Meet ‘kvass’, the traditional Russian summer drink
While the whole world is crazy about kombucha, Russia has its own, old fermented drink. And it's based on bread!
As summer arrives, all of Russia's supermarket shelves get stocked up with kvass. This sparkling, dark brown drink is sweet and sour and smells like rye bread. ‘Kvass’ is made via a standard fermentation process, which is why it's not only a delicious drink, but also a very healthy one. The main ingredients are malt, flour or rye breadcrumbs.
‘Kvass’ has been known in Russia since medieval times and was first mentioned in 10th-century chronicles. Fans of this drink believed that it strengthened and invigorated the body. Later, in the modern era, scientists determined that this was due to the high content of “good” and helpful probiotic bacteria.
In Tsarist Russia and Soviet times, many people made ‘kvass’ at home, while, these days, it can be found in any grocery store or supermarket. And it's a perfect match with ‘okroshka’, the Russian summer soup!
Have you ever tried ‘kvas’? Do you like it?
