Mahia (also spelled mahya or ma'hia) is a distilled spirit that Moroccan Jews made for generations. It is distilled from fruit, mainly figs or dates, and flavored with anise. In Israel it is sometimes simply called “Moroccan arak”.
What the name means
The name comes from Arabic: “ma al-hayat”, water of life. The same idea stands behind the names of distilled spirits in other languages, such as “eau de vie” in French.
What mahia is made from
The base is fruit: figs, dates, and sometimes grapes. The fruit is fermented, distilled, and anise is added, which gives the drink its familiar taste. The original label of our family, from Essaouira, states 40 degrees.
The difference between mahia and arak
Both are anise spirits, which is why they get confused. The difference is the starting point: in mahia the fruit is the base and the anise joins it. In arak, the anise is the main thing.
Who made it
Mahia is associated with the Jewish community of Morocco, which traditionally produced it. Every town had distillers who worked for the community, and the drink accompanied celebrations, hilloulot and holiday tables.
The mahia of the Cohen family from Essaouira, 1925
In 1925, Chalom Cohen opened a distilling workshop at 34 Mellah Street in Essaouira. The label, which has survived to this day, is written in two languages:
Mahia · Atelier public de distillation d'Essaouira (Maroc) · Chalom Cohen, 34 Mellah
And below it, in Hebrew letters, the same name in Judeo-Arabic, with the word “kosher”.
In 1971 the Pasha of Essaouira confirmed in writing that the workshop had been operating at that address since 1925, and that it served the needs of the Jewish community in the town and the region.
Among the bottles kept from the years in Morocco there is also a fig mahia, “Figues · Mahia Grande Tradition”.
And today
In December 2005 the family arrived in Israel, and the distillery with it. Today the fourth generation distills here.
What sells the most are ready-to-drink arak cocktails made with real fruit: passion fruit, pineapple, lemon, strawberry and mango. Alongside them, for those looking for the taste of the past: fig arak and date arak, 30% alcohol, served neat, in a small glass, after the meal.
The cocktails Fig arak Date arak The full family story
Short questions
How is it spelled: mahia, mahya or ma'hia?
All these spellings are in use. The family label from 1925 reads “Mahia”.
How much alcohol is in mahia?
The original label from Essaouira states 40 degrees.
Was mahia kosher?
The 1925 label says “kosher”. Arack Mabrouka products today are kosher under the supervision of Badatz Beit Yosef.