What is rakija?
We can often hear that rakija
is a natural spirit. The essential difference between fruit rakija and other
spirits however, is not its naturalness, as both whisky and rum originate from
natural raw materials, but rather in the usage of fruit in the process of
production. What we call rakija is a spirit made exclusively from fruit, and it
is that primary part of the aroma - taste, and smell of the fruit, which it is
made of, that distinguishes rakija on the world map of spirits. It is that
unforgettable impression after the first
sip of rakija and the taste of the fruit that makes rakija a truly natural
product without serious competition. The fact that rakija does not contain
artificial additives, preservatives, or colorants, makes it a completely
natural product. Distillation is nothing but the separation of volatile
ingredients from non-volatile with the goal to produce rakija, the
"firewater" with as many desirable aromatic ingredients. The making
of rakija starts with the gathering of ripe fruit, mulching it and fermenting
it until distillation in a pot still thus singling out the best of the local
fruit. In Serbia, rakija is produced from
almost any fruit that can be found in an orchard or a forest. The most famous
is the queen of all, plum rakija, but rakijas are also made of apricots,
quinces, apples, pears, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, peaches, grapes,
mulberries, forest fruits. Serbia for a while used to be the first in the world
in number of plum trees (while today it holds the bronze medal) and each household has at least one bottle of some
rakija variety. There are also special herbal rakijas that are usually made from
apples, grapes or plums, sometimes with yellow gentian or some medical herbs,
such as juniper or mint added to it.
Keep quality, not quantity!
If we compare the young
distillate made for further whisky production (“white dog”) with the distillate
made from overripe fruit, we'll see that without further ageing, grain
distillate does not have a pleasant taste, while the young fruit rakija is
ready to drink after a few months. On the other hand, some fruit rakijas
(especially plum, quince, apple) are suitable for further maturation in oak
barrels. The ageing process in oak barrels refines rakija even further, so it
becomes a drink that can stand side by side with world-famous quality spirits
such as Cognac, Scotch whisky or Calvados. Believe it or not, in those aged
rakijas it is possible to identify hundreds of flavours. Rakija that is aged
shortly in oak or mulberry barrels has light fruity aromas, often accompanied
with notes of medicinal herbs and tea. It exudes the freshness of the grass in
the sun and mountain air. You can drink it neat or mix it with tea, lemonade,
homemade fruit syrups. Further ageing in oak barrels adds a thicker, creamy
texture to rakija, whilst flavours of bourbon vanilla, caramel, banana, coconut
and chocolate come to the fore. A decade of ageing adds spicy notes, cumin,
cinnamon, clove and mint. Such rakijas resemble well-known quality drinks, such
as Caribbean rums, French cognac or Scotch single malt whisky. Top-quality
rakijas, those made with care and aged in top-quality barrels, offer an exploration
of aromas and flavours, a genuine
adventure for the senses.
The taste of tradition
A bottle of rakija can always
be found in everybody’s pantry next to the bottles of homemade fruit juice and
tomato sauce, and most of us in Serbia claim that our grandfather who lives in
the village produces the best rakija ever. This is why one can easily recognize
an average consumer’s prejudice against rakija: it is argued that it is a drink
of peasants, losers, bullies and folk music fans. It is important to understand
that no spirit could ever rise to its world fame until it has earned respect and
an esteemed position in its country of origin. Rakija is worth that effort. The
Serbian peasant came to this final product through centuries of practicing and
distilling rakija. All those autumns spent next to pot stills, so-called
"merry machines", countless long winters spent in cellars next to the
barrels are imprinted deep into the Serbian national being. Although Serbian
folk had insufficient knowledge of modern distillation techniques, Serbian
rakija, especially the one made of plums, is the best such spirit in the world.
This is because of the quality of the fruit, with an emphasis on indigenous
varieties, and it is because of the traditional way of distillation in copper
pot stills of smaller volume, that fruit rakijas from Serbia regularly win high
prizes at prestigious world competitions.
Regardless of variety or place
of purchase, rakija is always a kind of Serbian cultural history in liquid
form. The most complex rakijas, those deemed to have the most exciting aromatic
complex and kept as family jewelry, are produced from indigenous fruit
varieties. Indigenous plums, for example, have thrived in this region for
centuries and developed a specific relationship with local soil and climate, a
phenomenon that the French call “terroir”. Similar to wine tasting, the
pleasure of exploring rakija flavours requires adequate glasses, which do not
differ substantially from wine or cognac tasting glasses, some patience until
aromas are released, your open-mindedness and willingness to learn more and
make progress with each sip. Over time, as you accumulate experience and
knowledge, rakija tasting will become a pleasure, but it will also make you
more proud of the culture and tradition that you may have previously ignored.
(all photos by Dragan Bosnić)
