As every country has its own special drink, in Turkish culture the beverage called Raki is the most famous liquor. Think of a drink, so rich in flavor that its consumption is ritualized with the most delicate dishes of the Mediterranean (Anatolia). A drink that is enjoyed with an orchestrate of only the most melodic of instruments. Imagine an alcoholic beverage, so emotionally stirring that it can turn enemies into family, and turn family into enemies overnight. Rakı, a beverage made with aniseed and grapes, has been the national drink of the Turk since the early 10th century. Its spread was surprisingly fast among the Muslim population of the region. It was one of the many similarities of the different cultures within this geography. Greeks, Persians, and Arabs, just as Turks, have consumed Rakı for a long period of time (raki).
Raki has been the national drink of the Turks for many centuries and in Turkish culture it is also known as "Lion's Milk". In the past Raki used to be drunk straight in the glasses called “stork neck”, today Turkish people drink Raki in the cylindrical shaped, five inch long special glasses mixed with water, cold around forty-six Fahrenheit (Atilla). Raki could be drank before dinner or after dinner but as the old Turkish people say that it is best to drink Raki with special Turkish hot and cold snacks called “meze” in a very long time period such as 4-5 hours. Turkish people have a special saying for the period of drinking Raki called “Meal of Raki”. After you start to feel the buzz of the Raki in your stomach and in your brain people would cheer up and get into nice, long conversations. “Meal of Raki” is the place and the time that people can get rid of their unwanted thoughts and also share their gloom and exultation with other people (Anonmyous). Raki is not kind of a drink that you can go out and have one or two glasses of it at a bar. In Turkish culture it is so important to know the amount of Raki you are consuming because being overly drunk in public is considered very disrespectful. The magical thing about Raki is when it is mixed with water the colorless alcohol turns into white color which is found as very interesting for many people from out of Turkiye (Yalcin).