Visinata
Encyclopedia
Vişinată is a Romania
n alcoholic beverage
produced from sour cherries
(vişine in Romanian
), sugar and alcohol.
It is very flavorful and sweet, and most often home-made. As a consequence, there is no "official" recipe for it. Everybody tunes quantities and preparation methods to suite their own taste.
Vişinată is easy to make and is completely natural (depending on the type of alcohol you use). It is traditionally produced in small quantities, to suit a family's need.
The jar is filled halfway with sour cherries and an equal amount of sugar (by weight, not volume). The rest of the jar is filled with tuica or vodka and sealed. The jar is then left in a dark place at room temperature for about 100 days. Contents are rolled around occasionally during this time period to encourage proper mixing, especially during the first few weeks of fermentation. At the end of the fermentation period, the cherries are filtered out, and the resulting sweet drink is the "visinata".
The flavor will strongly depend on the quality of the fruit, therefore it is advisable to use only hand picked, healthy, well ripened, fresh fruit, if possible from an ecologic culture, and avoid getting leaves, peduncles or pieces of branches into the jar. The maceration in alcohol will amplify any bad taste there is in the fruit, such as fruit that started to rot, instead of hiding it. Wood or leaves will release an unpleasant tannin into the drink, which will only get softer with age.
Alternately, you may use honey instead of sugar. Few people do, however, since honey is more expensive, and depending on its type may not contribute in a positive way to the taste.
Also as a variation, some people smash the sour cherries before putting them in the jar, or at least take out the kernels, break them open, and add the inside into the jar. The inner, soft part of the kernel adds some almond-like flavor to the drink. There is a risk, however, that the filtering will be more difficult, and the resulting drink will not clear up if you smash the fruit.
Many people in Romania use single or double distilled plum brandy (also home made) which is not allowed to age instead of alimentary alcohol. Vodka may even be substituted, though the resulting drink will be stronger.
Aging the drink improves its taste - depending on the type of alcohol used, the initial drink may feel a little rough and burning.
The remaining sour cherries are an excellent ingredient for cakes and pies, provided they are used soon after removal from the jar - they get wrinkled and less flavoury if kept for a longer period of time.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
produced from sour cherries
Sour Cherry
Prunus cerasus, or the sour cherry, is a species of Prunus in the subgenus Cerasus , native to much of Europe and southwest Asia. It is closely related to the wild cherry Prunus cerasus, or the sour cherry, is a species of Prunus in the subgenus Cerasus (cherries), native to much of Europe and...
(vişine in Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
), sugar and alcohol.
It is very flavorful and sweet, and most often home-made. As a consequence, there is no "official" recipe for it. Everybody tunes quantities and preparation methods to suite their own taste.
Vişinată is easy to make and is completely natural (depending on the type of alcohol you use). It is traditionally produced in small quantities, to suit a family's need.
The jar is filled halfway with sour cherries and an equal amount of sugar (by weight, not volume). The rest of the jar is filled with tuica or vodka and sealed. The jar is then left in a dark place at room temperature for about 100 days. Contents are rolled around occasionally during this time period to encourage proper mixing, especially during the first few weeks of fermentation. At the end of the fermentation period, the cherries are filtered out, and the resulting sweet drink is the "visinata".
The flavor will strongly depend on the quality of the fruit, therefore it is advisable to use only hand picked, healthy, well ripened, fresh fruit, if possible from an ecologic culture, and avoid getting leaves, peduncles or pieces of branches into the jar. The maceration in alcohol will amplify any bad taste there is in the fruit, such as fruit that started to rot, instead of hiding it. Wood or leaves will release an unpleasant tannin into the drink, which will only get softer with age.
Alternately, you may use honey instead of sugar. Few people do, however, since honey is more expensive, and depending on its type may not contribute in a positive way to the taste.
Also as a variation, some people smash the sour cherries before putting them in the jar, or at least take out the kernels, break them open, and add the inside into the jar. The inner, soft part of the kernel adds some almond-like flavor to the drink. There is a risk, however, that the filtering will be more difficult, and the resulting drink will not clear up if you smash the fruit.
Many people in Romania use single or double distilled plum brandy (also home made) which is not allowed to age instead of alimentary alcohol. Vodka may even be substituted, though the resulting drink will be stronger.
Aging the drink improves its taste - depending on the type of alcohol used, the initial drink may feel a little rough and burning.
The remaining sour cherries are an excellent ingredient for cakes and pies, provided they are used soon after removal from the jar - they get wrinkled and less flavoury if kept for a longer period of time.