The national Turkish alcoholic beverage, rakı (pronounced “rakoo”), is traditionally referred to as “the lion’s milk”. The reference is both to the milky white color that rakı turns into when diluted down by water, as is the custom, as well as to the insidious potential that it has of intoxication, with an alcohol ratio of 45%.
How it’s made: Raisins and fresh grapes are distilled into “suma”, an alcoholic base, which is then distilled a second time with the addition of anise seeds, in giant copper distillers with a volume of no less than five thousand liters. The result is a crystal clear liquid with a unique taste and a strong punch for the reckless.
How it’s served: Rakı is always served in small cylindrical glasses, and almost always watered down. First the glass is filled up to a third if you want a double or a “duble”; up to one sixth if you want a single or a “tek”; and only then the cold water is added. The addition of water turns the rakı into a cloudy, milky color. Most people will have an ice cube or two in their rakı to keep it cold; however since the melting ice keeps altering the concentration level of your drink expect slight changes in the taste. You are always served ample water with your rakı and you’re supposed to have a separate glass of cold water to wash it down after every sip. You might order in single servings but the tradition is to share a bottle. Rakı is nowadays produced in one liter, 70cc and 50cc bottles.
Drinking it: Mistaking rakı for just another traditional alcoholic beverage would be blasphemy. Rakı is the guilty pleasure of a Muslim culture and yet another contradiction welcoming the adventurous travelers to where the east meets the west. The closest comparison would be the tea rituals of the Far East. Even though you might walk into any pub in Istanbul to have a taste of rakı that is not the Turkish way and is only advised for the wary, in order to dodge the price of a full course meal. Even then please have at least some feta cheese with your rakı to save some face.
Preferably, you should enjoy your rakı at a “meyhane”, a traditional Turkish restaurant specialized in serving rakı and the food required to complete your pleasure. Meyhanes might also have some live Turkish music; with the crowd joining in as rakı starts running down their veins. A full course meal at a meyhane will start with your selection of cold starters or “mezes”, and it is the custom for your waiter to bring a giant tray of samplers, pretty much like a 3D menu, for you to look and make your mind up. This is followed by hot starters which might include delicacies like shrimp cooked in butter. Then comes the main course which is generally some sort of fish depending on the season. This is followed by desert, fruit and your evening reaches its peak with a cup of Turkish coffee at the end. The whole meal takes a few hours, and is not to be rushed. This is a ceremony after all and it is not about eating your fill. As you wash down every bite with a bitter sweet sip of rakı followed by a sip of cold water you will feel ecstasy and the orient engulfing you, and the next morning you are guaranteed to feel thankful for all the customary hydration.
Prices: A liter of rakı will cost around 60-70TL or 25-35 Euros at a supermarket in Istanbul. The oldest and the most popular brand is “Yeni Rakı” which ironically translates as “the New Rakı”. However “Tekirdağ”, named after the city that is famous for its rak? production, is a little easier on the palate and a bit more expensive. They might charge you anywhere between 10-20TL (4-8 Euros) at a pub for a “double” rakı. A full course meal at a “meyhane” might cost anywhere between 50TL and 150TL (25-75 Euros) per person depending on the caliber of the restaurant.
About the author: Ezgi was born and raised in Bolu and grew up in a boarding school in Istanbul where she met her future husband, Erkan. She studied mathematics in Istanbul and became a data analyst at a consultancy company.
To make up for their years in boarding school, Ezgi and Erkan started their serious travelling during their honeymoon with Thailand as their first destination. In the following years they have explored Italy and Spain extensively (using cross-pollinate!), to satiate their lust for great Pizza and their love of classical art.
