Țuică
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Țuică () is a traditional
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
n spirit that contains ~ 24–86%
alcohol by volume Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as alc/vol or ABV) is a common measure of the amount of Alcohol (drug), alcohol contained in a given alcoholic beverage. It is defined as the volume the ethanol in the liquid would take if separated from the rest ...
(usually 40–55%), prepared only from
plums A plum is a fruit of some species in ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are often called prunes, though in the United States they may be labeled as 'dried plums', especially during the 21st century. Plums are likely to have been ...
. Other spirits that are produced from other fruit or from a cereal grain are called " rachiu" or "rachie". ''Țuică'' is also the foundational element for creating the traditional Romanian '' vinars'' from different spirited fruits. In 2013, Romania produced of țuică. It is considered Romania's national drink.


Preparation

Traditionally, țuică is prepared from early summer (after winemaking is complete). The plums must be left for fermentation (''macerare'') for 6–8 weeks, in large barrels (''butoaie'' or ''căldări'' or ''putini''). Plums are the most commonly used and widely marketed fruit in this context. Historically, and even in the present day, their consumption has been more prevalent in urban areas, where they are often used to make jams, kompot, or eaten fresh. However, in rural towns and villages, where economic constraints play a significant role, plums have often been considered a high-standard fruit, making them a less common choice for distillation. Instead, rural communities have traditionally turned to more accessible and cost-effective alternatives, such as mulberries (Morus species) and
mirabelle Mirabelle plum (''Prunus domestica'' subsp. ''syriaca'') is a cultivar group of plum trees of the genus ''Prunus''. It is believed that the plum was cultivated from a wild fruit grown in Anatolia. Description The mirabelle is identified by it ...
plums, which are more readily available and affordable. Another widely used resource is the byproduct of winemaking: the leftover grape pomace. After the grapes are pressed for wine production, the remaining solids—skins, seeds, and pulp—are left inside the wine cask throughout the winter, where they continue to ferment and absorb alcohol from the surrounding liquid. This process enhances their flavor and extends their usability, reflecting a long-standing tradition of resourcefulness in winemaking regions. According to both tradition and Romanian standards (SR), distillation must be done in a
copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...
still A still is an apparatus used to distillation, distill liquid mixtures by heating to selectively Boiling, boil and then cooling to Condensation, condense the vapor. A still uses the same concepts as a basic Distillation#Laboratory_procedures, ...
(''cazan'', pictures a

, using a traditional fire source (generally wood, but also charcoal). The temperature is controlled traditionally by interpreting the sounds that the still makes and by tasting the brew at different points in the process. Usually, this process results in two grades of țuică: *normal: distilled once, the last to come from the still; between 24–40% alcohol. *very strong: distilled twice, generally a quarter of the production, and the first to come out of the still; about 50–65% alcohol by volume, stronger than Pálinka, palinka; called ''pălincă de prune'', ''fățată'', ''întoarsă'', or ''horincă'' depending on the region; the most famous țuică served before a meal; in rural regions, it is customary to serve this drink to a guest. After distillation, țuică may be left to age between six months and ten years in
mulberry ''Morus'', a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consists of 19 species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 subordinat ...
aging barrel A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden stave (wood), staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers ...
s (the result is pearlescent yellow, has a strong aroma, and is known as "old țuică", ''țuică bătrână''), or it may be consumed immediately ("fresh țuică", ''țuică proaspătă''). The people preparing țuică are sometimes referred to as țuicari, căzănari, or cazangii, but this varies according to geographical region. Mixed with water, țuică should never turn white or opaque. There are several different classifications of țuică based on aging duration, with varieties such as old, selected, superior, etc.


Types and terminology

The term "țuică" is defined as a spirit made from plums, although it is also colloquially used to refer to all distilled beverages. The term "palincă" is a generic term for any type of
fruit brandy Fruit brandy (or fruit spirit) is a distilled beverage produced from mash, juice, wine or residues of edible fruits. The term covers a broad class of spirits produced across the world, and typically excludes beverages made from grapes, which are ...
, while "palincă de prune" refers specifically to plum brandy. Țuică is prepared using traditional methods both for private consumption and for sale. Although this was illegal in the past, the government tolerated the practice due to the traditional character of the beverage. Some communities have acquired production licences and produce it legally. Home distillation in Romania is legal provided the distiller pays an
excise tax file:Lincoln Beer Stamp 1871.JPG, upright=1.2, 1871 U.S. Revenue stamp for 1/6 barrel of beer. Brewers would receive the stamp sheets, cut them into individual stamps, cancel them, and paste them over the Bunghole, bung of the beer barrel so when ...
and produces no more than per household. The names "horincă" and "turț" are used in the regions of
MaramureÈ™ ( ; ; ; ) is a geographical, historical and cultural region in northern Romania and western Ukraine. It is situated in the northeastern Carpathians, along parts of the upper Tisza River drainage basin; it covers the MaramureÈ™ Depression and the ...
and Oaș as synonyms for țuică. These terms are occasionally used in other areas of northern Transylvania. This is codified in the Romanian law "Order No. 368/2008 approving the Rules on the definition, description, presentation and labelling of traditional Romanian beverages". A commercial famous presentation is "țuică cu fruct". This is a glass bottle of țuică containing a whole plum fruit. It is obtained by hanging empty bottles on trees in spring or early summer and growing the fruit inside the bottle.


Consumption

Normally, țuica is only consumed before the meal (traditionally every meal). In most cases, only a shot-sized amount is served, and it is generally sipped. The drink is also present in all traditional parties (''agape'') such as weddings, baptisms, hunting parties, harvest festivals, religious holidays, family reunions, and wakes. In most of rural Romania, țuică is the usual drink to hold a toast with, rather than wine. Usually it is drunk before a meal, as it increases appetite. A modern portrayal of a modern village inhabitant almost always includes a bottle of țuică. For rural families producing țuică for their own consumption (not commercial) the output can amount between ~ 10 - 200
litre The litre ( Commonwealth spelling) or liter ( American spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: â„“) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metres (m3). A ...
s per family per year, as the plum tree is the most widely present tree in Romanian orchards (see also Agriculture in Romania). Țuică is sometimes used as part of a small remuneration package for favors or "daily work" (informal or between friends). Romania is the largest plum producer in the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
and among the top plum producers in the world. According to the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture, around are cultivated with plum trees, and 80% of production is transformed into țuică.


References


External links



— ORDIN nr. 368 din 13 iunie 2008 pentru aprobarea Normelor privind definirea, descrierea, prezentarea şi etichetarea băuturilor româneşti (Official Romanian legislation for defining, describing and labelling of Romanian traditional spirits. {{DEFAULTSORT:Tuica Fruit brandies Plum spirits Romanian distilled drinks Moldovan alcoholic drinks