Kvass

Kvass is a special drink made by fermenting grains. It looks cloudy and tastes both sweet and sour. People have been enjoying kvass for many years, especially in northeastern Europe. Because there wasn’t enough grain to make beer every day, people created kvass as a daily drink instead.

The first time kvass was written about was in the Primary Chronicle. This book told the story of Vladimir the Great’s baptism in the year 988.

Traditionally, kvass is made from rye bread or rye flour mixed with malt and hot water. Sugar and a special kind of yeast help the mixture ferment for about 12 hours. Today, some companies make kvass using a special grain mix. People in many countries, like Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Armenia, Georgia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine, love to drink kvass. Similar drinks are also enjoyed in parts of China, Finland, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.

Terminology

The word kvass comes from an old language root meaning "to become sour." In English, it was first written down around 1553 as quass. Today, the name for this drink is very similar in many languages. For example, in Polish it is called kwas chlebowy, meaning "bread kvass." In Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian it is called kvas. Other languages also have their own versions of the name, like Latvian kvass, Romanian cvas, and Hungarian kvasz.

Some languages use completely different words for kvass. For instance, in Estonian it is called kali, in Finnish kalja, and in Georgian it is called ბურახი or burakhi. Even within the Baltic languages, you’ll find different names like Latvian dzersis, Latgalian dzyra, Lithuanian gira, and Swedish bröddricka, which means "bread drink."

Production

Kvass can be made in a few different ways. The traditional way uses dried rye bread or a mix of rye flour and rye malt. The bread is soaked in hot water for 12 hours, then yeast and sugar are added to ferment it. Another way is to boil rye flour, mix it with rye malt, sugar, and yeast, and let it ferment.

In factories, kvass is made from a special mix called a wort concentrate. This mix is heated, combined with water and sugar, and then pasteurized. Yeast and special bacteria are added, and the mix ferments for up to 24 hours. After fermentation, the kvass is cooled, cleared, and adjusted for sweetness before being bottled for sale.

History

Kvass is a special drink that comes from northeastern Europe. People there didn’t have enough grain to make beer every day, so they made kvass instead. It has been enjoyed by people since the 10th century, especially in places like Kievan Rus'.

The oldest writing about kvass is in the Primary Chronicle. It talks about a big celebration for Vladimir the Great in the year 988. At that party, people in Kiev got kvass, along with mead and food.

Later, as more people needed food for big projects like building the Trans-Siberian Railway, kvass started being made in factories. By 1912, there were factories making lots of kvass in places like the Governorate of Livonia. Scientists also studied how to make kvass better in the 1890s and 1960s.

By country

Belarus

Belarus has many breweries that make kvass, such as Alivaria Brewery, Babrujski Brovar, and Krinitsa. The country also hosts many kvass tasting festivals, with the largest event held in the city of Lida.

Estonia

In Estonia, kvass is called kali. Traditionally, it was made from brewer’s spent grain or wort, but today it is usually made in factories using pasteurization, preservatives, and artificial carbonation.

Finland

In Finland, a drink called kalja or vaasa is made from rye flour and rye malt. It is often prepared at home and served in workplaces, shops, and restaurants. Traditionally, it was made by heating a mix of grains in an oven, then fermenting it with water and yeast.

Latvia

In Latvia, kvass is known as dzersis. After the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, many kvass factories closed, but it made a comeback in the late 1990s. By 2014, Latvian kvass had won medals in Russia, and it became very popular, even challenging big brands like Coca-Cola.

Lithuania

Lithuania calls kvass gira, and it has been made there since the 16th century. It is often homemade using ingredients like black bread, barley, or rye malt. In rural areas, traditional methods include fermenting dried bread with apples or using sprouted rye malt.

Poland

Kvass appeared in Poland as early as the 10th century and became popular for its easy production and health benefits. It was enjoyed by both peasants and nobility. After World War II, its popularity declined, but it has seen a revival recently due to interest in natural and traditional foods. Today, kvass is available in shops, either as modern commercial versions or traditional homemade recipes.

Russia

After the fall of the USSR, Western soft drinks like Coca-Cola and Pepsi reduced kvass’s popularity. However, in recent years, kvass has regained its status, often promoted as a national alternative to these brands. Sales of bottled kvass have grown significantly, and even big companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi have started selling their own versions.

Sweden

In Sweden, kvass was known as bröddricka and was made mainly where rye bread was common. It was still being produced on farms in Öland until 1935.

China

In the mid-19th century, kvass was introduced to Xinjiang and became a local favorite, often enjoyed cold with barbecue. By 2009, one company alone was producing 5,000 tons of kvass each year, and later expanded to Tianjin, increasing production to 20,000 tons annually.

Elsewhere

After European Union expansion in 2004, many shops in the UK began selling kvass from Central and Eastern Europe. Recently, non-pasteurised kvass made with sourdough starter has also appeared in the UK. Kvass has also grown popular in Serbia in recent years.

Nutritional composition

Naturally fermented kvass contains carbohydrates, mostly sugars like fructose, glucose, and maltose, along with small amounts of thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. It also has various aroma compounds that give it a fruity smell, such as those from caraway fruits used in rye bread.

Traditional kvass made from rye bread has more dietary fibre and antioxidant activity than industrial kvass, and less reducing sugar. Historically, the amount of alcohol in kvass changed based on ingredients and fermentation conditions, but today it is usually very low, not higher than 1.5%.

Use

Kvass is not just a drink; families also use it in cooking. In Russian cuisine, cold summer soups like okroshka, botvinya, and tyurya are made with kvass as a base.

Cultural references

The name of Kvasir, a wise being in Norse mythology, might be connected to kvass.

In Russian, there is an expression, Перебиваться с хлеба на квас, meaning "to live from hand to mouth." This comes from the tradition of poor peasants making kvass from old pieces of rye bread.

In Poland, many old sayings mention kwas chlebowy. There is also a folk song about how Polish reapers drank kvass during harvest time. In the village of Zaława, young people play a game called wulkan ('volcano') with kvass. Shaking a bottle of kvass can make it foam up quickly when opened, which is a fun prank during festivals.

In the book War and Peace by Tolstoy, French soldiers tried kvass when they entered Moscow and called it "pig's lemonade." In another book, Motl, Peysi the Cantor's Son by Sholem Aleichem, a character uses diluted kvass in a plan to make money quickly.

Non-bread varieties

In Ukraine, people made a special drink called pear and apple kvas by soaking dried fruit in water for two months. This drink was enjoyed at parties and helped people avoid drinking unsafe water. Another favorite in Ukraine was beetroot kvas, which could be drunk or used in dishes like borshch. In the United States, some new kinds of kvas were made, such as beet and ginger, and even sauerkraut varieties.