Ouzerí
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An ouzeri (
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
''ουζερί'' ) is a type of Greek
tavern A tavern is a type of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern that ...
which serves
ouzo Ouzo (, ) is a dry anise-flavored aperitif that is widely consumed in Cyprus and Greece. It is made from rectified spirits that have undergone a process of distillation and flavoring. Its taste is similar to other anise liquors like pastis, sam ...
(a Greek liquor) and mezedes (small
finger food Finger foods are small, individual portions of food that are eaten out of hand. They are often served at social events. The ideal finger food usually does not create any mess (such as crumbs or drips), but this criterion is often overlooked in o ...
s). Ouzeris are found in all cities and towns around Greece. The meals are prepared in the restaurant, unlike in the traditional kafenio. Among these are also meat-based and fish-based meals, again in contrast to a kafenio. An ouzeri is alternatively called a ''tsipouradiko'', ''mezedopolio'' or ''ouzopolio''. On the menu, one may find the following options: * various types of cheese, such as
feta Feta ( ; ) is a Greek brined white cheese made from sheep milk or from a mixture of sheep and goat milk. It is soft, with small or no holes, and no skin. Crumbly with a slightly grainy texture, it is formed into large blocks and aged in brin ...
,
kefalotyri Kefalotyri or kefalotiri ( is a hard, salty white cheese made from sheep milk or goat's milk (or both) in Greece and Cyprus. A similar cheese, Kefalograviera, also made from sheep or goat milk (or both), is sometimes sold outside Greece and Cypr ...
and graviera; * vegetables and salads, such as olives,
tzatziki Tzatziki (, , ), also known as ''cacık'' () or ''tarator'', is a class of dip, soup, or sauce found in the cuisines of Southeastern Europe and West Asia. It is made of salted strained yogurt or diluted yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, sal ...
and Greek salad; * preprepared meals like dolmades and broad beans from the oven; * marinated, broiled and boiled meat and fish dishes like souvlaki, mussels, sardines, anchovies and pastirme. A plate with a variety of small such dishes is called a ''pikilia'' (Greek ''ποικιλία''). Traditionally, the ouzo is sipped slowly, often with water or ice, and taken alongside mezedes during the course of a few hours in the afternoon.


Sources

*John Freely. ''Strolling through Athens: fourteen unforgettable walks through Europe's oldest city''. Tauris Parke Paperbacks, 2004 ,


Further reading

* Greek cuisine Types of drinking establishment Restaurants by type {{Greece-cuisine-stub