Rakia- The Bulgarian national drink
Rakia (ракия, rakija, raki, ракија, pálenka) is the
traditional drink of Bulgaria. It is a clear alcoholic beverage made by the
distillation of fermented fruit. It has a high alcohol content varying anywhere
between 40% and 95% alc. (80 to 190 proof), making it a potent drink. There are
different types of rakia, all depending on what fruit it is made of (grapes,
plums, apricots, pears, apples, cherries, figs, quinces). In Bulgaria, rakia
made from grapes (like Italian grappa) is the most popular, but slivovitza
(rakia made from plums) is also popular. Making rakia at home has been a part
of Bulgarian traditions for centuries (scroll down for a recipe). Nowadays more
and more of the produce is being commercially produced in distilleries.
The authentic Bulgarian rakias (or grappas) have a
highly distinctive flavor and a deep and smooth taste. They are produced
according to age old local traditions. Rakia is most commonly made from grapes
and is a limpid, crystal-clear liquid with an intense aroma and the fine
unmistakable flavor of the grape (Muscat, Cabernet, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay,
etc) it is made from. Colors and taste can vary – the color of rakia could vary
from liquid clear to golden salmon and the taste could vary from distinctively
grape-tasting to vanilla and toasted nut flavors, with powdered sugar and
pepper fade nuances. Other type of fruits used in producing rakia are grapes,
plums, pears, apricots, apples, cherries and peaches. Rakia can also be made
from rose petals which contribute to an amazing rose flavor.
Generally, there are two rakia making sessions during
the year. The plum rakia making season takes place in August to September and
the grape rakia making season takes place from the end of September to the end
of November.
Rakia recipes are centuries old and each part of
Bulgaria has its own variety and secret ingredients. You can find rakia recipes
that contain anise, herbs, honey, walnuts, mint, sour cherries, etc. Sometimes
rakia is mixed with herbs, honey, sour cherries (then it becomes vishnovka) or
walnuts after distillation and it takes on a dark color. Needless to say, every
time the result is exquisite and the experience is unique.
Rakia is Bulgaria's national drink. It is part and
parcel of everyday life here, and somehow Bulgaria wouldn't be the same without
it.
"Rakia and Salad", is a combination unsurpassed and is the perfect
compliment of food and drink in Bulgaria.
For many generations rakia has been made in the
Bulgarian villages, just like its younger sibling - wine. Bulgarian's are very
proud of the rakia they make in which you can easily get convinced when you
visit a Bulgarian friend – they will not hesitate to open up a bottle of their
own produce and share the joy with you.
Ingredients:
-
Fermented fruit (grapes, plums, apricots, etc)
-
Sugar
-
Water
The process of making rakia is relatively simple.
Half of the joy and experience of rakia comes from the rakia making process. It
is an old tradition which is still closely followed by Bulgarians, pretty much
as all other Bulgarian traditions. The first step in the rakia making process
is picking up the fruit. In our example, we will use plums as our fruit of
choice. Plums are best picked up when they are over ripen, late in the summer,
and about to drop from the tree on their own. Let’s not forget that making
rakia is a process that one should enjoy and what is more likely to kill the
joy than physical labor. For this, Bulgarians do not pick the fruits from the
trees - rather they place a large sheet under the tree and then violently shake
the branches. Needless to say, the results are as expected – the fruit which is
ripe enough to make rakia ends up on the sheet.
The plums are then taken to the location where the
rakia will be distilled. The distillation process starts with filling up a
large barrel (65 gallons or more) with the fruit. The barrel is filled up to
1/3 with plums with the rest 2/3 filled with sugary water solution (3 lbs of
sugar to 1 gallon of water ratio). The mixture is then mashed and stirred at
least twice a day for the next three weeks, with the fermentation starting
almost immediately in the warm August weather. Once the mixture is no longer
bubbling (at which point it is actually wine with very bad taste), it is ready
for distilling the rakia. Every town and village in Bulgaria has one or more
distilleries that cater to the community. The distillery can have as little is
one still or as much as half a dozen. The demand for these distilleries is so
big in the months of August thru November, that many of them require customers
to book an appointment prior to coming over and distilling their rakia.
The day on which people get to distill their rakia,
needless to say, is eagerly anticipated as eating, partying and drinking from
the still is all part of the experience. On the day of the distillation, the
customers bring the large barrel of mash to the distillery on their own. You
would wonder how do they lift a 65 gallon barrel to place on a truck so they
can carry it over to the distillery? As mentioned, Bulgarians have tried to
take out any unnecessary manual labor from an already labor-intensive process.
For this, they would put an empty barrel on the truck and then transfer the
contents of the heavy full barrel to the one on the truck.
Although today many distilleries offer everything
that is needed to produce the rakia from the fermented mash, in the old days
there were plenty of other things that people had to bring along on the day of
the distillation. Wood, for example, was one of those things. In the past wood
was loaded on the truck and around the barrel jamming it against the sides of
the cart to stop it from toppling over during the bumpy ride to the distillery.
Then there was flour, which was used to seal any openings or crevices of the
copper stills. Flour was transported separately to minimize risk of getting it
moist if the mash spills during transportation.
When all ingredients are at the distillery, the
actual distillation can start. The still is primed with coriander, oils,
extracts and other "family secret" ingredients. The mash is then
poured into the still. If the still has any openings or crevices, a dough is
prepared from the flour and it is then molded around the still and pipes to
seal them and make them air tight. The fire under the still is then lit and
distillation begins.
It takes about an hour before the first
alcohol-containing vapors begin to separate from the mash. The steam is then
forced through the sealed pipes into a cooling condenser. The condenser help
cool down the vapor which runs into a separate container and is the actual
rakia. The clear liquid initially has a very high alcohol content and is
usually discarded. The alcohol content is measured often and only rakia with
lower alcohol content (between 50-70%) is kept although this entirely depends
on the maker’s preference. The longer the distillation continues the lower the
percentage of alcohol drops. When the rakia gets below 30%, the liquid is
preserved only to be added to the next batch of mash and be distilled again.
Of course in the meantime, for the sake of the
genuine experience, the rakia makers are cooking food using the same fire that
heats up the mash. So while the rakia is boiling the rakia makers are having a
feast with some beer and wine they had brought along while also tasting the
freshly made produce occasionally.
When the process is over, the customer takes the fresh
rakia back home to continue the maturation process. Depending on preferences,
people add apple pieces, spices, wood, and other ingredients into the rakia.
This changes its color from clear to distinctively colored. The rakia then
could be closed in barrels to mature for years or could be consumed within
weeks, also depending on its owner drinking habits and average number of guests
for the season.
In general, rakia is considered a sign of hospitality
and every guest is offered a tiny glassful as a symbolic gesture.
In Bulgaria rakia is generally served with shopska
salad, milk salad, pickled vegetables (trushiya) or any other salads, which
form the first course of the meal.
Another popular way of serving rakia is greyana or
cooked. The rakia is sweetened and heated (see recipe) and spices are added.
The greyana rakia is strong in taste and flavor and is believed to help in
curing many respiratory diseases and other illnesses.
