Wars, politics & history

Rakı

17th century

Raki is a traditional Turkish alcoholic drink flavoured with anise, made by distilling grapes or raisins and adding aniseed. It is clear, but when mixed with water it turns a milky white colour, which is why it is nicknamed lion's milk. Raki is usually drunk slowly with food, particularly with meze and fish, in the social setting of the meyhane, or Turkish tavern, where conversation often lasts for hours. Spirits flavoured with anise have a long history around the Mediterranean and the Middle East, with relatives in Greece, Lebanon and the Balkans, and the drink is connected to the Ottoman period. It is considered part of Turkish cultural identity.

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This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas.