Nalewka

A variety of nalewka recipes in various stages of preparation

Nalewka (IPA: [na'lɛfka]), plural nalewki, is a traditional alcoholic beverage from Poland.[1] Similar to medicinal tinctures,[2]: 108  it is usually 40% to 45% alcohol by volume, though some can be as strong as 75%.[3] Nalewka is created by macerating and / or infusing various ingredients in alcohol, usually vodka or neutral spirits. Among the ingredients often used are fruits, herbs, spices, roots, sugar and honey. The name nalewka is currently[when?] being registered for national appellation within the European Union.[2][4] Unlike ordinary liqueurs, nalewki are usually aged.[4][5] Since nalewka is produced by infusion rather than distillation, the liquid is typically colorful and somewhat opaque. Taste-wise, nalewka is similar to fruit liqueurs such as schnapps or eau-de-vie, but is usually sweeter and typically lacks a strong alcohol taste.

The name nalewka is sometimes misleadingly used for a variety of commercially produced alcohols sold in Poland, usually of low quality and alcohol content.

It could also be confused with its cognate, nalivka or nalyvka (Russian, Ukrainian: наливка), popular in Ukraine since the 17th century and in Russia since the second half of the 16th century.[6][7][8] While the Polish nalewka is an infusion, the Ukrainian/Russian nalivkas are made by filling a jar with fruit, sugar and water, sealing it, and letting the contents ferment. Thus, the Ukrainian/Russian nalivkas are much weaker (usually containing less than 20% alcohol).[9][10] The proper name for a Russian analogue of a Polish nalewka would be nastoika, infusion. (Russian: настойка, Ukrainian: настоянка, nastoyanka, literally, tincture).[11]

  1. ^ Lucyna Ćwierczakiewiczowa (1858). Jedyne praktyczne przepisy... (in Polish). Warsaw, Gebethner i Wolff. p. 264. ISBN 83-7386-071-1.
  2. ^ a b Jan Rogala (2003). Nalewki zdrowotne, czyli 102 przepisy na alkohol który wspomaga organizm (in Polish). Warsaw, Baobab. ISBN 83-89642-00-X.
  3. ^ Grzegorz Russak. "Nalewki staropolskie – chluba przeszłości, nadzieja przyszłości". Polonia.org (in Polish). Krefeld: Polonia Świata. Retrieved 2006-07-10.
  4. ^ a b Zdzisław T. Nowicki (2002). Domowe piwa, cydry, wina, nalewki, likiery i kremy (in Polish). Gdynia, Galion. p. 324. ISBN 83-909329-3-8.
  5. ^ Jan Makosiński (1911). Przepisy do przyrządzania wódek, rozolisów, rumów, araków, likierów, cognaców, esencyi ponczowych, krupników i grogu (in Polish). Kraków-Kielce, Avis. p. 43.
  6. ^ Чем наливка отличается от настойки. aif.ru (in Russian). 27 May 2017. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  7. ^ John Frederick Erdmann (1825). "Manners and Customs of the Russians in the Government of Kasan". The cabinet of foreign voyages and travels. London: Treuttel & Würtz. p. 81.
  8. ^ "Наливка". Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (in Russian). Leipzig-St. Petersburg: Brockhaus and Efron. 1890–1906. Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2011-01-16.
  9. ^ "Наливка". Great Soviet Encyclopedia (in Russian) (III ed.). Moscow. 1969–1978. Retrieved 18 June 2020.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  10. ^ "Наливка". Российский гуманитарный энциклопедический словарь (in Russian). Vol. 2 (I ed.). St. Petersburg: Гуманитарный издательский центр ВЛАДОС. 2002. ISBN 5-8465-0021-8. Archived from the original on 2012-11-05. Retrieved 2011-01-16.
  11. ^ "Настойка". Малый Академический Словарь русского языка (in Russian). Vol. 2 (IV ed.). Moscow: RAS Linguistic Studies Institute, Poligrafresursy. 1999. Retrieved 2011-02-14.