Mors (Морс) is a traditional Russian drink typically made of fresh berries, sugar, and water. It is drunk and enjoyed across the post-Soviet space.
Most often mors is made by boiling berries or similar small, juicy fruits such as cranberry, lingonberry, wild strawberry, or red currant with a sweetener such as honey or sugar. Mors is one of the oldest Russian drinks, with some archeologists suggesting that it may be more than two thousand years old. The earliest written records of the drink, however, are found in a fifteenth-century encyclopedia called “Домострой” (Domostroy), which translates loosely to “Household Code” and which covered everything from rules about how to organize a farm to how to punish a son to how to make good mors.
How It Got Its Name
(Почему он носит такое название?)
The word “mors” most likely comes from the Byzantine word “moores,” which means “water and honey.” The Latin word “musla,” which means “mead” is also sometimes cited as a possible source; mead is fermented water and honey.
Traditionally in Russia, particularly in rural Russia, honey has been more readily available than granulated sugar and thus was long the traditional sweetener of choice. Today’s recipes for homemade mors and commercially-produced mors drinks, however, usually call for sugar to be added. Honey is still sometimes used, especially by the health- or tradition-conscious.
When and How to Drink Mors
(Как правильно пить морс?)
Mors is especially popular on warm summer days and is often served slightly chilled. On the other hand, many profess drinking mors throughout the winter keeps sickness away since it contains many vitamins.
Citing these vitamins, many Russians believe mors has many benefits, including preventing colds, reducing fever, and improving one’s mood. Some recipes go as far as to suggest drinking mors thirty to forty minutes prior to eating to help your digestion.
Mors can be made at home, but is also commonly bought in one of many commercially-produced brands produced in Russia. It is sold in supermarkets in the juice section.
How to Make Mors
(Как правильно готовить морс?)
Mors is most often prepared with “ягоды” (berries), specifically “клюква” (cranberries), but a variety of fruits can be used. To add more nutrients, people sometime add juice from vegetables such as beets, rhubarb, or carrots.
Occasionally recipes call for birch tree juice (another traditional Russian drink) to be added to the mix. Mixing a variety of fruits and vegetables can make this drink very fresh and maximize nutritional benefits.
Many recipes will list two categories of berries: “лесные” (forest) and “садовые” (garden or orchard). Forest berries are found in the vastness of Russian forests, and berry-picking or mushroom-hunting are popular activities in Russia is a popular activity in Russia. Examples found in the forest include “черника” (bilberry), “голубика” (blueberry), “брусника” (ligonberry), and cranberries.
On the other hand, garden berries, as the name hints, are grown in gardens or orchards. Examples include “малина” (rasberry), “клубника” (strawberry), “красная и чёрная смородина” (red and black currant), “крыжовник” (gooseberry), “вишня” (cherry), and “виноград” (grape). In the summer, garden berries color bazaars across Russian cities.
While less common, other fruits can be used in making mors, including “арбуз” (watermelon), “яблоко” (apple), and “персик” (peach).
Most commonly, mors is strained through a fine sieve. Some cooks even suggest placing a paper towel in the sieve to make sure to get all seeds, pulp, and skin out of the drink. However, many restaurants in Russia now offer fresh “home-style” mors that will feature considerable pulp and skin. Keeping these elements and keeping the boiling stage of the mors to a minimum are becoming more popular as it is recognized that this maximizes the vitamins and fiber that can be obtained from the drink and thus maximizes the health benefits for which Russians have long cherished the drink.
For the health conscious (and traditionalists), honey can also be used in the place of sugar. Plus, as a finishing touch, try sprinkling a dash of cinnamon (also revered in the modern age for its unique health benefits) in the cup and place a mint leaf or lemon or orange zest on top for a nice garnish!
Mors Recipe!
(Давай Приготовим!)
Клюквенный морс | Cranberry Mors |
Ингредиенты
Приготовление
|
Ingredients
Preparation
|
Яблочный Морс | Apple Mors |
Ингредиенты
Приготовление Яблочный морс можно приготовить двумя способами. Способ 1
Способ 2
|
Ingredients
Preparation Apple mors may be prepared in two ways: Method 1
Method 2
|
Our Favorite Mors Videos
Here is a quick and simple demonstration of how to make mors (without smiling).
In this six-and-a-half minute video one Russian woman floridly teaches another how to “quickly” make mors for her husband and why he’ll be grateful for it.
This simple video shows the different types of berries explained above. This video can be used to reinforce the new vocabulary you learned in this lesson!
You Might Also Like
Durak, Pyanitsa, Loto: Games in Russian-Speaking Cultures
Games such as durak, pyanitsa, and loto are known to nearly everyone in Russian-speaking cultures. While these all have close analogues in many foreign cultures, participating in the games as a foreigner can be difficult as many have highly specific jargon associated with them. The language resource below will introduce you to these games, how […]
Fitness and Health in the Russian Language
In recent years, gym and fitness options have proliferated across Eurasia. Travelers interested in maintaining their fitness regimen while abroad – whether they are visiting Latvia, Georgia, or even Kyrgyzstan, should have no problem doing so. It does help to know a bit about these gyms and it pays to know some of the Russian […]
Halloween as a Case Study for Cultural Understanding
Halloween is seen around the world as an American holiday. While it has gained more global popularity in recent years, it is still really only celebrated in the US, the UK, and Canada. In most other countries, including most Slavic countries, it is regarded at most as a reason to host costume parties or perhaps […]
Preparing for the Cold: Winter Wear as a Cultural Phenomenon in Russia
Russia has famously cold winters. Russians, and the many other cultures that live across the Eurasian landmass (such as the Evenk and Sakha), have culturally adapted to this in order to survive there. This has affected traditional clothing and housing, but also cultural attitudes toward the weather. These attitudes are, in turn, often reflected in […]
Mushrooms in Cultures and Cuisines: Olga’s Blog
Olga below continues her discussion of the deeply held place that mushrooms have in Russian culture. In part one of this discussion, she focused on how and where and find the mushrooms. In part two, below, she discusses how the mushrooms are preserved, prepared, and consumed. A staple of the regional diet for centuries, mushrooms […]