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Rakia

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(Redirected from Rakija)
Not to be confused with Rakı or Raksi.
For other uses, see Rakia (disambiguation).

Rakia
TypeLiqueur
Country of origin first recorded in Bulgaria
Alcohol by volume 40+ vol-%
Flavourvarious fruits, incl. grape, plum, peach, apricot

Rakia, rakija, rakiya, rachiu or rakı (/ˈrɑːkiə, ˈræ-, rəˈkiːə/), is the collective term for fruit spirits (or fruit brandy) popular in the Balkans. The alcohol content of rakia is normally 40% ABV, but home-produced rakia can be stronger (typically 50–80%).[1]

Overview

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Rakia is produced from fermented and distilled fruits, typically plums and grapes, but also apricots, pears, cherries or raspberries.[2] Other fruits less commonly used are peaches, apples, figs, blackberries, and quince. Common flavours are šljivovica and țuică, produced from plums,[3] kaysieva/kajsija, produced from apricots, or grozdova/lozova in Bulgaria, raki rrushi in Albania, lozovača/komovica in Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina all produced from grapes.[4][5]

Plum and grape rakia are sometimes mixed with other ingredients, such as herbs, honey, sour cherries and walnuts, after distillation.[2]

By country

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Albania

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Raki (Albanian definite form: rakia) (a type of rakia) is a traditional drink in Albania.[6][7] Until the 19th century, meyhanes would serve wine or meze.[8]

Bulgaria

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A glass of rakiya in a restaurant in Sofia, Bulgaria

Bulgaria cites an old piece of pottery from the 14th century in which the word rakiya (Bulgarian: ракия) is inscribed. The inscription on it reads: “I have celebrated with rakija.”[9] The country has taken measures to declare the drink as a national drink in the European Union to allow lower excise duty domestically but has yet yielded no concrete results.[10] During an archaeological study, Bulgarian archaeologists discovered an 11th-century fragment of a distillation vessel used for the production of rakiya. Due to the age of the fragment, contradicting the idea that rakiya production only began in the 16th century, some historians believe this indicates that rakiya did originally come from Bulgaria.[11] The EU recognizes 12 brands of Bulgarian rakiya through the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) marks, which protect the name of products from a specific region that follow a traditional production process.[12]

Croatia

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Traditional distillation of rakija (plum spirit) in Međimurje (northern Croatia)

Rakija is the most popular spirit in Croatia.[13] Travarica (herbal rakija) is usually served at the beginning of the meal, together with dried figs. The Croatian Adriatic coast is known for a great variety of herbal rakija, some typical for only one island or group of islands.[14] The island Hvar is famous for rakija with the addition of Myrtus (mrtina—bitter and dark brown). Southern islands, such as Korčula, and the city of Dubrovnik are famous for rakija with anise (aniseta), and in central Dalmatia the most popular rakija is rakija with walnuts (orahovica). It's usually homemade, and served with dry cookies or dried figs. In the summer, it's very typical to see huge glass jars of rakija with nuts steeping in the liquid on every balcony, because the process requires the exposure of orahovica to the sun. In the northern Adriatic—mainly Istria—rakija is typically made of honey (medica) or mistletoe (biska). Biska, which is yellow-brown and sweet, is a typical liquor of Istria. In the interior of the country a spirit called šljivovica (shlivovitza) is made from plums, and one called viljamovka (viliam-ovka) is made from Williams pears. Croatia has EU Protected Geographical Indication of 6 rakija products (Zadarski maraschino, Hrvatska travarica, Hrvatski pelinkovac, Hrvatska stara šljivovica, Slavonska šljivovica and Hrvatska loza).[12]

Greece

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In Greece, the most popular traditional Cretan spirit is known as tsikoudia (Greek: τσικουδιά). On the mainland, a similar spirit called tsipouro (Greek: τσίπουρο) is prevalent. Both tsikoudia and tsipouro are informally referred to as raki due to the Ottoman-era nomenclature when raki was a generic term describing distilled liquors, a term which informally remains in use today.

Cretan tsikoudia is a pomace brandy made by single distilling grapes after most of their juice has been extracted to produce wine and having left them to ferment in barrels. Special permits are given from late October until the end of November to produce tsikoudia at home in Cretan villages. Unlike tsipouro, tsikoudia is not twice distilled and does not contain anise. It is commonly served cold as an apéritif with seafood and meze, usually referred to as rakomezedes, or as a complimentary digestif with spoon sweets or fruit after a meal.

Tsikoudia is an integral element of the island’s culture, identified by many as "the national drink of Crete" and linked to hospitality.[15]

Serbia

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Quince rakija from Serbia in traditional flasks

Rakija (Serbian Cyrillic: Ракија) is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks in Serbia.[16] It is the national drink of Serbia.[17][18][19] According to Dragan Đurić, President of the Association of Producers of Natural Spirits, the EU protects the names of beverages by allowing the prefix Serbian.[16] In Serbia there are 10,000 private producers of rakija. Two thousand are on the official register and only about a hundred cellars produce high-quality spirit.[16] The most popular rakijas in Serbia are: "sljivovica"-it is made from plum, apricot rakija and pear rakija. Belgrade is the site of a Rakija museum.[20] A 14th century Serbian source is the earliest confirmation of Rakija-making.[9]

Turkey

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Raki or rakı (/rɑːˈkiː/, /rɑːˈkuː/, /rɑːˈkɜːr/, Turkish pronunciation: [ɾaˈkɯ]) is an unsweetened, occasionally (depending on area of production) anise-flavoured, alcoholic drink considered to be a national drink in Turkey.[21] It is popular in Iran, Turkic countries, and in the Balkan countries as an apéritif. It is often served with seafood or meze. It is comparable to several other alcoholic beverages available around the Mediterranean and the Middle East, such as pastis, ouzo, sambuca, arak and aguardiente.[22]

Ritual use

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At the end of the Orthodox Christian burial service, at the exit from the cemetery, visitors are offered a piece of soda bread (pogača) and a glass of rakia.[23] When drinking "for the soul" of the deceased, one spills some rakia on the ground, saying "May God receive this for her/him", before drinking the rest.[23]

It is also used as a sacramental element by the Bektashi Order,[24] and Alevi Jem ceremonies, where it is not considered alcoholic and is referred to as "dem".[25]

Types

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There are many kinds of rakia, depending on the fruit it is produced from:

Fruits Bulgaria Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia Greece Albania and Kosovo
Basic types
plum (slivovitz) сливова (slivova) сливовица (slivovitsa) šljivovica, шљивовица, шливка, сливка Κουμπλόρακο (Ρακί κορόμηλου) / Raki koromilou Raki Kumbulle
grapes гроздова (grozdova)
гроздовица (grozdovitsa)
мускатова (muskatova) 		лозова (lozova), lozovača/loza, лозова ракија/лозовача/лоза Σταφυλόρακη (ρακί σταφυλής) / raki stafylis Raki Rrushi
grape pomace
(kom)[1] 		джиброва (dzhibrova)
джибровица (dzhibrovitsa)
шльокавица (shlyokavitsa) 		komovica, комова ракија/комовица Τσίπουρο-Τσικουδιά (ρακί στεμφύλων σταφυλής) / tsipouro-tsikoudia (raki stemfylon stafylis) Raki Bërsi
apricot кайсиева (kaysieva) mareličarka, kajsijevača, кајсијевача Ρακί βερίκοκου / raki verikokou Raki Kajsie
peach прасковена (praskovena) rakija od breskve, ракија од брескве, breskavica Ρακί ροδάκινου / raki rodakinou Raki Pjeshke
pear крушoва (krushova) kruškovača/vilijamovka, крушковача/виљамовка, крушка Ρακί αχλαδιού / raki achladiou Raki Dardhe
apple ябълкова (yabalkova) jabukovača, јабуковача Ρακί μήλου / raki milou Raki Molle
mulberry черничева (chernicheva)
црница (tsrnitsa) 		dudova rakija/dudovača/dudara, дудова ракија/дудовача/дудара Ρακί απο σκάμνια, ρακί μούρων / raki apo skamnia, raki mouron Raki Mëni
quince дюлева (dyuleva) dunjevača, дуњевача Ρακί κυδωνιού / raki kydoniou Raki Ftoji
fig смокинова (smokinova) smokovača, смоквача Συκόρακη, Ρακί σύκου / Sykoraki, Raki sykou Raki fiku
cherry черешова (chereshova) trešnjevača Ρακί κερασιού / raki kerasiou Raki qershie
mixed fruits плодова (plodova) — Ρακί φρούτων / raki frouton —
with sour cherries вишновка (vishnovka) višnjevac/višnjevača, вишњевача Βυσνόρακι, Ρακί βύσσινου / Visnoraki, raki vyssinou Raki Vishnje
With additions
with roses гюлова (gyulova) ružica — —
with herbs билкова (bilkova) travarica, траварица/trava — —
with bilberries — borovnička, боровничка — Raki Boronice
with juniper klekovača, клековача — Raki Dëllinje
with honey[2] медена (medena) medenica, medovača, medica, medenjača, zamedljana (very popular in Istria—a region in Croatia), медовача/medovača, medovice Ρακόμελο / rakomelo Raki e Pjekur
with anise анасонлийка (anasonliyka) mastika, мастика Τσίπουρο με γλυκάνισο / tsipouro me glykaniso —
1.^ Kom or komina is the fruity grape mash that remains after winemaking. It contains up to 5.5 litres of pure alcohol per 100 kg, and at least 40% dry matter.
2.^ Not to be confused with mead, which is made solely of honey.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ R., Ivan (23 January 2016). "Rakia – Everything you wanted to know about this drink". slavorum.org.
  2. ^ a b Bethune, Meredith (14 January 2022). "What Is Rakija?". tastingtable.com.
  3. ^ Wells, Mike (2016). The Danube Cycleway Volume 2: From Budapest to the Black Sea. Cicerone Press Limited. pp. 44–48. ISBN 9781783623136.
  4. ^ Kahl, Thede; Kreuter, Peter Mario; Vogel, Christina, eds. (2015). Culinaria balcanica. Frank & Timme GmbH. p. 85. ISBN 9783732901388.
  5. ^ Nickels, Sylvie (1969). Yugoslavia: Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia-Hercgovina, including the Dalmatian coast, Volume 1. J Cape. p. 107.
  6. ^ "Encyclopædia Britannica". Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  7. ^ "Islam in Kosovo Proves no Bar to Alcohol". 24 January 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  8. ^ Music of the Sirens, Inna Naroditskaya, Linda Phyllis Austern, Indiana University Press, p.290
  9. ^ a b Veronika Edmonds, The Battle for the Origins of Rakija. 16 Sep. 2022 3 Seas Europe.
  10. ^ Veselina Angelova; Liliya Tsatcheva (10 October 2011). "Археолог доказва - ракията е българска" [A Bulgarian Archeologist Has Proved It - Rakia is Bulgarian] (in Bulgarian). Trud. Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  11. ^ "Bulgarian Archaeologists Discover 11th Century Rakia Distillation Vessel". www.novinite.com. 27 July 2015.
  12. ^ a b "eAmbrosia". European Commission. 24 October 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  13. ^ "Hrvati najradije od svih žestokih pića piju rakiju". Večernji list (in Croatian). 28 July 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  14. ^ Łuczaj, Łukasz; Jug-Dujaković, Marija; Dolina, Katija (November 2019). "Plants in alcoholic beverages on the Croatian islands, with special reference to rakija travarica". Journal of eJournal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicinethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 15 (51): 51. doi:10.1186/s13002-019-0332-1. PMC 6833235. PMID 31690333.
  15. ^ Souranaki, Clio (April 2021). "Cretan Tsikoudia - Raki". My Cretan Goods.
  16. ^ a b c "Nema šljivke bez podrške". Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  17. ^ "Rakia, The Serbian National Drink". Sick Chirpse. 5 April 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  18. ^ "Brandy history - Rakia Bar". Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  19. ^ "Rakija". BELGRADIAN by KIELO. 2011.
  20. ^ Weisstuch, Liza (11 February 2023). "Is This Rustic Southern European Booze the Next Mezcal?". The Daily Beast.
  21. ^ Hammond, David (13 November 2019). "Why raki, the anise-flavored spirit of Turkey, becomes a party". Chicago Tribune.
  22. ^ "The Definitive Guide to Arak and Other Anise spirits". spiritsirens.com. 17 January 2019.
  23. ^ a b Piercy, Joseph (2010). Slippery Tipples: A Guide to Weird and Wonderful Spirits and Liqueurs. The History Press. ISBN 9780752496856.
  24. ^ Magra, Iliana (26 November 2023). "The Bektashis have stopped hiding". www.ekathimerini.com.
  25. ^ Soileau, Mark (August 2012). "Spreading the Sofra: Sharing and Partaking in the Bektashi Ritual Meal". History of Religions. 52 (1): 1–30. doi:10.1086/665961. JSTOR 10.1086/665961. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
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