old, selected, superior, etc. A commercial famous presentation is "țuică cu fruct". This is a glass bottle of țuică containing a whole plum fruit. It is obtained by hanging empty bottles on trees in spring or early summer and growing the fruit inside the bottle. Consumption Normally, țuica is only consumed before the meal (traditionally every meal). In most cases, only a shot-sized amount is served, and it is generally sipped. The drink is also present in all traditional parties (agape) such as weddings, baptisms, hunting parties, harvest festivals, religious holidays, family reunions, and wakes. In most of rural Romania, țuică is the usual drink to hold a toast with, rather than wine. Usually it is drunk before a meal, as it increases appetite. A modern portrayal of a modern village inhabitant almost always includes a bottle of țuică. For rural families producing țuică for their own consumption (not commercial) the output can amount between ~ 10 - 200 litres per family per year, as the plum tree is the most widely present tree in Romanian orchards (see also Agriculture in Romania). Țuică is sometimes used as part of a small remuneration package for small work or "daily work" (non contract based or between friends). Romania is the largest plum producer in the European Union and among the top plum producers in the world. According to the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture, around are cultivated with plum trees, and 80% of production is transformed into țuică. See also Pálinka Raki (alcoholic beverage) Rakia Slivovitz References External links — ORDIN nr. 368 din 13 iunie 2008 pentru aprobarea Normelor privind definirea, descrierea, prezentarea şi etichetarea băuturilor româneşti (Official Romanian legislation for defining, describing and labelling of Romanian traditional spirits. Fruit brandies Distilled drinks Plum spirits Romanian distilled drinks Moldovan alcoholic drinks