Cooking:
Raki
The
best way to enjoy raki (the Turkish national drink, also known as "Lion's
Milk"), is with thin, cylindrical glasses and cold (about 8-10 degrees
Celsius). One can drink it straight or with water, soda, or mineral water.
Although
raki, which is a distilled alcoholic beverage strongly aromatized with
anise-seed, can be consumed as a cocktail, more commonly it is preferred
with "meze" (Turkish hors d'oeuvres and appetizers) such as
Russian salad, garlic sauce, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, cold-cuts,
fried vegetables and pastries, cold yogurt soup, brains, shrimp, mussels
vinaigrette. These are usually followed by entrees such as shish kebab,
mixed grilled meats, steak, fish (pan-fried, grilled, or oven-baked) and,
finally, fruits and deserts. The type of fruit does not matter and it
can be any kind, depending on the season. The overwhelming favorite among
the Turks, to accompany raki, is the combination of melon and feta-cheese.
