Bulgarian Rakija
You could easily say that every country in the world can praise itself with its specific drink, which is part of the country’s culture. It’s been said that alcohol drinks can tighten the bonds, and language obstacles suddenly disappear. In Bulgaria a helpful drink in breaking the first the first ice cream is rakija.
The production of rakija
Rakija is part of the heavy alcohol drinks group It might resemble you of the hooch, but you shouldn’t call it like that, because the Bulgarian people might get angry. A hooch is a type of alcohol made at home from anything available, like potatoes or herbs. So rakija is a more noble drink, because it’s made out of fruit. Its taste is similar to the taste of a branda. Grapes are often used in the making of this drink, which is often called grouse rakija. Almost all the high-sugar fruits are good for making Rakija. The Bulgarian people often use apricots, plums and also rose petals. We can find alcohol in every shop, but the best taste comes from homemade rakija, which is often a bit stronger than the type that you can find in shops. The content of alcohol in products found in shops is usually no more than 40%. Meanwhile, in the homemade version the content of alcohol is mostly 50-60%, and sometimes even 80%. When we’re treated to rakija by Bulgarian people, we have to compare the strength to the plans. We shouldn’t have a problem with buying some homemade rakija. Ever since Bulgaria joined the European Union, an excise was put on homemade alcohol. Although its price is equal to the price of the excise of alcohols produced in factories, the citizens revolted. On many parts of the country there are still some small illegal factories, which sell first-class rakija.
Serving rakija
Rakija is served in small glasses with the capacity of 30-50 milliliters. You should drink it slowly, with tiny gulps. It is a very strong type of alcohol, so you shouldn’t drink it to much. In Bulgaria it often drunk with shopska salad, which is made out of tomatoes, cucumbers, pepper and delicious local type of cheese called sirene.
