The tradition of drinking rakija in Serbian households is as old as rakija itself. It is an unspoken rule that when you are visiting someone you should bring a bottle of the best rakija stashed away in your house, and if you are receiving guests that you should ask them if they fancy a shot of “a homemade one” while they’re still at the door. The epithet “homemade” was attached to rakija in the olden days, when households used to make it for their own consumption and there was no mass production. Even in modern-day Serbia, despite the excellent offer of top-quality brandies in shops, bars and restaurants, rural households still make their own excellent rakijas, which are not marketed but used exclusively for their own needs. Every region has its authentic rakija, made according to a traditional recipe, which captures that volatile aromatic component in the best possible way. We may simply call it love of tradition, countryside, homeland. ŠLJIVOVICA – THE EMPRESS OF SERBIAN RAKIJAS According to an old belief, rakija is “the soul extracted from a plum”. No wonder it used to be kept as the greatest treasure and served only to the dearest guests with Turkish delight and coffee. A more significant production of šljivovica started in the late 19th century with the decline in wine production due to the mass destruction of vineyards by grape phylloxera. Plum brandy (šljivovica) is a national Serbian strong alcoholic beverage with a great tradition. Serbia is the third country in the world by the quan-
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tity and quality of produced plum brandy. Of all plums produced in Serbia over 80% are used to make rakija, while the share of šljivovica in the total production of fruit brandies in Serbia is 80%. Besides the traditionally dominant šljivovica, an increasing number of more aromatic, fruit brandies such as apricot and quince brandies have also become available on the market. Pear brandy is mostly made from Williams pears, while raspberry brandy is a real delicacy for those who like a good drink. DISTILLATION They say that those who haven’t seen how rakija is “burned”, haven’t lived in Serbia. “Burning” is a popular term for making rakija using distillation technology. Distillation is a process of separating and concentrating volatile compounds that give a brandy its authenticity. The fermented fruit is heated in distillation vessels (pots stills) causing specific chemical reactions and producing specific aromas. The variations and combinations of raw materials for distillation (fruit preparation), the way in which fractions are extracted and the duration of distillation make all the difference from one final distillate ‒ rakija ‒ to another. Final distillates have high alcohol content, usually between 60 and 65 per cent. To make a rakija of desirable strength (40, 43 or 45 vol %) the distillates should be diluted, i.e. the alcohol content should be reduced to the desirable amount.