Rakı

Rakı, Türk Rakısı or Turkish Raki (, Turkish pronunciation: ) is an alcoholic beverage made of twice-distilled grape pomace and flavored with aniseed. It is a national drink of Turkey, although fewer than 17% of Turks drink alcohol. Among drinkers, it is popular in Turkic countries and Caucasian countries as an apéritif. It is often served with seafood or meze. It is comparable to several other anise-flavored liqueurs such as pastis, ouzo, sambuca and arak. The alcoholic content of rakı must be at least 40% according to Turkish standard. The largest producer of raki is Diageo; Yeni Rakı is the largest brand.

In many East Mediterranean and Balkan countries, the term raki is widely used to describe similar distilled alcoholic beverages. This shared terminology dates back to the Ottoman Empire, where "raki" became a generic term for distilled spirits. During Ottoman rule, the word spread across the empire's territories. In many of these regions, the term raki or rakia is still used to describe grape-based pomace brandies or other spirits, often with regional variations in production methods and flavour profiles. For example, in Turkey, rakı is flavoured with anise and is distinctively served diluted with water, creating a milky-white appearance. Similarly, in the Balkans, rakija (or its liguistic variants such as ракия in Bulgarian, ракија in Serbian, and rakija in Croatian) is a general term for fruit-based brandies, with local variations like plum, pear, or apricot based liquors.

In Crete, tsikoudia is also sometimes referred to informally as raki, particularly in the eastern parts of the island. This reflects the linguistic and cultural legacy of Ottoman influence in the region. Unlike the Turkish rakı, Cretan raki (tsikoudia) is not flavoured with anise and undergoes a single distillation, retaining the natural flavour of the grape pomace.

Etymology

The term ''raki'' entered English from Turkish . The Arabic word ( ), means "distilled", other variants being ''araka'', ''araki'', ''ariki''. The Teleuts, who are a Turkic ethnic group living in Siberia, use the term ''arakı'' for wine and other alcoholic drinks. In Ancient Greek the grape was called ῥάξ ().

History

Where or when raki was first produced is unknown. It is first mentioned by the Ottoman explorer Evliya Çelebi during his travels in 1630. In his '' Book of Travels'' he reports that ancient people produced their own raki in small towns.

Until the last decades of the 19th century, the production of raki was done exclusively "at home", ie there was no mass industrial production. Colorless alcoholic beverages had long been consumed throughout the Mediterranean, known by various names: tsipouro, raki, arak, grappa. These are distilled from the by-products of wine, exploiting the vineyard as much as possible.

In the Ottoman Empire, until the 19th century, meyhanes run by Rûm (Greeks) and Albanians would mainly serve wine along with meze, due to religious restrictions imposed by various sultans.

During this period, rakı was produced by distillation of grape pomace () obtained during wine fermentation. When the amount of pomace was not sufficient, alcohol imported from Europe would be added. If aniseed was not added, it would take the name ('straight rakı'), whereas rakı prepared with the addition of gum mastic was named ('gum rakı') or ().

Some people state that the alcoholic beverage of Raki was made from figs and other fruits that tasted like grapes in eastern Anatolia. This alternative recipe in raki and raki culture was made due to certain economic challenges.

With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the modern-day Republic of Turkey, grape-based rakı began to be distilled by the state-owned spirits monopoly Tekel, with the first factory production taking place in 1944 in İzmir. With increasing sugar beet production, Tekel also began to distill the alcohol from molasses, and a new brand of raki made from sugar-beet alcohol was introduced under the name ('new rakı'). Molasses gave a distinctive bitter taste and helped increase the drink's popularity.

Today, with increased competition from the private sector, and the privatization of Tekel in 2004, several new brands and types of raki have emerged, each with its own distinct composition and production method, although the overall qualities of the drink have generally been kept consistent. These include , , , , , , and . , another recent brand, is aged in oak casks, which gives it a distinctive golden colour.

Production

Raki is traditionally produced from raisin/grape spirit called ''suma'' that is distilled to a maximum of 94.55% abv. This spirit is not highly rectified spirit and unlike other flavoured spirits Raki producers consider that the ''suma'' has an important role to play in the flavour of Raki itself.

The ''suma'', or ''suma'' mixed with highly rectified spirit, is diluted with water re-distilled with aniseed and the spirit is collected at around 79-80% ''abv''. The flavoured distillate is diluted and sweetened and rested for minimum of 30 days prior to sale in order to allow the flavours to harmonize.

Serving and drinking

In Turkey, rakı is the national alcoholic drink, it is traditionally consumed with chilled water on the side or partly mixed with chilled water, according to personal preference. Rakı is rarely consumed without the addition of water. Ice cubes are often added. Dilution with water causes rakı to turn a milky-white colour, similar to the louche of absinthe. This phenomenon has resulted in the drink being popularly referred to ('lion's milk'). Since ('lion') is a Turkish colloquial metaphor for a strong, courageous person, this gives the term a meaning close to 'the milk for the strong'.

Rakı is commonly consumed alongside meze, a selection of hot and cold appetizers, as well as at a ('rakı table'), either before a full dinner or instead of it. It is especially popular with grilled or oven-cooked seafood, olive oil dishes (particularly red beans with tomato sauce), traditional Turkish delicacies (such as lakerda and midye dolma), together with fresh arugula, and melon. It is also a popular complement to various red meat dishes like kebabs, where it is sometimes served with a glass of .

The founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, was very fond of rakı, drinking up to a half-litre daily, and his late-night sessions were his favourite place to debate issues with his closest friends and advisors.

Types and brands

Standard rakı is a grape product, though it may be produced from figs as well. Rakı produced from figs, particularly popular in the southern provinces of Turkey, is called ''incir boğması'', ''incir rakısı'' ("fig rakı"), or in Arabic, ''tini''. Tekel ceased producing fig rakı in 1947.

There are two methods of Turkish rakı production. One method uses raisins and other grapes. ''Yeni Rakı'' is produced from raisins and ''Tekirdağ Rakısı'' is produced from grapes. Fresh grape rakı is like ouzo but has a higher alcohol content.

Suma rakı, i.e. distilled rakı prior to the addition of aniseed, is generally produced from raisins but raki factories around established wine-producing areas like Tekirdağ, Nevşehir, and İzmir may also use fresh grapes for higher quality. Recently, ''yaş üzüm rakısı'' ("fresh-grape raki") has become more popular in Turkey. The maker of a recent brand, ''Efe Rakı'', was the first company to produce raki exclusively of fresh grape suma, called ''Efe Yaş Üzüm Rakısı'' (Efe Fresh Grape Raki). ''Tekirdağ Altın Seri'' (Tekirdağ Golden Series) followed the trend and many others have been produced by other companies.

The best-known and popular brands of rakı, however, remain ''Yeni Rakı'', originally produced by Tekel, which transferred production rights to Mey Alkol upon the 2004 privatization of Tekel, and ''Tekirdağ Rakısı'' from the region of Tekirdağ, which is famous for its characteristic flavour, believed to be due to the artesian waters of Çorlu used in its production. ''Yeni Rakı'' has an alcohol content of 45% and 1.5 grams of aniseed per liter; ''Tekirdağ Rakısı'' is 45% ABV and has 1.7 grams of aniseed per liter. There are also two top-quality brands called ''Kulüp Rakısı'' and ''Altınbaş'', each with 50% ABV. The former one was the favorite of the Iraqi regent Abdul Ilah.

''Dip rakısı'' ("bottom rakı") is the rakı that remains in the bottom of the tanks during production. Bottom rakı is thought to best capture the dense aroma and flavour of the spirit, and is also called ''özel rakı'' ("special raki"). It is not generally available commercially; instead, rakı factories reserve it as a prestigious gift for large clients.

Events

Aniseed-flavoured Rakı, has been celebrated as a festival in Adana and Northern Cyprus since 2010. World Rakı Festival in Adana, emerged from a hundred-year tradition of enjoying Adana kebab, with liver, şalgam and rakı. The event turned into a nationwide popular street festival, street musicians playing drums and zurna, entertain visitors all night long at the second Saturday night of every December.

Other uses

In Crete '' tsikoudia'' is a pomace brandy that is sometimes called ''rakı'' but made from grapes. It is used to make '' rakomelo'', which is flavored with honey and cinnamon and is served warm during winter months.

See also

* Anise-flavored liqueurs
* Arak, a similar drink from the Levant and Iraq
*Culture of Turkey
* Ouzo, Greek aniseed flavoured drink
* Ouzo effect, the science behind the milky appearance
* Pastis, French anise-flavoured spirit
*Rakia, a fruit brandy popular in the Balkans
*Sambuca, an Italian aniseed flavoured drink
* Tsikoudia, the Cretan-Greek distilled drink
* Tsipouro, Greek distilled drink
*Turkish cuisine
*Vodka, a Polish-Russian clear distilled drink
* Zivania, the ouzo/tsipouro of Cyprus

References

External links

*
Yeni Raki CommercialIn Istanbul, raki and a bottomless pit of gluttony

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raki
Anise liqueurs and spirits
Turkish distilled drinks
Turkish inventions
Albanian drinks