 | |
| Type | Spirit |
|---|---|
| Origin | Turkey |
| Introduced | Before 1630 |
| Alcohol by volume | 40–50% |
| Proof (US) | 80–100 |
| Colour | Transparent (milky white when mixed with water) |
| Ingredients | Grapepomace,Aniseed (flavouring) |
| Related products | Arak,absinthe,ouzo,pastis,sambuca |
Rakı, Türk Rakısı orTurkish Raki (/rɑːˈkiː/,Turkish pronunciation:[ɾaˈkɯ]ⓘ) is analcoholic beverage made of twice-distilled grapepomace and flavored withaniseed.[1] It is a national drink ofTurkey, it is especially popular in the coastal regions.[1][2] Among drinkers, it is popular in Turkic countries andCaucasian countries as anapéritif. It is often served withseafood ormeze. It is comparable to several otheranise-flavored liqueurs such aspastis,ouzo,sambuca andarak. The alcoholic content of rakı must be at least 40% according to Turkish standard.[3] The largest producer of raki isDiageo; Yeni Rakı is the largest brand.[4]
In manyEast Mediterranean andBalkan countries, the term raki is widely used to describesimilar distilled alcoholic beverages. This shared terminology dates back to theOttoman 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 withanise 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.
The termraki entered English fromTurkishrakı.[5] The Arabic wordarak (Arabic:عرق[ʕaraq]), means "distilled", other variants beingaraka,araki,ariki.[6] TheTeleuts, who are aTurkic ethnic group living inSiberia, use the termarakı forwine and other alcoholic drinks.[7] InAncient Greek thegrape was called ῥάξ (Greek pronunciation:[raks]).[8]
Where or when raki was first produced is unknown. It is first mentioned by theOttoman explorerEvliya Çelebi during his travels in 1630. In hisBook of Travels he reports that ancient people produced their own raki in small towns.[9]
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 theMediterranean, 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 theOttoman Empire, until the 19th century,meyhanes run byRûm (Greeks) andAlbanians[10] would mainly servewine along withmeze, due to religious restrictions imposed by varioussultans.
During this period, rakı was produced by distillation ofgrapepomace (cibre) 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 namedüz rakı ('straight rakı'), whereas rakı prepared with the addition ofgum mastic was namedsakız rakısı ('gum rakı') ormastikha (Greek:μαστίχη).
Some people state that the alcoholic beverage of Raki was made in eastern Anatolia from figs and other fruits that tasted like grapes. This alternative recipe in raki and raki culture was made due to certain economic challenges.
With the collapse of theOttoman Empire and the establishment of the modern-dayRepublic of Turkey, grape-based rakı began to be distilled by the state-owned spirits monopolyTekel, with the first factory production taking place in 1944 inİzmir. With increasingsugar beet production, Tekel also began to distill the alcohol frommolasses, and a new brand of raki made from sugar-beet alcohol was introduced under the nameYeni Rakı ('new rakı'). Molasses gaveYeni Rakı 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 includeEfe Rakı,Çilingir Rakı,Mercan Rakı,Fasıl Rakı,Burgaz Rakı,Ata Rakı, andAnadolu Rakı.Sarı Zeybek Rakısı, another recent brand, is aged inoakcasks, which gives it a distinctive golden colour.
Raki is traditionally produced from raisin/grape spirit calledsuma 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 thesuma has an important role to play in the flavour of Raki itself.
Thesuma, orsuma 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.
InTurkey, 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 thelouche ofabsinthe. This phenomenon has resulted in the drink being popularly referred toaslan sütü ('lion's milk').[11] Sinceaslan ('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 alongsidemeze, a selection of hot and cold appetizers, as well as at arakı sofrası ('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 fresharugula,beyaz peynir and melon. It is also a popular complement to various red meat dishes likekebabs, where it is sometimes served with a glass ofşalgam.
The founder and first President of theRepublic of Turkey,Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, was very fond of rakı, drinking up to a half-litre daily, and his late-nightrakı sofrası sessions were his favourite place to debate issues with his closest friends and advisors.[12][13][14]
Standard rakı is agrape product, though it may be produced fromfigs as well. Rakı produced from figs, particularly popular in the southern provinces of Turkey, is calledincir boğması,incir rakısı ("fig rakı"), or in Arabic,tini. Tekel ceased producing fig rakı in 1947.[citation needed]
There are two methods of Turkish rakı production. One method uses raisins and other grapes.Yeni Rakı is produced from raisins andTekirdağ Rakısı is produced from grapes. Fresh grape rakı is likeouzo but has a higher alcohol content.
Suma rakı, i.e. distilled rakı prior to the addition of aniseed, is generally produced fromraisins but raki factories around established wine-producing areas likeTekirdağ,Nevşehir, andİzmir 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, calledEfe 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, remainYeni Rakı, originally produced by Tekel, which transferred production rights to Mey Alkol upon the 2004 privatization of Tekel, andTekirdağ Rakısı from the region ofTekirdağ, which is famous for its characteristic flavour, believed to be due to theartesian waters ofÇorlu used in its production.Yeni Rakı has analcohol content of 45% and 1.5grams of aniseed perliter;Tekirdağ Rakısı is 45%ABV and has 1.7 grams of aniseed per liter. There are also two top-quality brands calledKulüp Rakısı andAltınbaş, each with 50% ABV. The former one was the favorite of the Iraqi regentAbdul Ilah.[15]
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 calledözel rakı ("special raki"). It is not generally available commercially; instead, rakı factories reserve it as a prestigious gift for large clients.
Aniseed-flavoured Rakı, has been celebrated as a festival inAdana andNorthern Cyprus since 2010.World Rakı Festival in Adana, emerged from a hundred-year tradition of enjoyingAdana kebab, with liver,şalgam and rakı. The event turned into a nationwide popular street festival, street musicians playing drums andzurna, entertain visitors all night long at the second Saturday night of every December.[16]
InCretetsikoudia is apomace brandy that is sometimes calledrakı but made from grapes. It is used to makerakomelo, which is flavored with honey and cinnamon and is served warm during winter months.[17]
