Kvass (ะะฒะฐั) is sometimes referred to as โbread drinkโ or even โbread ciderโ in English. We recommend just sticking with the word โkvass,โ though. Brewed from black or rye bread, the drink may come with a range of consistencies similar to those found in beer and a distinctly โbreadyโ taste.
The first recorded mention of kvassย in ancient Rus dates to 989 and is recorded in the Primary Chronicles, Russiaโs oldest known written text. Here it is recorded that, when Kievan Prince Vladimir converted his subjects to Christianity he commanded that, in celebration, ยซัะฐะทะดะฐัั ะฝะฐัะพะดั ะฟะธัั, ะผะตะด ะธ ะบะฒะฐัยป (food, honey, and kvass be distributed to the people).
Kvass is considered a national drink on par with vodka throughout much of the former Soviet Union.
Why Itโs Called โKvassโ
(ะะพัะตะผั ัะฐะบ ะฝะฐะทัะฒะฐะตััั?)
The word โkvassโย is from ancient Russian, meaning โsour.โ
While the noun is now generally used only for the name of the drink, adjectival forms taken from the verb โะบะฒะฐัะธััััโ (to ferment) can still be regularly encountered in modern Russian. โะัะพััะพะบะฒะฐัะฐโ (prostokvasha), for instance, is a sour milk drink whose name translates to โsimply-soured.โ Russians also eat a form of sauerkraut called โะบะฒะฐัะตะฝะฐั ะบะฐะฟัััะฐโ (sour cabbage).
Kvass is primarily drunk in summer and is revered for its โัะฟะพัะพะฑะฝะพััั ะพัะฒะตะถะธัั ะฒ ะถะฐัะบะธะน ะดะตะฝัโ (ability to refresh on a hot day). While kvass is available in stores all year round, sales during winter months are negligible while in summer, kvassย sales rise to over 30% of Russiaโs non-alcoholic beverage market.
The Soviets produced kvass on an industrial level. A street vendor would sell it from an โะพะณัะพะผะฝะฐั ะผะตัะฐะปะปะธัะตัะบะฐั ะฑะพัะบะฐโ (giant metal keg) by the mugful, wiping out the mug after each shot. These vendors can still be seen throughout Russia and some Central Asian states, although they are usually now equipped with โะพะดะฝะพัะฐะทะพะฒัะต ะฟะปะฐััะธะบะพะฒัะต ััะฐะบะฐะฝัะธะบะธโ (disposable plastic cups).
Despite its availability on Soviet streets, kvass was long known best as a โะฝะฐะฟะธัะพะบ, ะธะทะณะพัะพะฒะปะตะฝะฝัะน ะฒ ะดะพะผะฐัะฝะธั ััะปะพะฒะธัั โ (homemade drink). Soviet wives and grandmothers often โะณะพัะดะธะปะธัั ัะฒะพะธะผะธ ัะพะฑััะฒะตะฝะฝัะผะธ โัะตะบัะตัะฝัะผะธ ัะตัะตะฟัะฐะผะธโ (prided themselves on their own โsecret recipesโ).
It has always been known as a โpeopleโs drink:โ cheap, relatively easy to make, and popular. This is shown in the saying ยซะฉะธ ั ะผััะพะผ, ะฐ ะฝะตั โ ัะฐะบ ั ะปะตะฑ ั ะบะฒะฐัะพะผยป meaning that even something as delicious (and luxurious a few centuries ago) as cabbage soup with meat is nothing compared to the basic pleasures of bread and kvass.
The status of ะบะฒะฐั as a national staple is further emphasized by ยซะะฐะฑั ั ะปะตะฑ ะดะฐ ะบะฒะฐั, ัะฐะบ ะธ ะฒัะต ั ะฝะฐัยป (If there is bread, there is ะบะฒะฐั, all we need is with us.)
Kvass has a high caloric value, contains significant quantities of โะฒะธัะฐะผะธะฝั B1 ะธ ะ, ัะฐะบะถะต ะบะฐะบ ะธ ะฐะผะธะฝะพะบะธัะปะพัั ะธ ะผะธะบัะพัะปะตะผะตะฝััโ (vitamins B1 and E, as well as amino acids and micronutrients trace elements). It is known to โะฟัะธะดะฐะตั ัะฝะตัะณะธะธ ะธ ัะตะณัะปะธััะตั ะพะฑะผะตะฝะฝัะต ะฟัะพัะตััั ะพัะณะฐะฝะธะทะผะฐโ (energize and regulate the bodyโs metabolic processes). It prevents the reproduction of harmful microbes, and positively influences the cardiovascular system.
Although it still holds a traditional place in Russian life, kvass is now most often purchased bottled in stores. Due largely to its primary product, ะบะฒะฐั, the Russian brewer Ochakavo holds third place in Russian beverage sales by value, after Coca-Cola and Pepsi (both of which also sell kvassย in Russia).
While most Russians consider kvassย distinctly Russian, โะฟะพัะฒะปะตะฝะธะต ะบะฒะฐัะฐ ัั ะพะดะธั ัะฒะพะธะผะธ ะบะพัะฝัะผะธ ะฒ ะณะปัะฑะพะบัั ะดัะตะฒะฝะพัััโ (kvass can trace its roots to ancient history). The ancient Egyptians, besides brewing beer, also brewed ะบะฒะฐั and types of fruity kvassย are mentioned in the historical records of ancient Babylon.
The word โkwasโ is also found in a number of other Slavic languages โ in Polish, where it means โsourness,โ in Czech and others.
When to Drink Kvass
(ะะฐะบ ะฟัะฐะฒะธะปัะฝะพ ะฟะธัั ะบะฒะฐั?)
Kvass is most often โัะฟะพััะตะฑะปัะตััั ะฟัะธ ะบะพะผะฝะฐัะฝะพะน ัะตะผะฟะตัะฐัััะต ะธะปะธ ัะปะตะณะบะฐ ะพั ะปะฐะถะดะตะฝะฝัะผโ (served at room temperature or slightly chilled). It is never served with ice. Kvassย is most often drunk in the summer โ but can be found year-round.
How to Make Kvass
(ะะฐะบ ะฟัะฐะฒะธะปัะฝะพ ะณะพัะพะฒะธัั ะบะฒะฐั?)
โะะฒะฐั ัะพะดะตัะถะธั ะฝะตะฑะพะปััะพะต ะบะพะปะธัะตััะฒะพ ะฐะปะบะพะณะพะปัโ (Kvass contains small amounts of alcohol), as does any drink involving the use of yeast. Root beer, also traditionally a brewed drink, also contains traces of alcohol, although, like kvass, rarely more than 0.5% to 1.5%. It is not recommended for children under the age of three to drink kvassย (or traditional root beer).
โะะฐะบะฒะฐัะบะฐโ (Kvass fermentation starter) is sold in Russia, which contains yeast and malt, but both ingredients can be easily obtained in America in local brew shops or even online.
โะะธะฒะฝัะต ะดัะพะถะถะธ ะธะปะธ ะดัะพะถะถะธ ะดะปั ัะฐะผะฟะฐะฝัะบะพะณะพโ (Brewerโs or Champagne yeast) is recommended to use, as it will dissolve easily and fully, creating a smother drink.
The water used to make kvass is usually boiled and then the sugar added to create a syrup. The kvass can be flavored at this time by boiling the water with โะผััะฐ, ัะตะผะตะฝะฐ ัะผะธะฝะฐ, ะปะธะผะพะฝ, ะผะตะด, ัะณะพะดั, ะธะทัะผ ะธะปะธ ะดััะณะธะต ััั ะพัััะบััโ (mint, caraway seeds, lemon, honey, berries, raisins or other dried fruit). While boiling is recommended, make sure that the water has cooled before adding the yeast. โะัะพะถะถะธ ะธัะฟะพัััััั, ะตัะปะธ ะธั ะดะพะฑะฐะฒะธัั ะฒ ะบะธะฟัััั ะฒะพะดัโ (Adding yeast to boiling water will kill it) and the kvassย will not ferment or carbonate properly.
When filling the bottles, make sure not to overfill them. Leave some space at the top for the gas to collect โััะพะฑั ะฑัััะปะบะฐ ะฝะต ะฒะทะพัะฒะฐะปะฐััโ (so that the bottle doesnโt explode). Always store the bottles upright โ as the pressure builds, โะฑัััะปะบะธ ะผะพะณัั ะฟัะพัะตััโ (the bottles can leak) if they are not upright.
Kvass Recipes
(ะะฐะฒะฐะน ะัะธะณะพัะพะฒะธะผ!)
See below for a free recipe for various versions of Russian kvass. See also the free videos online. If you are interested in cooking from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and other places in Eurasia, make sure to see our full, free Eurasian Cookbook online! You might also be interested in the following specialized cookbooks weโve enjoyed:
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ะะฒะฐั ยซะ ัััะบะธะนยป (ะบัะฐัะฝัะน) | Russian Red Kvass |
ะะฝะณัะตะดะธะตะฝัั
ะัะธะณะพัะพะฒะปะตะฝะธะต
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ะะตะปัะน ะบะฒะฐั | White Kvass |
ะะฝะณัะตะดะธะตะฝัั
ะัะธะณะพัะพะฒะปะตะฝะธะต
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Our Favorite Kvass Commercials
A commercial based on Nikolaโs former ad campaign calling for Russians to drink kvass because it was โnikolaโ (not cola). Coke and Pepsi appealed to Russiaโs advertisersโ union and had the campaign pulled, saying that it unfairly marketed against their products.
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This bizzare little commercial is from Ochakovo, a company that makes good kvass and legendarily bad advertisements. Here, a group of tourists gawking at the architectural marvels of Los Angeles has one of their number saved by some guy who happens to have a couple large cans of kvass on him. And then he gets the girl too! Ooh, how refreshing!
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