Kvass
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kvass, bread drink (lit. "leaven"; Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian: квас (kvas), Polish: kwas chlebowy (lit. "bread leaven"), Lithuanian: gira, Estonian: kali) is a fermented mildly alcoholic beverage popular in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and other Eastern European countries.
It is so low in alcohol that is considered acceptable for consumption by children. Though sometimes thought of as “children’s beer”, it is favored by all ages equally.
In strength kvass can be almost alcohol-free and at its strongest is only around 1-1.5%. It is often flavoured with fruits or herbs such as strawberries or mint.
Russians also use kvass for cooking a special summer cold soup, okroshka.
In urban Russia, Kombucha (a beverage that became popular in Russia since the start of 20th century) is sometimes referred to as "tea kvass" or (incorrectly) simply as "kvass", although these two drinks are different.
Contents |
[edit] History
Kvass has been a common drink in Eastern Europe since ancient times. It has been both a commercial product and homemade. It used to be consumed widely in all Slavic countries, and in almost every city there are kvass vendors on the street. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the street vendors disappeared from the streets of Latvia due to new health laws that banned its sale on the street and economic disruptions forced many kvass factories to close. The Coca-Cola company moved in and quickly dominated the market for soft drinks, but in 1998 the local soft drink industry fought back by selling bottled kvass and launching an aggressive marketing campaign. This surge was further stimulated by the fact that kvass sold for about half the price of Coca-Cola. In just three years, kvass constituted as much as 30% of the soft drink market in Latvia, while the market share of Coca-Cola fell from 65% to 44%. The Coca-Cola company had losses in Latvia of about $1 million in 1999 and 2000. The situation was similar in the other Baltic countries and in Russia. Coca-Cola fought back by buying kvass manufacturers and also started making kvass at their soft drink plants.[1][2][3][4]
East End Brewing Company in Pittsburgh, PA debuted the first commercial Russian Bread Beer brewed in the United States on October 19, 2006. The brew, named Session Ale #5, Kvass, will be available for a limited time.[5][6]
In Latvia the Coca-Cola company makes a kvass called Pilskalna Kvass.
[edit] Manufacturing
Kvass is made by the natural fermentation of bread made from wheat, rye, or barley, and sometimes flavoured with fruit, berries, raisins or birch sap, collected in the early spring.
For modern homemade kvass, most often black or rye bread is used, usually dried, baked into croutons (called sukhari), or fried beforehand, with the addition of sugar or fruit (e.g. apples or raisins), and with a yeast culture, Zakvasska ("essence of kvass"), added for fermentation.
Commercial kvass is often made just like any other soft drink using sugar, carbonated water, malt extract and flavourings. Kvass is commonly served unfiltered, with the yeast still in it, which adds to its unique flavor as well as its high vitamin B content.
[edit] Similar beverages
Other beverages from around the world that are traditionally low-alcohol and lacto-fermented include:
[edit] External links
