Rakija Travarica It is made from a brandy that comes from grapes and subsequently aromatic and bitter herbs are added
Wine is the dominant locally produced alcoholic beverage in Croatia. After winemaking, the remaining pressed grape stems and pulp (i.e., pomace) are distilled into a grappa-type spirit called rakija.
Rakia either rakija It is a liquor similar to brandy, obtained by distillation of fermented fruits, traditional in the Balkan region and very popular in countries such as Bulgaria, Slovakia, Czechia or Hungary.
Drinking rakija has become a social phenomenon. It is offered to guests and is common on important occasions
The alcohol content depends on the type of distillation, being around 50-53% in commercial brands, and up to more than 60% can be found in those produced in small distilleries. In the countries of the former Yugoslavia there is a special type of rakia, made by double distillation, known as prepečenica, which usually has more than 60% alcohol content.
Rakija, a social phenomenon
Drinking rakija has become a social phenomenon. It is offered to guests and is common on important occasions such as weddings and funerals. It is also consumed as a simple digestive.
“When it was little, everyone had a bottle of rakija at home, ” says Darko Perojević, from the Bar Azur in Dubrovnik. "Our grandmothers put rakija in a compress and they placed on a child's forehead if they had fever".
According to the bartender at Soul Caffe, another Dubrovnik haven that prides itself on having a solid selection of rakijas highlighted, “the walnut rakija It is very good for stomach pain; he carob rakija It is good for body cramps; and rakija of mistletoe It's good for your blood pressure."
The word rakija comes from Turkish raki (originally a word of Middle Eastern origin) and is commonly used not only in Croatia, but in other Balkan countries, which used to be part of the Ottoman Empire.
Rakija Travarica is made from a spirit that comes from grapes and later aromatic and bitter herbs are added.
Rakija is made in almost every rural home on the Croatian coast. However, since joining the European Union in 2013, there have been restrictions on the sale of homemade spirits and a special license is now required.
The making of rakija in neighboring Bosnia may have been brought from Dalmatia, where spirits were made earlier than in the western part of the Ottoman Empire, with the Venetians being the pioneers of the production of aromatic spirits in Europe.
In Croatia, strong liquors are often flavored with herbs and fruits.
The variants of rakija
The most common forms are those made with grapes (lozovača) or plums (šljivovica). Most other orchard fruits can be used as long as they are available in abundance, including apricots, apples, pears and quinces.
In the past, it was home distilled by any household that had access to these basic ingredients; In fact, it is distributed privately throughout the country, although you may no longer see it for open sale in markets.
It's a strong drink — domestic forms will have an alcohol content of over 40%, commercial brands a little less — so it's important to keep track of how much you're drinking.
The alcohol content depends on the type of distillation, being around 50-53% in commercial brands, and up to more than 60% can be found in those produced in small distilleries.
The one of grape that is most common in the coastal regions of Croatia, because that is where vineyards outnumber orchards. It could be said that the one that defines the coast of Croatia is the travarica, the grape-based spirit infused with the type of wild herbs characteristic of this part of the Mediterranean.
There is no fixed recipe for travarica, and each grower will have spent a lot of time coming up with their own distinctive blend of herbs.
Liqueurs based on rakija They are mixed with honey, cherries, walnuts, pomegranate, mistletoe, carob and figs. Arguably the most famous of liqueurs is pelinkovac, he liqueur bitter with wormwood flavor that is highly regarded as a relieving of the stomach and like a stimulus generally on cold and humid days.
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