Drinks similar to Rakia - Tuica

Tuica

Tuica is a Romanian traditional spirit where the rule is it has to be finished before Christmas.

The distillation is made in a special barn or outside in brass stills called cazan, fired up with wood but sometimes charcoal.

It is said that the Romanians monitor the temperature by listening to the sound the still makes and tasting the spirit as regular intervals, this process results in three grades of tuica:

Strong (tuica de-a-ntaia) - 55%-65%
Normal (tuica de-a-duoa) - 40%-50%
Weak (tuica de-a treeia) - 5%-15%

Tuica in the main, is left to age between six months and ten years in oak barrels leaving the spirit to turn yellowish with a strong aroma. This is now called Old Tuica or Tuica Batrana) and can now be drunk.

Tuicari, cazanari or cazangii dependingon the region, are names given to the maestro makers of Tuica.

Mixed with water, tuica should never turn white or opaque and they say that Old tuica is not as good as the younger aged tuica. In other words it doesn't improve with age

It would be fair to say that most tuica is moonshine and illegally made but the government turns a blind eye to these practices. You can find tuica is sold in markets, fairs and by the road, presented in plastic bottles.

Tuica is drunk before a meal, in fact before every meal alongside cheese, tomatoes and onions. Traditional parties such as weddings, baptisms, hunting parties, harvest festivals, religious holidays, family reunions, and wakes provides a moment to bring the tuica out.

An interesting fact that a census revealed that around 75% of the plums crops ends up as tuica in Romania!