Plum and its products are of great importance to Serbs and are a part of numerous traditional customs.[17] A Serbian meal usually starts or ends with plum products and šljivovica is served as an apéritif.[17] A saying goes that the best place to build a house is where a plum tree grows the best.[17] Traditionally, šljivovica (commonly referred to as "rakija") is connected to a Serbian culture as a drink used at all important rites of passage (birth, baptism, military service, marriage, death, etc.).[17] It is used in the Serbian Orthodox patron saint celebration, slava.[17] It is used in numerous folk remedies, and is given certain degree of respect above all other alcoholic drinks.[18][19][self-published source] The fertile region of Šumadija in central Serbia is particularly known for its plums and šljivovica.[20] In 2004, over 400 000 litres of šljivovica was produced in Serbia.[citation needed] In 2017, Serbia was the 5th largest producer of plums and sloes in the world.[21]