Greekreporter.com notes in a recent article that when Greeks say “Let’s go for a little ouzo”, this is not only a social invitation but also a culinary pleasure that is rarely turned down.
Ouzo conjures many images but the most common one is a picture of sitting at a seaside taverna while the summertime sun is setting.
A carafe of ouzo is next to a bowl of ice on the table, and several little plates with grilled octopus, fried calamari, little fish in brine, fresh cucumbers and tomatoes, rich feta cheese, plump olives and other mouth watering delicacies are on the table.
With all of that in the picture, ouzo is spelled G-r-e-e-c-e.
Ouzo is made of distilled pure alcohol with extra natural sweeteners such as anise, fennel, carob, molasses and fruits such as figs or plums.
And it also gets better than this: ouzo is good for you, not only for the soul, but your body as well — if consumed in moderation, naturally.
One little glass of ouzo has about 150 calories, so it is not so disastrous if you are on a diet. But the health benefits are definitely worth noting.
First of all, anise helps in the proper functioning of the intestine, and also facilitates absorbing iron from food.
It also has the quality of dilating blood vessels and, in this way, reduces blood pressure.
The terpenes contained in ouzo also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity that protect cells from diseases, including heart disease, some forms of cancer and neurological conditions.
Finally, research indicates that ouzo components fight liver disease and help patients with Crohn’s disease.
Read more here.
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Photo Source: Visit Greece
Source: greekreporter.com
