Mulberry water , also mulberry wine , less often mulberry brandy ( azerb. Tut arağı , armen . Թթի օղի ) - a strong alcoholic drink , traditional for a number of regions of the Caucasus . It is a product of distillation of the fermented juice of mulberry fruit .
The alcohol content is from 40 to 80%. Some varieties of the drink are barrel aged for several years.
Content
Geography and production history
Mulberry vodka is a traditional drink for a significant part of the Transcaucasian region, in particular for Armenia and Azerbaijan . Historically, Karabakh belongs to the areas of the most active production of distillate from mulberry fruit, most of which is currently part of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic : a significant number of industrial and home-made varieties of mulberry vodka are produced here [1] [2] [3] .
The history of the production of mulberry vodka has been measured for at least centuries. A slight decrease in the volume of its production occurred in the 19th century after Russian vodka became widespread in the corresponding Transcaucasian territories, which had by then become part of the Russian Empire . Nevertheless, in Armenia and Azerbaijan, the traditional strong drink made from mulberry berries has remained very widespread. It is noteworthy that the inhabitants of these countries often attribute healing properties to it [2] [3] [4] .
Mention of the high popularity of mulberry vodka is contained in Russian documentary and journalistic sources, relating, in particular, to the middle of the XIX century. So, published by the office of the Caucasian governor , the " Caucasian Calendar " for 1854 talks about the manufacture and consumption of this drink in Elizavetpol - present Ganja :
| From vodka squeezes and from berries of white tut good vodka is expelled and this is almost the most useful use of this fruit. Before the distribution of Russian vodka in the region, this industry was a subject of considerable trade ... Mulberry vodka is sold from 2 rubles. up to 2 rub. 50 kopecks per bucket, and fruit up to 3 rubles. Local Armenians are very addicted to this kind of economy and the hunters for vodka themselves, not excluding even women. There is not a single yard in the city where there are from 5 to 20 mulberry trees, and we can say from consumption that this blessed tree cools them in the summer and warms them in the winter ... There are mulberry trees that produce from 3 to 5 buckets of pure vodka ... Caucasian calendar for 1854 [5] |
Mulberry vodka also appears in the works of fiction and memoirs describing the traditional life of the peoples of Armenia and Azerbaijan. For example, the Armenian writer S. N. Khanzadyan tells about the cult significance of this drink for residents of his native places:
| Mulberry vodka enjoyed special honor in Ohara. She was a favorite drink at weddings and christening, she treated the most dear guests and gave a bribe to a surveyor and bailiff ... In the village, they talked about many cases when one or the other, sitting in a crucian with a sediment from mulberry vodka, was cured of rheumatism. Sero Khanzadyan, “My Relatives and Neighbors” [6] |
The unsuccessful attempt to treat William Saroyan , an American writer of Armenian origin, with mulberry vodka during a trip to Zangezur, is described by writer and publicist Z. A. Balayan :
| The good fellow, meanwhile, deftly filled a faceted glass with straw-colored liquid. He brought it to Saroyan. I noticed how tiny beads were arranged in a circle on the surface of the straw liquid. No doubt mulberry vodka. Zangezur, she is also a Karabakh mulberry. Fortress from sixty-five to seventy-three degrees ... Zory Balayan, "Tea" [7] |
In Soviet times, the practice of making mulberry vodka was also mastered outside the historical area of its distribution. This, in particular, is evidenced by its inclusion in the Criminal Code of the RSFSR of 1961 , decrees of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR and other legal acts among alcoholic beverages, the home-made production of which was prohibited [8] . In the late XX - early XXI century, with the development of commercial production of mulberry vodka, its export expanded beyond the borders of traditional consumption countries. Even smuggling of consignments of mulberry vodka, in particular, to the territory of Afghanistan, is known [9] .
Manufacturing Technology
The raw materials for the production of mulberry vodka are the fruits of mulberry, also known as mulberry tree . Berries of both black and white mulberries are used - both of these species are widely cultivated in the corresponding areas of Transcaucasia [1] [2] .
The collection of mulberry fruits for the production of vodka is usually carried out in July - at this time the berries reach their peak sugar content (about 15% sugar ). Juice is squeezed from the berries, which is fermented for several days in open containers without the addition of yeast or sugar. In the traditional preparation for fermentation, carasses are used - large clay jugs of ellipsoid shape, and in industrial - enameled metal containers. The resulting mash is subjected to distillation in copper cubes - single to obtain a relatively small strength drink or double to provide a higher alcohol concentration [10] [11] .
The output is a clear liquid with a tart smack and a light mulberry aroma. In home-based production, it usually has a noticeable shade of yellowish-greenish tones, while in industrial production it is completely colorless. Depending on the amount of distillation, vodka may contain from 40% to 80% alcohol. The drink can be bottled immediately after distillation, or subjected to further aging - the latter usually occurs with stronger varieties. Traditionally, for aging mulberry vodka, barrels of wood of the same mulberry tree are used, the inner surface of which is preliminarily fired. The exposure time is usually from one year to five years. Upon completion, vodka is usually diluted with water before bottling. Mature varieties of mulberries have a very rich color - from golden to dark brown, as well as a much richer and more complex taste with woody and herbal notes and a strongly pronounced tart aroma [10] [11] .
Despite the development of industrial production of mulberry vodka, the practice of home-based production is still very widespread, especially in rural areas. Often, individual beverage recipes have various technological features [10] [11] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Pokhlebkin, 2005 , p. 358.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Armenia, 2007 , p. 42.
- ↑ 1 2 Caucasian calendar, 1853 , p. 331.
- ↑ Khanzadyan, 1959 , p. 40.
- ↑ Caucasian Calendar, 1853 , p. 331-332.
- ↑ Khanzadyan, 1959 , p. 39-40.
- ↑ Zory Balayan. Tea (PDF). Date of treatment May 28, 2015.
- ↑ Lebedeva, 2009 , p. 150.
- ↑ How Russian vodka gets into Afghanistan . Anora Sarkorova (January 28, 2004). - The official website of the Russian BBC service. Date of appeal May 27, 2015.
- ↑ 1 2 3 What is a mulberry tree . Brosem.info. Date of treatment May 28, 2015.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Tutovka - unusual alcohol from the Caucasus . The world of alcohol (May 14, 2014). Date of treatment May 28, 2015.
Literature
- Pokhlebkin V.N. History of Vodka. - M .: Centerpolygraph, 2005 .-- 403 p. - ISBN 978-5-9524-1895-3 .
- Sero Khanzadyan . My family and neighbors. Stories. - M .: Soviet writer, 1959. - 300 p.
- Caucasian calendar for 1854. - Tf. : Type. Canz. nomes. Caucasian, 1853. - S. 776.
- J.-P. Labourdet, D. Uzzia. Armenia. Travel Guide "Petite Fute". - M .: Vanguard, 2007 .-- 208 p. - ISBN 9785863943008 .
- Lebedeva E. S. Features of the criminal regulation of the production and turnover of alcoholic beverages under the Criminal Code of the RSFSR 1961 // Bulletin of the Volga University. V.N. Tatishchev. - 2009. - No. 70 . - S. 149-156 .