Souma is the traditional spirit of Karpathos. It's made from the fermentation of the wild figs that grow on the island, then double distilled in copper stills that some families have kept for generations.
It's similar to Italian grappa in the process, but different in flavour: rounder, with a sweet base you don't expect.
You don't buy it at the supermarket. You receive it. And whoever offers it to you is telling you something.
Production is mostly family-run and informal. Every year, when the figs are ripe — between August and September — some families start distilling. The result is never identical: it changes with the season, with the tree, with who makes it. This inconsistency is considered a virtue, not a flaw. The good Souma is your aunt's, not the one on the shelf.