Rakija

Photo from Pinosavac at Serbian Wikipedia

Throughout the Slavic countries of Europe, from Greece through the former Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, north into the Czech Republic and Poland, everyone drinks a homemade firewater called Rakija.  

I was first introduced to the local brandy in Croatia, where dozens of kinds of rakija are consumed.  Fruits like plums, pears and cherries are used to make rakija and so are herbs and tree bark and even vegetables like asparagus!  In Istria, which has the best rakija, honey is often used to make rajika.

While there are commercial brands of rakija you drink in bars in Croatia (as we found out during our first night there when my companion was dumping shots into a nearby potted plant since she couldn't keep up with the locals), everyone will tell you that the best rakija is homemade.  Practically every household in Croatia has their own recipe and Croats drink the stuff as a digestiv (to aid in digestion), as a medicine (to cure everything that ails ya), and sometimes as a pick-me-up for breakfast.  

While rakija and grappa are very similar, both are fermented and distilled, I tend to prefer rakija simply because of the wide variety of flavors available.  Grappa tends to be rocket fuel, while rakija has a depth of flavor, depending on what was fermented.

But beware, rakija is extremely potent.  Homemade varieties can be 60% alcohol, and in some cases, have an even higher alcohol content.  But, if you do find yourself in Istria, ask for šljivovica, the plum rakija.  It's my favorite and I think you'll like it too. 

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