Once in a while, everyone can do with a reward for all their hard work. Last Saturday was the Day of German Unity. What better way to celebrate, than to organize a rakı night with a few people from the editorial team, and open the bottles of Yeni Raki that were sent to us. Rakı is a well-known Turkish national drink. This aniseed spirit is distilled from grapes and flavored with white granulated sugar. The clear distillate magically changes colour as soon as water is added. It takes on a milky tone, which is why it is also known as »Aslan sütü« (engl. lion’s milk – ed.).
In Turkey, drinking rakı on your own is a sign of loneliness. So the raki table is laid with dishes of hot and cold mezze (engl. appetizers – ed.), for everyone to eat while they drink, to ward off the effects of alcohol.
It’s a wonderful way to spend time with people whose company you enjoy, sitting round the table for hours talking, eating, singing, laughing and discussing things, while drinking a drop of »Aslan sütü«.
True to the toast of the evening, »Cam cama değil can cana« (engl. not glass to glass, but soul to soul – ed.).

Credits
Photos & Text: Melisa Karakuş