Here's an important vocabulary list:
Rakija - the catch-all term for any kind of spirit distilled from fruit in Bosnia/Croatia, and it pretty much translates to ‘brandy’. Just as there’s apple brandy, plum brandy, berry brandy and so on, varieties distilled from different source materials take more specific names.
The Croatian Adriatic coast is known for a great variety of herbal grappas, some typical for only one island or group of islands.
- The island Hvar is famous for grappa with the addition of myrrh (mrtina — bitter and dark brown).
- Korčula, and the city of Dubrovnik are famous for grappa with anise (aniseta)
- Central Dalmatia the most popular rakia is grappa with nuts (orahovica). It's usually homemade, and served with dry cookies or dried figs. In the summer, it's very typical to see huge glass jars of grappa with nuts steeping in the liquid on every balcony, because the process requires the exposure of orahovica to the sun.
- Northern Adriatic — mainly Istria — rakia is typically made of honey (medica) or mistletoe (biska). Biska, which is yellow-brown and sweet, is a typical liquor of Istria.
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| Plums ready for slivovitz |
- lozica – grape brandy
- kruškovača – pear brandy
- rogačica – grape brandy infused with carob pods
- travarica - herbal rakia - usually drunk at the beginning of the meal, together with dried figs.
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| Travarica |
