Traditional Aniseed-Flavored Spirit Drinks

Aniseed spirits are produced by the distillation of pressed fermented grapes, dregs and other fermented raw materials, flavored with aniseed (Pimpinella anisum L), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and/or some other plants. All round the Mediterranean basin, there are other similar aniseed spirit drinks such as pastis (France), anesone (Spain), sambuca (Italy), zebib (Egypt), and arak (Syria). However, there are some differences between the production processes of these spirits and their traditional use in Mediterranean culinary cultures. Raki and ouzo appear to be more similar than the others, just like brothers from the two shores of the Aegean Sea. Turkish raki is a type of traditional aniseed spirit produced by double distillation with aniseed (Pimpinella anisum) of only suma or suma and agricultural based ethanol mixture in different areas of Turkey. Ouzo can be defined as a distillation product of a mixture consisting of ethanol, anise, and other flavorful seeds, with sugar. The amounts and the repartition of the alcoholic fermentation products (fusel alcohols, esters, and aldehydes) are mainly responsible for the flavors and quality of the aniseed spirit. In this review article, Turkish raki, Greek ouzo and some different aniseed spirits were compared in their traditional, cultural roles and in their chemical and analytical structure.