Rak\u0131 is less a drink than the name of a way of setting a table. Everything from how the glass is filled to the order of the mezes follows a form, and that form exists to slow the meal down. The aim is not to get drunk but to spend three hours at one table.<\/p>\n
A tall narrow glass is used. Rak\u0131 goes in first, then water \u2014 not the other way round. The ratio is a matter of taste; half and half is the common one. When the water is added the drink turns cloudy: the anise oil does not dissolve in water, and this is the expected result rather than a fault.<\/p>\n
Ice is a separate argument. Dropping it into the glass is widespread, but some object, because as it melts it changes the ratio and flattens the anise. The usual compromise is to keep ice in a second glass and use cold water instead.<\/p>\n
A glass of plain water always stands next to the rak\u0131. This is not ceremony but practicality \u2014 anise lingers on the palate and water clears it.<\/p>\n
The table moves from cold to hot and is never hurried. The classic sequence runs like this:<\/p>\n
White cheese and melon first.<\/strong> This pair is nearly obligatory; salt and sweetness both meet the anise.<\/p>\n Then the yoghurt mezes.<\/strong> Haydari, atom, m\u00fctebbel. Yoghurt softens the palate.<\/p>\n Then the olive oil dishes.<\/strong> Vine leaves, fava, borlotti beans. This is the long stretch of the table and can hold for hours.<\/p>\n Hot starters.<\/strong> Calamari, prawns, b\u00f6rek. The table picks up pace here.<\/p>\n Fish at the end.<\/strong> Grilled or steamed. Fish is the classic partner to rak\u0131; red meat does not suit the character of the table.<\/p>\n A table like this runs two or three hours, and that is the design rather than a failing. The mezes do not all arrive at once; they are added as the conversation goes on. So if you want to set a rak\u0131 table, book early and say you will not be rushing \u2014 the kitchen plans differently for it.<\/p>\n The basic distinction lies in the source of the grape and the anise. Some are produced entirely from fresh grapes and come across softer. Our list carries five; if you do not know where to begin, the service team will suggest one to suit your table.<\/p>\n All of our mezes are on the \u00e0 la carte page<\/a>, and the spirits list is on the Drinks Menu<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Rak\u0131 is not a drink to be finished quickly but the spine of a table that lasts for hours. How it is poured, what it is drunk with, and in what order.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":149,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bar-drinks"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oliverestaurant.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oliverestaurant.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oliverestaurant.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oliverestaurant.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=633"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/oliverestaurant.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/633\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oliverestaurant.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oliverestaurant.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oliverestaurant.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oliverestaurant.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Timing<\/h2>\n
How many kinds of rak\u0131 are there?<\/h2>\n