has spent the last two days being examined at the James Cook University Hospital and by her GP. Doctors are still waiting for the results.

    She has vowed never to touch alcohol again.”



     

  • What rhymes with the word “ouzo”?

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDr0S1X3jo0]

    (Traditional song entitled “ouzo” by Babis Gkoles and his orchestra as shown on Greek national television.)

    Even before drinking the stuff you will be hard pressed to find anything to rhyme with this word!   Making a song about it in any other language other than Greek will be a challenge unless you are from Japan.  The special rhyming website offers the following, not very useful options:

    Suzo Suzo International was founded in 1955 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and supplies components and solutions for the amusement, gaming, casino, and vending industries.n. Wikipedia suggests Suzo.

    Kyuzo Seven Samurai Definition: is a 1954 Japanese film co-written, edited and directed by Akira Kurosawa..

    Nguzo

    Douzo

    Yuzo

    Buzo

    Shuzo

     

  • Study Of ‘Ouzo Effect’ May Lead To Design Of Improved Drugs, Cosmetics

    Scientists studying the cloudy emulsions produced by anise-flavored liquors such as Ouzo have discovered new molecular insights into their formation, findings that could lead to the design of better commercial emulsions used in making pharmaceuticals, food products, cosmetics and other materials.

    Although transparent when bottled, Ouzo, Pastis, Pernod, and other popular anise-flavored alcoholic beverages form milky-white emulsions when diluted with water prior to drinking, a phenomenon commonly known as the “Ouzo effect.” These emulsions occur spontaneously and are stable for weeks and even months, a feature that is attractive to industry. However, scientists are unclear how these mixtures form and stabilize.

    In the new study, Erik van der Linden and colleagues measured the stability of various emulsions prepared from commercial Pernod and compared the results to theoretical predictions of their formation. The scientists found that their experimental observations were often opposite the predicted behavior of the emulsions in the presence of various concentrations of oil, water, and alcohol components.

    “More knowledge of the parameters that determine the stability of these emulsions, besides interfacial tension, solubility, and density difference, might lead to better control of theemulsification process,” the study states.

    Note that when adding water and ice to ouzo, it is customary to add the water first.

    Click here for the source of the original article.

     

  • Recipe: Ouzo sausage patties with mushrooms

    Ouzo, a Greek spirit, lends its distinctive licorice flavour to these sausages. To make life easier in the kitchen, they are cooked in patties rather than being stuffed into casings. But you can go that route if you wish.

    Ouzo Sausage Patties With Mushrooms

    Adapted from New Greek Cuisine: Fresh and Modern Recipes From Aristedes’ Kitchen, by Aristedes Pasparakis and Byron Ayanoglu. Tzatziki is a Greek yogurt and cucumber sauce. It is sold in supermarkets.

    3/4 lb each: ground lamb, ground beef

    1/4 cup ouzo

    1 tbsp ground coriander

    1 tsp ground anise

    1/2 tsp chili flakes

    3/4 tsp sea salt + more to taste

    Freshly ground pepper to taste

    3/4 lb (350 g) mixed mushrooms (button, oyster, stemmed shiitakes), thinly sliced

    2 tbsp each: extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice

    Homemade or store-bought tzatziki to taste

    Chopped parsley to taste

    Chopped chives to taste

    In large bowl, blend meat, ouzo, coriander, anise, chili flakes, 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Shape into 16 oval patties, each about 3/8-inch thick. Lay in one layer on cutting board. Cover with clean kitchen towel and set aside at room temperature 30 minutes.

    Heat medium skillet on medium-high heat 2 minutes. Add mushrooms. Sear, turning once, 4 to 5 minutes, until withered and starting to brown. Add oil and lemon juice, plus salt and pepper to taste. Cook, tossing, until liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Place on heatproof dish in preheated 200F oven to keep warm.

    Heat large non-stick pan on medium-high 1 minute. Cook patties in batches, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium if necessary. Drain on paper towels. Place on heatproof dish in oven to keep warm.

    To serve, plate mushrooms and tzatziki alongside patties. Sprinkle parsley and chives on top.

    Makes 6 servings.

    Star-tested by Susan Sampson. ssampson@thestar.ca – Click here for original article source

  • Google can destroy you. “You” being anyone and anything. Scary?

    I remember the debate in some English Literature class: will the future be like George Orwell’s “1984” or Aldus Huxley’s “Brave New World”?  I am a social media scientist by nature it seems because Huxley was always where I would put my money.  But the “soma” of our time isn’t a drug, it is information.   And one company seems to be controlling it all.

    I was chuckling to myself while watching the hilarious “Google autocompleter” video.   I almost posted it on Facebook.  But I have worried too long about this to fall into the trap.  Google is not evil as per se.   Google is wielding the biggest weapon ever to exist in human history.  Let’s hope it doesn’t get too evil with it.  But what harm is there in April fool day’s pranks like Gmail motion?

    It is getting worse than free.   When Google decides to put all companies related to GPS, mapping and anything related to pasture it is one thing.   Spending gazillions creating Google Maps, navigation software, and even promoting services around this ecosystem is worrying for competitors, annoying for lawmakers (since they don’t seem to have a profit making reason to do it) but useful for end users.  OK, it disrupted a major developing industry in ways we can’t even decipher yet.   Losing money on video serving via YouTube on a scale unimaginable to any corporation for years however is quite another thing.  It looks crazy and I wonder why other corporations aren’t emulating the “free” model.   Give away something really enormous in order to hook customers on something seemingly unrelated.

    The silly little spoof video just puts it a step further in my mind.   Google can buy or create content to disrupt the world even more! Why stop at making all books available online for free? (Whether their authors want to or not…)  In a way, they are lucky Steve Jobs is almost dead because he is the only person with the cash and the will to do something similar.   They can just buy the rights to anything they like and use it to gain eyeballs.   It would be the equivelant of BP buying distribution rights to a popular sitcom or Pampers to the next “Cars” movie and then using the publicity or forcing consumers to do something in order to enjoy their favorite show/film.   It would be like Nike buying out FIFA and stopping the final of the World Cup to say “we want you all to ‘like’ our page on facebook or we will stop the game!”

    Except Google is smarter than that.   Google has managed to keep looking like the underdog in everything it does. Google makes every evil step it takes towards an unimaginable monopoly in the search for information look like a legitimate one.   For the common good even.   It is Big Brother wearing a Tshirt and sneakers.   It is the equivelant of “soma” in Huxley’s brave new world, like a drug that keeps everyone happy, a glut of information that keeps us sedate and unable to act.

    If you aren’t too scared of getting on Google’s black list, use the comment box below to leave a response…  But the Thought Police will know instantly!

  • Ouzo drinking etiquette

    A few things you need to know about how to enjoy ouzo from this great article:

    “Here is some ouzo etiquette you may want to keep in mind if visiting the beautiful country of Greece:

    • Though you can have it neat, it is recommended that you dilute it with some cold water and ice. When water is mixed into the ouzo it will turn milk white or cloudy because of the presence of the oil of anise.
    • It is poor form to drink Ouzo ‘dry hammer’, or without eating anything, because this will get you tipsy quicker, and getting drunk may not be as well tolerated in Greece. Eating slows down the rate of intoxication so it is best to eat along with your ouzo.
    • It is also a terrible idea to mix ouzo with other alcoholic drinks; it could have disastrous results.
    • The idea with ouzo is to get into a good enough mood to relax and unwind and perhaps philosophize about life in general. And if you get into an argument about philosophy with a Greek person and they shout at you; it probably means they like you!
    • Don’t ask for double ouzo in Greece; their measures are far more generous than at other places.
    • It is an aperitif and is best had before a Greek meal; it will clear the palate without overpowering the subtle flavors of the food.
    • To avoid hangover and dehydration, make sure you drink water along with your ouzo. The alcohol can quickly dehydrate you; this is particularly important on a hot day.”