Kvass
From Free net encyclopedia
Kvass (Russian and Ukrainian: квас , Estonian language: Kali) ("leaven") is a fermented non-alcoholic or mildly alcoholic beverage popular in Russia, Ukraine other Eastern European countries.
Kvass has been a common drink in Russia since ancient times. It has been both a commercial product and homemade. It is consumed widely in Ukraine, and in almost every city there are kvas vendors on the street.
It is made by the natural fermentation of whatever vegetable product is available. Fruits and berries were probably the first for this use. A notable raw material for kvass is birch sap, collected in the early spring. Grain suits well for this purpose, for example, wheat, rye, or barley (common for table kvass).
For modern homemade kvass, most often black or rye bread is used, usually dried or fried beforehand, with the addition of sugar or fruit (e.g. apples), and with yeast added for fermentation.
In strength kvass can be almost non-alcoholic and at its strongest is only around 2.2%. It can often be flavoured with other fruits or herbs such as strawberries or mint.
Russians also use kvass for cooking 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.
See also
ko:크바스 it:Kvass lt:Gira ja:クワス pl:Kwas chlebowy ru:Квас sv:Kvass uk:Квас