A glass of mint kvass.

Kvass, bread drink (lit. "leaven"; Russian, Belarusian, Serbian and Ukrainian: квас (kvas), Polish: kwas chlebowy (lit. "bread leaven"), Lithuanian: gira, Estonian: kali) is a fermented mildly alcoholic beverage made from black or rye bread popular in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and other Eastern European countries as well as in all ex-Soviet states, like Uzbekistan, where one can see many kvass vendors in the streets. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 523 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 669 pixel, file size: 339 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 523 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 669 pixel, file size: 339 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Serbian (српски језик; srpski jezik) is one of the standard versions of the Shtokavian dialect, used primarily in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, and by Serbs in the Serbian diaspora. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Fermentation (biochemistry). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium orange),members of the Warsaw pact (light orange), and other former Communist regimes not aligned with Moscow (lightest orange). ...

The alcohol content is so low (1-1.5% at the very strongest) that it is considered acceptable for consumption by children. Though sometimes thought of as “children’s beer”, it is favored by all ages equally.

It is often flavoured with fruits or herbs such as strawberries or mint. Herbs: basil Herbs (IPA: hə()b, or əb; see pronunciation differences) are seed-bearing plants without woody stems, which die down to the ground after flowering. ... - Species 20+ species; see text The strawberry (Fragaria) is a genus of plants in the family Rosaceae, and the fruit of these plants. ... “Mint” redirects here. ...

Russians also use kvass for cooking a special summer cold soup, okroshka. Okroshka (Russian: окрошка) is Russian cold soup. ...

In urban Russia, Kombucha (a beverage that became popular in Russia in the start of 20th century) is sometimes referred to as "tea kvass" or simply as "kvass", although these two drinks are different.^{[citation needed]} This article contains a trivia section. ...

History

Kvas street vendor in Kaliningrad

Bottled kvass

Kvass has been a common drink in Eastern Europe since ancient times. It has been both a commercial product and homemade. It used to be consumed widely in most Slavic countries, and in almost every city there are kvass vendors on the street. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Kaliningrad (Russian: ; Lithuanian: Karaliaučius; German  , Polish: Królewiec; briefly Russified as Kyonigsberg), is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2448 × 3264 pixel, file size: 4. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2448 × 3264 pixel, file size: 4. ... Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium orange),members of the Warsaw pact (light orange), and other former Communist regimes not aligned with Moscow (lightest orange). ...

Kvass in Latvia

After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the street vendors disappeared from the streets of Latvia due to new health laws that banned its sale on the street and economic disruptions forced many kvass factories to close. The Coca-Cola company moved in and quickly dominated the market for soft drinks, but in 1998 the local soft drink industry fought back by selling bottled kvass and launching an aggressive marketing campaign. This surge was further stimulated by the fact that kvass sold for about half the price of Coca-Cola. In just three years, kvass constituted as much as 30% of the soft drink market in Latvia, while the market share of Coca-Cola fell from 65% to 44%. The Coca-Cola company had losses in Latvia of about $1 million in 1999 and 2000. The situation was similar in the other Baltic countries and in Russia. Coca-Cola fought back by buying kvass manufacturers and also started making kvass at their soft drink plants.[1][2][3][4]

In Latvia the Coca-Cola company makes a kvass called Pilskalna Kvass.

Manufacturing

Kvass being fermented in a jar

Kvass is made by the natural fermentation of bread made from wheat, rye, or barley, and sometimes flavoured with fruit, berries, raisins or birch sap collected in the early spring. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (480x640, 66 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Kvass Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (480x640, 66 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Kvass Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create... Species T. aestivum T. boeoticum T. compactum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum T. timopheevii References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 For the indie rock group see: Wheat (band). ... Binomial name Secale cereale M.Bieb. ... Binomial name L. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is an annual cereal grain, which serves as a major animal feed crop, with smaller amounts used for malting and in health food. ... For other uses, see Fruit (disambiguation). ... Several types of berries from the market. ... Raisins Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... Birch sap is the sap extracted from a birch tree, for example a Sweet Birch or a Silver Birch. ...

Modern homemade kvass most often uses black or rye bread, usually dried, baked into croutons (called sukhari), or fried, with the addition of sugar or fruit (e.g. apples or raisins), and with a yeast culture and zakvasska ("kvass fermentation starter"). Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... Croutons in a bowl of French onion soup. ... Magnification of grains of sugar, showing their monoclinic hemihedral crystalline structure. ... Species Malus domestica Malus sieversii Apple is the fruit (pome) of the genus Malus belonging to the family Rosaceae, and is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. ... Typical divisions Ascomycota (sac fungi) Saccharomycotina (true yeasts) Taphrinomycotina Schizosaccharomycetes (fission yeasts) Basidiomycota (club fungi) Urediniomycetes Sporidiales Yeasts are a growth form of eukaryotic microorganisms classified in the kingdom Fungi. ... Fermentation starters (called simply starters within the corresponding context) are preparations to assist the beginning of the fermentation process in preparation of various foods and fermented drinks. ...

Commercial kvass is often made just like any other soft drink using sugar, carbonated water, malt extract and flavourings. Kvass is commonly served unfiltered, with the yeast still in it, which adds to its unique flavour as well as its high vitamin B content. A soft drink is a drink that contains no alcohol. ...

Similar beverages

Other beverages from around the world that are traditionally low-alcohol and lacto-fermented include:

• Kombucha
• Chicha
• Ibwatu
• Pulque
• Palm wine

This article contains a trivia section. ... Chicha is a Spanish word for any variety of fermented beverage. ... Ibwatu or Munkoyo is one of rural Zambias favorite drinks. ... Pulque, or octili, is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of the maguey, and is a traditional native beverage of Mesoamerica. ... Tapping palm wine in Democratic Republic of Congo Palm wine, also called palm toddy or simply toddy, is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Kvass

• East End Brewing, Pittsburgh, PA. The United States only Commercial Brewer of Kvass
• Michael Jackson: Porter and kvass in St. Petersburg
• Sally Fallon: Kvass and Kombucha: Gifts From Russia
• Brewer tosses rye bread in mix to make a Russian 'kvass'
• The kvass is ready
• Easy kvass recipe