EK11 “Kindness” Ehlikeyf

Distilled raki Raki, produced from anise liqueur, came to life in the stills of the Levantine Arabs. During the Ottoman period, its way extended to Anatolia, Greece and the Balkans. And in the early 19th century, it began to be seen as an icon of masculinity among the public.

Therefore, raki consumption has been labeled among drinkers and must be consumed in a special way to avoid social exclusion.

A few examples of these:

Raki should not be drunk alone; it should be accompanied by appetizers. If appetizers are not available, it should be consumed with seasonal fruits.

It is only drunk until you get drunk; getting drunk with raki is not considered socially good.

A raki glass is used only once, and should be served with a new clean glass each time to preserve its taste.

And the most important thing

A man never puts ice in his glass of raki!

This last rule brings us into an important problem because raki should be drunk cold. It can be taken out of the refrigerator or drunk with very cold water, but how long can the temperature remain at 5 degrees on a hot summer evening?

As a solution to this important problem, ehlikeyf was invented in the middle of the 20th century. A bagel-shaped container was made from very thick copper. This container was filled with water and frozen. A glass of raki was placed in the middle of the container. With this method, the raki remained ice cold for hours.

Oh, did I mention that the word "Ehl-i Keyif" means "person of joy" in Arabic?

Cheers!

Soy Türkiye team

**If you would like a special manuscript (Engraving), please purchase “Kalemkâr”.