TURKEY
Country Overview:
“Tasty treats, a tumultuous economy, and a love for street food”
I flew to Istanbul, Turkey from Sanya, China on Aug. 18, 2020. At the time, it was one of only several countries open to Americans that didn’t have any quarantine requirements. I spent close to 3 months exploring the city, learning the culture, and eating my way through this culinary paradise. I left in late October to fly to Serbia and although my time in Turkey was shorter than I would have liked, I will never forget the people, places, or food that made Turkey a must-see destination for any traveler.
Raki Night
Raki is a sweetened, often anise-flavored, alcoholic drink that is popular in Albania, Turkic countries, Turkey, the Greek Islands and in the Balkan countries as an apéritif.
In Turkey, rakı is the national drink and is traditionally consumed with chilled water on the side or partly mixed with chilled water. Dilution with water causes rakı to turn a milky-white color.
This phenomenon has resulted in the drink being popularly referred to aslan sütü ('lion's milk') Since aslan ('lion') is a Turkish colloquial metaphor for a strong, courageous man, this gives the term a meaning close to 'the milk for the strong'.