Rakia

Plum rakia from the region of Elena, Bulgaria

Croatian šljivovica and Slovenian slivovka, two names for the same drink (plum rakia)

Rakia (also Rakija or Rachiu) is an alcoholic beverage that is produced by distillation of fermented fruit; it is a popular beverage throughout the Balkans. Its alcohol content is normally 40% ABV, but home-produced rakia can be stronger (typically 50% to 60%). Prepečenica is double-distilled slavic rakia which has an alcohol content that may exceed 60%. Rakia is considered to be а national drink in a number of countries, including Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.

Common flavours are slivovica, produced from plums, kajsija, produced from apricots, or rakia made from grapes. Fruits less commonly used are peaches, apples, pears, cherries, figs, blackberries, and quince. Similar spirits are produced in Romania, Moldova, Russia and the Caucasus. In Albania, rakia is most commonly made out of grapes in mild climate regions and out of plums (and sometimes out of mulberry or walnuts) in colder climate areas.

Plum and grape rakia are sometimes mixed with other ingredients, such as herbs, honey, sour cherries and walnuts, after distillation. A popular home-made variant in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Serbia is rakia produced from mixed fruits. In the Istrian and Dalmatian regions of Croatia, rakia tends to be home-made exclusively from grapes, where the drink is also known locally as trapa or grappa (the latter name also being used in Italy).

Origins

A rakia still at a home in Darlevtsy, Bulgaria

It was believed that rakia was first created in the 16th century in the Balkans, the location unknown, but the recent discovery of wording on on a sherd of pottery (Аз пих ракиня на празника - I have drunk rakinja at the celebration (rakinja being the old word for rakia) indicates its presence in 14th century Bulgaria. This discovery may strengthen the case for rakija's Bulgarian origins and allow its designation by the European Union as a national drink, with a consequent allowance to lower excise duty domestically.

Variant names

Many countries produce similar fruit brandies which are listed here by their local names:

• Albania: raki(a)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina: rakija/ракија
• Bulgaria: ракия
• Croatia: rakija
• Czech Republic: pálenka
• Hungary: pálinka
• Republic of Kosovo: raki
• Republic of Macedonia: ракија
• Montenegro: ракија/rakija
• Romania: rachiu/răchie, ţuică, palincă
• Serbia: ракија/rakija
• Slovakia: pálenka
• Slovenia: žganje
• Turkey: rakı

Overview

Traditional distillation of rakia (plum brandy) in Međimurje

The image shows the tree from which rakia is made, laden with fruits. It is shot in the countryside of Kazanlak (formerly Kazanlık, Bulgarian: Казанлъ̀к) in Bulgaria

Normally, rakia is colourless, unless herbs or other ingredients are added. Some types of rakia are kept in wooden barrels (oak or mulberry) for extra aroma and a golden colour.

It is supposed to be drunk from special small glasses which hold from 0.03 to 0.05 L.

A popular myth is that one can tell the strength of rakia by the size of the ring of bubbles (venac) which forms when the bottle is well shaken. This is also mistakenly used as a measure of the quality of the liquor.

Ritual use

A rakia still in Troyan, Bulgaria

Although wine is the essential part of the Eucharist rite in the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches in the region, rakia has found uses in certain religious and related rituals across the Balkans.

Among Catholic Albanians, family gatherings, dinners, and communal meetings are often began with a shot of raki. Before a meal, toasts are made with a shot of raki. "Kjoft levdu Krishti " - which means, "Praise be to Christ" - are the first words used to begin the toast.

In Serbia it is the most popular alcoholic drink. It is usually served before lunch and dinner and is drunk along with appetizers. It is mandatory to drink with roasted pig, lamb, or dried meat. It is a very important part of the Serbian culture and there are many historians that say that the origins of rakia are in Serbia. Serbia has the most consumption of rakia per capita and is the largest exporter of rakia. In a 2009 European Court ruling, the names "Slivovica" (Slivovitz), Dunjevaca, Orahovaca, and Kruskevaca were ruled to be Serbian and thus the country has a trademark on those three types of rakia (Slivovitz being the most famous and most consumed in the world).

In Montenegro, rakia is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks. Rakia was also used by Montenegrins from 16th to 19th century as opiate when healing serious injuries, so that the patient won't feel pain when being healed.

In Bulgaria and Macedonia, rakia is generally served with shopska salad, milk salad, pickled vegetables (turshiya) or other salads, which form the first course of the meal. Muskatova rakiya is made from Muscat grapes, while the preparation method of dzhibrova rakiya is the same as for Italian Grappa.

Rakia is the most popular spirit in Croatia. Travarica (herbal rakia) 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 grappas, some typical for only one island or group of islands. The island Hvar is famous for grappa with the addition of Myrtus (mrtina — bitter and dark brown). Southern islands, such as Korčula, and the city of Dubrovnik are famous for grappa with anise (aniseta), and in central Dalmatia the most popular rakia is grappa with nuts (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 grappa 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 — rakia is typically made of honey (medica) or mistletoe (biska). Biska, which is yellow-brown and sweet, is a typical liquor of Istria.

Another popular way of serving is "cooked" (Croatian: kuhana, Serbian: kuvana or grejana, Bulgarian: греяна (grejana), Macedonian: греена or топла) rakia (also called Šumadija tea in Serbia), which is heated and sweetened with honey or sugar, with added spices. Heated in large kettles, it is often offered to visitors to various open-air festivities, especially in winter. It is similar to mulled wine, as weaker brands of rakia are used (or stronger ones diluted with water).

Types

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

Fruits	in Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia	in Macedonia	in Bulgaria
Basic types
plum (slivovitz)	šljivovica, шљивовица	сливова ракија (slivova rakija)	сливова (slivova) сливовица (slivovitsa)
grapes	lozovača/loza, лозова ракија/лозовача/лоза	лозова ракија (lozova rakija)	гроздова (grozdova) гроздовица (grozdovitsa) мускатова (muskatova)
grape pomace (kom) *	komovica, комова ракија/комовица	комова ракија (komova rakija)	джиброва (dzhibrova) джибровица (dzhibrovitsa) шльокавица (shlyokavitsa)
apricot	mareličarka, kajsijevača, кајсијевача	ракија од кајсии (rakija od kajsii)	кайсиева (kaysieva)
peach	rakija od breskve ракија од брескве	ракија од праски (rakija od praski)	прасковена (praskovena)
pear	kruškovača/vilijamovka, крушковача/виљамовка,крушка	ракија од круши (rakija od kruši)	крушoва (krushova)
apple	jabukovača, јабуковача	јаболкова ракија (jabolkova rakija)	ябълкова (yabalkova)
mulberry	dudova rakija/dudovača/dudara, дудова ракија/дудовача/дудара	ракија од црница (rakija od crnica)	черничева (chernicheva)
quince	dunjevača, дуњевача	ракија од дуња (rakija od dunja)	дюлева (dyuleva)
fig	smokvovača, смоквача	ракија од смоква (rakija od smokva)	смокинова (smokinova)
cherry	višnjevača	црешова ракија (crešova rakija)	черешова (chereshova)
mixed fruits	-		плодова (plodova)
With additions
with roses	ružica		гюлова (gyulova)
with herbs	travarica, траварица/trava	билна ракија (bilna rakija)	билкова (bilkova)
with juniper	klekovača, клековача
with walnuts	orahovača, ораховача/orahovica	ракија од орев (rakija od orev)	орехова (orehova)
with honey **	medenica, medovača, medica, zamedljana (very popular in Istria - a region in Croatia), медовача/medovača,	ракија со мед (rakija so med)	медена (medena)
with sour cherries	višnjevac/višnjevača, вишњевача	ракија од вишни (rakija od višni)	вишновка (vishnovka)
with anise		анасонка (anasonka)	анасонлийка (anasonliyka)

  ^*   Kom or džibra 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.
  ^**  Not to be confused with mead, which is made solely of honey.

Albanian rakia

The Albanian rakia (Albanian definite form: rakia) is a type of rakia found only in Albania. In the Ottoman Empire, until the 19th century, meyhanes would mainly serve wine along with meze, due to religious restrictions imposed by various Sultans. Although there were many Muslims among meyhane attendants, sharia authorities could, at times, prosecute them. With the relatively liberal atmosphere of the Tanzimat Period (1839–1876), meyhane attendance among Muslims rose considerably, and Raki became a favourite among meyhane-goers. By the end of the century, Raki took its current standard form and its consumption surpassed that of wine.

The Albanian raki is made from fermented and distilled fruit, particularly grapes and plums. Albanian raki contains no aniseed and its taste varies according to the fruit used to make it. The process of making raki is exceptionally difficult, requiring much labor to mash the fruit, ferment it under the proper conditions, ensure the correct amount of fire under the distillery barrel and finally to infuse the final product with leaves from the apple tree. The slightest mistake turns a potentially perfect batch of raki into what is known as 'soft raki', which is considered by many to not be worth drinking. Also worth noticed is that in Albania rakia is not mixed with water like in Turkey or other countries. It is drank in small cups called Teke (which means one single shot) or dopio (which mean a double shot in one glass)

In Albania rakia is a very popular alcoholic beverage. There are a lot of different brands. Moreover there are lots of families who still produce their own Rakia.

Ritual use

A rakia still in Troyan, Bulgaria

Although wine is the essential part of the Eucharist rite in the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches in the region, rakia has found uses in certain religious and related rituals across the Balkans.

Among Catholic Albanians, family gatherings, dinners, and communal meetings are often began with a shot of raki. Before a meal, toasts are made with a shot of raki. "Qjoft te levdua Krishti" - which means, "Praise be to Christ" - are the first words used to begin the toast.

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. When drinking "for the soul" of the deceased, one spills some rakia on the ground, saying "For peaceful rest of the soul", before drinking the rest.

During wedding ceremonies, the groom's father goes around all tables and offers a glass of rakia to all guests, sharing a toast for the happiness of the newlyweds. In general, in the Balkans, rakia is offered to guests in one's home as a welcoming gesture.

Williams pear grown in the bottle and later filled with rakia (Međimurje County, Croatia)

See also

• Liqueur

External links

• Rakija Guide
• All about Rakija - Serbian Slivovitz