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.

This of course, based on recent work by Derek Rucker and David Dubois, of the Kellogg School of Management, and Zakary Tormala, of Stanford business school, has an element of truth.  However it would also depend on the volume of interest and the reasons the rumors is circulating in the first place.  So the initial question of “does ouzo contain opium?” perhaps should be redefined as “why are you asking?”  It is more than possible that a number of people are looking for opium in ouzo as a positive thing!  Maybe ouzo brands should reinforce the rumors to increase sales!!

The analogy with Coke is not a random one of course.   According to most sources, Coca Cola did in fact contain cocaine in earlier versions of the recipe.  So maybe Coke and ouzo brands should collaborate on the matter because just imagine what would happen if you mix the (supposed) cocaine in Coke with the (imagined) opium in ouzo!

A more matter of fact analysis is in the page we dedicated to the matter of opium in ouzo here.