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Arak is a clear, colorless Middle-eastern and eastern Mediterranean liqueur, made in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan. Made from grapes and anise, arak (from Arabic araq عرق, meaning "sweat") is closely related to the Greek ouzo and to the French pastis. It is served with meals or as an aperitif, and mixed with water, which makes it opaque (as with other anise-flavored liqueurs). It is usually mixed with a ration of three parts water to one part arak, as it is very strong.
In Iran, arak is made in many homes and is consumed on various occasions. More common in Iran is a purer and stronger sort of Arak, made without anise, which is called Aragh-e Sagi (Persian: عرق سگی, literally dog's arak).
Called by the Arabs of the Middle East ‘the milk of lions’ (it is given this nick-name because of its highly potent and lethal character), arak (also known as arack and arraki) is the national alcoholic drink of Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Never drank by itself, arak is always served with mezza which could include up to a hundred dishes. A dinner invitation to friends and colleagues who savour alcoholic drinks always begins with this gourmet ritual. After a few ounces of arak and the consuming of a large amount of mezza, the guests are usually sated. When the main course of the meal is served, the food is hardly touched. Sipping on arak while consuming titbits of appetizers is always thought of as the highlight of the meal.
Variations
Various forms of arak, which in Arabic means both sweat and juice, are popular in all the countries edging the Mediterranean and parts of the Far East. In the greater Syria area, it is distilled from fermented grape juice or, at times, sugar and is considered by the inhabitants to be greatly superior to similar hard liquors in other countries. The same spirit in the Balkans and Turkey, called raki - another form of the word arak - is made from a variety of products like grain, molasses, plums and potatoes. Other similar drinks are the arak of Iraq - made from fermented date juice, the zibib of Egypt - a peasant made drink and Greek ouzo - the most popular aperitif in that country. Further west, along the northern shores of the Mediterranean, the Italian anesone, French pastis and Spanish ojén, served as aperitifs or refreshers, are all sweeter versions of arak. Also, in the Far East, a comparable liquor known as arrack, distilled from palm sap or rice, is very popular; in Korea it is known as Soju.
History
It is believed that the arak is among the first of these liquors - apparently developed by the Christian and Jewish minorities in the Middle East. The art of distillation was initially discovered in the early Middle Ages by the 10th century Arab alchemist, Albukassem. However, the Arabs did not use his invention to produce alcoholic spirits since in Islam, liquor is forbidden. Hence, his discovery was employed to distill perfume from flowers and to produce kohl - a women's eye cosmetic where a black powder is liquified, then converted to vapour and allowed to re-solidify. The Arabs carried the art of distilling kohl to Spain from where it spread to the remainder of Europe. In these Christian lands, it took on a much different use - the production of liquor.
With the utilization of this method of producing hard spirits, the Arabic name al-kohl, which became alcohol, was adopted due to the similar method the Arabs used in manufacturing this cosmetic. The words in English relating to the art of distillation, besides alcohol, like alchemy, alchemist, and alembic attest to the Arab origin of producing the many intoxicants found in western lands.
Arak, in the past, was generally of local or village manufacture, but in the last few decades it is increasingly being produced in large manufacturing plants. The modern hard drinks of the West have not overwhelmed this ancient peasant refreshment. It is still the preferred liquor of those who enjoy alcoholic drinks in the Middle East.
References
See also Raki, a similar drink from Turkey, and arrack, a different drink from southeast Asia.
External link
Information provided by Wine and Dine e-magazine