The tuica fiarta ritual

TUICA FIARTA: THE DRINK SYMBOL OF ROMANIA

The tuica is generally served as an aperitif to welcome or toast. The tuica is then generally accompanied by cheeses or tomatoes. In winter, it can be drunk hot, seasoned with spices. It is found in all happy or unhappy events (weddings, baptisms, funerals, etc.)

THE TUICA FIARTA RITUAL

Where does this tradition come from?

The ?uic? fiarta is a traditional brandy originating in Romania and Moldavia from the distillation of fruits and originally plums. It is a hard liquor between 30°C and 40°C.

It is produced between the beginning of October and December. In winter the ?uic? is offered warm, with sugar, pepper and lemon, or even seasoned with spices.

The fruits used are most often plums but we can use morello cherries, apricots, peaches and Mirabelle plums, it varies according to the recipes and regions.

Traditionally, a glass of ?uic? is offered before each meal with a bit of telemea (traditional cheese from the Sibiu region) and a few slices of tomatoes to stimulate the appetite.

The ?uic? is never missing during a ceremony, such as a wedding, harvest festival, baptism or funeral. Tradition has it that during the wedding ceremony, the father of the bride offers each of the guests a glass of ?uic? to toast to the honor of the happiness of the couple.

At the end of an Orthodox funeral, a glass of ?uic? and a slice of bread to toast in honor of the soul of the deceased. Before drinking the glass, one says the phrase “May God receive him!” » (Dumnezeu s?-i primeasc? !).

In the past, the communist dictatorship forbade private distillation and severely punished it, in the name of the fight against alcoholism. This encouraged clandestine distillations, sometimes based on industrial products, which caused many dramas in the countryside but also encouraged denunciations… On the other hand, following the Liberation of 1989, this period represents the age of gold for vintage distillers, because controls had largely disappeared, while quality alcohols, fruits and sugars have flourished on the markets.

Enjoy the tasting! ! Bun gust !

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