When you’re in Turkey, maybe you will want to try the local beverages. And what could be more specific to this country than Raki? Raki is Turkey’s unofficial national drink and is more than a glass of alcohol: it’s an exquisite experience. There’s an entire culture around this strong, aniseed-flavored liqueur, very popular throughout the country. Visitors to Turkey often wonder what can be that lofty thing in narrow glasses but often leave without tasting it. So if you get to Turkey, enjoy the food, the conversation, and drink Raki like a local. Attention: do not get drunk!
How to drink Raki: order a kadeh
They serve Raki in small, narrow glasses, explicitly used for this drink. They will half fill the glass with Raki, and the rest will be filled with ice or water. You can tell the waiter how much to pour to prepare it stiffer or weaker at the restaurant. If you add water, the drink turns into a liqueur of white-cloudy color, hence the name “lion’s milk.”
Melon and feta cheese
Raki is usually served as an appetizer, to be enjoyed slowly with other dishes in the opening of the meal. Traditional foods that accompany this drink are varied and include anything from kebab to salads. The two essential things that must not be missing are melon and feta cheese.
Water and ice
Don’t be surprised if you see a bowl of ice on the table. You can put a cube in the drink – that will take care of your stomach. It is also customary to see a glass filled with water next to the one filled with Raki – all to drink from it.
Noise-free sips
Get ready to spend hours at the table if you eat in the city: You’ll have food and drink all night long. Raki is a very flavored drink full, and if you catch its taste, you’ll want to sip and drink slowly. Do not worry. You will still get drunk (it is proven), but you will not lose the essential thing in this drink.
Good conversation
After all… that’s what Raki reduces – not so much the drink as the ambient that is created around it. Drink some raki with your friends and spend hours talking, laughing, telling memories, and of course, eating.
Raki has a strong anise flavor (it looks a lot like Greek ouzo or French pastis), and you can take off first, but this will be quickly forgotten if you finish the first glass and take another one. So if you’ve got one or two days in Istanbul, spend the night in the city, get a kadeh, some watermelon, more food, and, of course, match them to some clever conversations, in the magic of Raki.
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