TSIKOUDIA ( RAKI)

Tsikoudia (also called raki) is a must in Crete and no one visiting the island can avoid it. It is considered the spirit of life and Cretans claim to owe a lot of their open heart character and joy for life to this magic drink. It is a natural, strong, clear distilled spirit containing approximately 37% alcohol per volume and is produced from the must-residue of the wine-press when distilling aromatic grapes harvested in mid-August. It has to be accompanied by some food and can be served with appetizers before the main meal, with the meal or after meals as an aperitif (it is an excellent digestive) in small bottles and poured in small shot glasses and consumed in small sips or in one go. It is a very traditional Cretan drink with almost every house in Crete producing its own with a different potency. There are lots of small tavernas on the island called “rakadika” which serve tsikoudia together with small plates of escorting dishes.

During the Turkish occupation of Crete the name raki was given to the local tsikoudia, since there were some similarities with Turkish raki. Now both names are used in Crete equally. The Turkish raki has a history going back 300 years. But it all started much longer ago: famous coppersmiths from Armenia and the Pont, who made nice decorated distilling vessels, confirmed the deep knowledge of distillation in all the Byzantine empire. History even goes further back as tsikoudia was one of the favourite drinks of the Minoans who drank it with their meals. The European Union protects the unique Cretan tsikoudia and considers it original only when coming from its place of origin which is Crete (as it does with other protected drinks such as Cognac, Grappa di Barolo, Scotch whiskey, Irish whiskey, Ouzo, etc.).
As with many gastronomic delicacies, most alcoholic beverages have their roots in poverty and tsikoudia is no exception. Every year after the vines are pruned, the vineyard provides wood for the fireplace, grape leaves for cooking, grapes as a fruit or pastry and, of course, wine. Some of the grape must is used to make molasses (“petimezi”), which when combined with flour become must-jelly, must-rolls as well as other well-known Greek pastries. When must is made from grapes, the seeds, stems and grape-peels aren't thrown away, rather they are distilled to produce tsikoudia.
Grape-gathering, wine-making and tsikoudia-making are activities enjoyed in the autumn every year. Wine-making involves crushing the grapes in special stone constructions called "patitiria", or wine presses. This can be done by feet or with small machinery. What remains in the patitiria, after most of the grape juice has been removed, is allowed to ferment and is then distilled.
Traditional distilleries consist of large copper boilers and include long copper funnels on top so that the steam can escape. The funnels, which pass through barrels placed on the sides of the distillation flask and are filled with cold water, end up on the outside of the barrels, on top of empty glass containers. Herbage is first placed on the bottom of the boilers which are then filled with stemfila and a little water or wine, hermetically sealed and finally placed onto the bonfires. The hot steam passes into the funnel and as it then travels through the barrel of cold water, it condenses and liquidates. In approximately half an hour, the warm tsikoudia begins to fall drop by drop, on the other side of the funnel, into the glass containers.
The liquid that first comes out of the funnel cannot be consumed but is used for pharmaceutical purposes. The final amount of distilled liquid contains the least amount of alcohol, whereas the actual tsikoudia is produced during the middle of the entire process. This lasts for about three hours, during which the owners of the boilers must test for alcohol content, increase or decrease the heat and finally stop distillation when the tsikoudia has acquired the desired taste. It takes two to three distillation processes in copper caldrons for the production of the tsikoudia.
The entire process becomes a celebration in which friends and relatives take part by bringing food and sampling the drink as it is being made. Each step in the distillation process has a particular ritual and the presence of friends is a must.
In some places of Crete people make a variety of tsikoudia, called mournoraki. This is coloured red and is distilled from mulberries. It is quite rare and even stronger then tsikoudia.
Raki is claimed to be a medicine for many ordinary diseases, like colds, toothaches, headaches or diarrea. It is even used for massages and “rakomelo” which is a raki with honey (comes already mixed, see our Wines & Raki section) is very soothing and an excellent cure for coughs, sore throats etc.