Kvass

Kvassis afermented, cereal-based, low-alcoholic beverage of cloudy appearance and sweet-sour taste.
Kvass originates from northeastern Europe, where grain production was considered insufficient for beer to become a daily drink. The first written mention of kvass is found inPrimary Chronicle, describing the celebration ofVladimir the Great'sbaptism in 988.
In the traditional method, kvass is made from a mash obtained fromryebread or rye flour and malt soaked in hot water, fermented for about 12 hours with the help of sugar andbread yeastorbaker's yeastat room temperature. In industrial methods, kvass is produced fromwortconcentrate combined with various grain mixtures. It is a popular drink in Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland,Russia,and Ukraine. Kvass (or beverages similar to it) are also popular in some parts of China, Finland, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.
The wordkvassis ultimately fromProto-Indo-Europeanbase*kwh₂et-('to become sour').In English it was first mentioned in a text around 1553 asquass.Nowadays, the name of the drink is almost the same in most languages: inPolish:kwas chlebowy(lit.'bread kvass', to differentiate it fromkwas, 'acid', originally fromkwaśny, 'sour');Belarusian:квас,kvas;Russian:квас,kvas;Ukrainian:квас/хлібний квас/сирівець,kvas/khlibny kvas/syrivets;Latvian:kvass;Romanian:cvas;Hungarian:kvasz;Serbian:квас/kvas; Chinese:格瓦斯/克瓦斯,géwǎsī/kèwǎsī;Eastern Finnish:vaasa. Non-cognatesincludeEstoniankali,Finnishkalja,Latviandzersis(lit.'beverage'),Latgaliandzyra(lit.'beverage', similar to Lithuaniangira),Lithuaniangira(lit.'beverage', similar to Latviandzira), andSwedishbröddricka(lit.'bread drink').
In the traditional method, either dried rye bread or a combination ofrye flourand ryemaltis used. The dried rye bread is extracted with hot water and incubated for 12 hours at room temperature, after whichbread yeastand sugar are added to the extract and fermented for 12 hours at 20 °C (293 K; 68 °F). Alternatively, rye flour is boiled, mixed with rye malt, sugar, andbaker's yeastand then fermented for 12 hours at 20 °C (293 K; 68 °F).
The simplest industrial method produces kvass from awortconcentrate. The concentrate is warmed up and mixed with a water and sugar solution to create wort with a sugar concentration of 5–7% andpasteurizedto stabilize it. After that, the wort is pumped into a fermentation tank, wherebaker's yeastandlactic acid bacteriaculture is added, and the solution is fermented for 12–24 hours at 12 to 30 °C (285 to 303 K; 54 to 86 °F). Only around 1% of the extract is fermented out intoethanol,carbon dioxide, andlactic acid. Afterwards, the kvass is cooled to 6 °C (279 K; 43 °F), clarified through either filtration orcentrifugation, and adjusted for sugar content, if necessary.
Initially, it was filled in large containers from which the kvass was sold on streets, but now, the vast majority of industrially produced kvass is filled and sold in 1–3-litre plastic bottles and has ashelf lifeof 4–6 weeks.
Kvass is usually 0.5–1.0% alcohol by weight,but may sometimes be as high as 2.0%.
The exact origins of kvass are unclear, and whether it was invented bySlavic peopleor any other Eastern European ethnicity is unknown,although some Polish sources claim that kvass was invented by Slavs.Kvass has existed in the northeastern part of Europe, where grain production is thought to have been insufficient for beer to become a daily drink.It has been known among theEarly Slavssince the 10th century.Possibly invented in theKievan Rus'and known there since at least the 10th century, kvass has become one of the symbols of East Slavic cuisine.The first written mention of kvass is found in thePrimary Chronicle, describing the celebration ofVladimir the Great's baptism in 988, when kvass along withmeadand food was given out to the citizens ofKiev.Kvass-making remained a daily household activity well into the 19th century.
In the second half of the 19th century, with military engagement, increasing industrialization, and large-scale projects, such as the construction of theTrans-Siberian Railwaycreating a growing need to supply large numbers of people with foodstuff for extended periods of time, kvass became commercialized; more than 150 kvass varieties, such as apple, pear, mint, lemon, chicory, raspberry, and cherry were recorded. As commercial kvass producers began selling it in barrels on the streets, domestic kvass-making started to decline.For example, in the year ended 30 June 1912, there were 17 factories in theGovernorate of Livonia, producing a total of 437,255 gallons of kvass.
In the 1890s, the first scientific studies into the production of kvass were conducted in Kiev, and in the 1960s, commercial mass production technology of kvass was further developed by chemists in Moscow.
Although the massive flood of western soft drinks after the fall of theUSSR, such asCoca-ColaandPepsisubstantially shrank the market share of kvass in Russia, in recent years it has regained its original popularity, often marketed as a national soft drink or "patriotic" alternative to the famous Coca-Cola drink. For example, the Russian company Nikola has promoted its brand of kvass with an advertising campaign emphasizing "anti-cola-nisation." Moscow-based Business Analytica reported in 2008 that bottled kvass sales had tripled since 2005 and estimated thatper capitakvass consumption in Russia would reach three litres in 2008. Between 2005 and 2007, cola's share of the Moscow soft drink market fell from 37% to 32%. Meanwhile, kvass's share more than doubled over the same time period, reaching 16% in 2007. In response, Coca-Cola launched its own brand of kvass in May 2008. This is the first time a foreign company has made an appreciable entrance into the Russian kvass market. Pepsi has also signed an agreement with a Russian kvass manufacturer to act as a distribution agent. The development of new technologies for storage and distribution, and heavy advertising, have contributed to this surge in popularity; three new major brands have been introduced since 2004.
Market shares for Russia (2014)
Belarus has several breweries producing kvass:Alivaria Brewery,Babrujski Brovar[be;be-tarask], andKrinitsa[be;be-tarask]. It also has a variety of kvass tasting and entertainment festivals.The largest show takes place in the city ofLida.
Kvass may have appeared in Poland as early as the 10th century,it quickly became a trendy beverage thanks to it easy and cheap method of production as well as its thirst-quenching and digestion-aiding qualities.By the time ofJogaila's rule, kvass was universal.It was at first commonly drunk by peasants in the eastern parts of the country, but eventually the drink spread to theszlachta.One example of this iskwas chlebowy sapieżyński kodeński, an old type of Polish kvass that is still sold as a contemporary brand. Its origins can be traced back to the 1500s, whenJan Sapieha[pl]founded the town ofKodeńon land granted by thePolish king. He then bought the mills and 24 villages of the surrounding areas from their previous landowners. Then, the taste of kvass became known among the Polishszlachta, who used it for its supposed healing qualities. Throughout the 19th century, kvass remained popular amongPoleswho lived in theCongress PolandofImperial Russiaand inAustrian Galicia, especially the inhabitants of rural areas.Up until the 19th century, recipes for local variants of kvass remained well-guarded secrets of families,religious orders, and monasteries.
The beverage production in Poland on an industrial scale can be traced back to the more recent interwar period, when the Polish state regained independence as theSecond Polish Republic. In interwar Poland, kvass was brewed and sold in mass numbers by magnates of the Polish drinks market like theVarsovianbreweryHaberbusch i Schieleor theKarpińskicompany.Kvass remained particularly popular in eastern Poland.However, with the collapse of many prewar businesses and much of the Polish industry duringWorld War II, kvass lost popularity following the aftermath of the war. It also gradually lost favour throughout the 20th century upon introducing mass-produced soft drinks and carbonated water into the Polish market.In the early 21st century, kvass experienced a renaissance in Poland due to the heightened interest in healthy diets, natural products, and traditions.
Kvass can be found in some supermarkets and grocery stores, where it is known inPolishaskwas chlebowy([kvasxlɛbɔvɨ]). Commercial bottled versions of the drink are the most common variant, as some companies specialise in manufacturing a more modern version of the drink (some variants are manufactured in Poland whilst others are imported from its neighbouring countries, Lithuania and Ukraine being the most popular source).However, old recipes for a traditional version of kvass exist. Some of them originate from eastern Poland;others from more central regions include adding honey for flavour.Although commercial kvass is much easier to find in Polish shops, Polish manufacturers of more natural and healthier variants of kvass have become increasingly popular both within and outside of the country's borders.A less healthy alternative of quick-to-make variants using kvass concentrate can also be purchased in shops.One colloquial Polish name forkwas chlebowyiswiejska oranżada('rural orangeade').In some Polish villages, such asZaławaand its surroundings, kvass was traditionally produced on every farm.
InLatvian, kvass was also calleddzersis.After thedissolution of the Soviet Unionin 1991, the street vendors disappeared from the streets of Latvia due to new health laws that banned its sale on the street. Economic disruptions forced many kvass factories to close. The Coca-Cola Company moved in and began quickly dominating the soft drink market. In 1998, the local soft drink industry adapted by selling bottled kvass and launching aggressive marketing campaigns. This surge in sales was 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. Coca-Cola responded by purchasing kvass manufacturers and producing kvass at their own soft drink plants.
On 30 September 2010, theSaeima(parliament) adopted quality and classification requirements for kvass, defining it as "a beverage obtained by fermenting a mixture of kvass wort with a yeast of microorganism cultures to which sugar and other food sources and food additives are added or not added after the fermentation" with a maximum ABV of 1.2 percent, and differentiating it from an unfermented non-alcoholic mixture of grain product extract, water, flavourings, preservatives, and other ingredients, which is designated as a "kvass (malt) beverage".
In 2014, Latvian kvass producers won seven medals at the Russian Beverage exposition in Moscow, withIlgezeem'sPorter Tanheiserkvass winning two gold medals.In 2019,Iļģuciema kvassranked second in the Most Loved Latvian Beverage Brand Top,and first in the subsequent 2020 top.
In Lithuania, kvass is known asgiraand is widely available in bottles and drafts. The first written records of kvass and kvass recipes inLithuaniaappeared in the 16th century.Many restaurants inVilniusmake their own kvass, which they sell on the premises. Some brands of mass-produced Lithuanian kvass are also sold on the Polish market.Strictly speaking,giracan be made from anything fermentable—such ascarawaytea,beetrootjuice, or berries—but it is made mainly from black bread, or barley or rye malt.
In Estonia, kvass is known askali. Initially, it was made from eitherbrewer's spent grainorwortleft to ferment in a closed container, but later, special kvass bread (kaljaleib) or industrially produced malt concentrate started to be used. Nowadays,kaligenerally is industrially produced with the use ofpasteurization, the addition ofpreservatives, and artificialcarbonation.
In Finland, a fermented drink made from a mixture of rye flour and rye malt was ubiquitous in parts ofEastern Finlandand was heated in the oven. It was calledkalja(which can also be used to refer tosmall beer) orvaasa(inEastern Finnish), while nowadays the drink is often known askotikalja(lit.'home kalja') and is available in many work canteens, gas stations, and lower-end restaurants.
Traditionally,kaljawas usually made in households once a week from a mixture of malted and unmalted rye grains. Other grains, such as oats or barley, were also sometimes used; occasionally, leftover potatoes or pieces of bread were added. Everything was mixed with water in a metal cauldron or a clay pot and kept warm in the oven or by the stove for at least six hours for the mixture to darken and sweeten. Sometimes, the grain solids were filtered out throughlautering. In Eastern Finland, the mixture was formed into large loaves and briefly baked for the crust to turn brown. The porridge or pieces of the malt bread were mixed into a wooden cask with water and fermented for one or two days with a previous batch, a sourdough starter,spontaneouslyor in more recent times with commercial baker's yeast. In the early 20th century, with sugar becoming more readily available, it started replacing themaltingprocess, and modernkaljais made from dark rye malt, sugar, and baker's yeast.
Kvass was also made in Sweden, where it was known asbröddricka(lit.'bread drink'). However, it was very likely limited only to areas where rye bread was the standard bread as opposed tocrispbread, which was more common in Western Sweden and did not go stale.Bröddrickawas still being made inÖlandfarms up until 1935.
In the mid-19th century, kvass was introduced inXinjiang, where it became known askavas(Chinese:格瓦斯;pinyin:géwǎsī) and eventually became one of the region's signature drinks.It is usually consumed cold together withbarbecue.In 1900, Russian merchant Ivan Churin foundedHarbin Churin Food(秋林 Qiulin) inHarbin, offering kvass and other specialities, and by 2009, the company was already producing 5,000 tons of kvass a year, making up 90% of the local market. In 2011, it moved its kvass factory toTianjin, increasing its sales to 20,000 tons in the first year.
Following the influx of immigrants in the UK due to the2004 enlargement of the European Union, several stores selling cuisine and beverages from Eastern Europe were established, many of which stock imported (primarily pasteurised) kvass. As a result, since then a number of different flavours of not-pasteurised kvass, fermented using sourdough starter culture, have also become available in the UK in 2023.In recent years, kvass has also become more popular inSerbia.
In 2017, a version of kvass from carrots or beets was developed in California by the producer Biotic Ferments.
Naturally fermented kvass contains 5.9%±0.02 carbohydrates, of which 5.7%±0.02 are sugars (mostlyfructose,glucose, andmaltose), as well as 0.71±0.09, 1.28±0.12, and 18.14±0.48 mg/100 g ofthiamine,riboflavin, andniacinrespectively. In addition to that, 19 different aroma volatile compounds have also been identified in naturally fermented kvass, most notably 4-penten-2-ol (10.05×10PAU), which has a fruity odour;carvone(2.28×10PAU) originating fromcarawayfruits used as an ingredient in rye bread; andethyl octanoate(1.03×10PAU), which has an odour of fruit and fat.
Traditional kvass made from rye wholemeal bread has been found to have, on average, twice thedietary fibrecontent, 60% moreantioxidantactivity (due to the addition ofcaramelandcitric acidto the bread), and three times lessreducing sugarcontent than industrially produced kvass.
Historically,alcohol by volume(ABV) of kvass varied depending on the ingredients, microbial flora, as well as temperature and length of fermentation,but nowadays it is usually not higher than 1.5%. The wide availability and consumption of kvass, including by children of all ages, together with the lacking indication of ABV for kvass on the labels and in advertisements, has been named a possible contributor tochronic alcoholismin theformer Soviet Union.
Apart from drinking, kvass is also used by families as the basis for many dishes.Traditional cold summertime soups ofRussian cuisine, such asokroshka,botvinya, andtyurya, are based on kvass.
The name ofKvasir, a wise being inNorse mythology, is possibly related to kvass.
There is a Russian expression,Перебиваться с хлеба на квас(literally 'to clamber from bread to kvass'), which means 'to live from hand to mouth' or to 'scrape by'referring to the frugal practice amongst the poor peasants of making kvass from stale leftovers ofrye bread.Another kvass-related term in Russian is "kvass patriotism[ru]" (квасной патриотизм) dating back to an 1823 letter by the Russian poetPyotr Vyazemskywho defined it as "unqualified praise of everything that is your own".
In thePolish language, several traditional sayings that referencekwas chlebowyexist.There is also an old Polish folk rhyming song. It shows the history of kvass in the country as having been drunk by generations of Polishreapersas a thirst-quenching beverage used during periods of hard work during the harvest season, long before it became popular as a medicinal drink among theszlachta. The song goes as follows:
In the Polish village ofZaława, there is a customary game known aswulkan('volcano') that is associated with the beverage. The fermentation of sugars makes kvass slightly carbonated, thus, when shaken or heated, it can cause the liquid to suddenly and rapidly rise out of an open vessel. Playingwulkanconsists of vigorously shaking a bottle of kvass shortly before handing it to someone else who is going to drink it; the sudden "shooting out" of the beverage onto the person opening the bottle is a source of entertainment for the youth of Zaława and a well-known prank during regional festivities.
In Tolstoy'sWar and Peace, French soldiers are aware of kvass on entering Moscow, enjoying it but referring to it as "pig's lemonade".InSholem Aleichem'sMotl, Peysi the Cantor's Son, diluted kvass is the focus of one of Motl's older brother'sget-rich-quick schemes.