Bread kvass
An infusion of dark rye rusks fermented with yeast and a little sugar. A step-by-step recipe is on the home page.
Drinks
Drinks
Kvass, mors and sbiten have shared the table for centuries. Kvass is a traditional fermented drink made from bread or malt, mors is made from berries, and sbiten from honey and spices. This section shows how to make them at home.
Good homemade kvass is recognised by the smell of fresh rye bread and a gentle tang, not by its sweetness.
How this section works: it covers alcohol-free drinks that can be made in a home kitchen; beer is mentioned only as a food pairing for adults, with no recipes and no encouragement to drink.
Drinks of one tradition
How the drinks most often made alongside kvass differ from one another.
Sourdough kvass
A spoonful of rye starter replaces the yeast. Fermentation is slower, and the flavour comes out sourer and deeper.
Malt drink
Barley or rye malt is steeped in boiling water, strained and sweetened with honey. It is drunk straight away, without fermentation.
Mors
Berries are crushed and their juice pressed out, then the pulp is simmered in water; the infusion and juice are then combined.
Sbiten
A hot honey drink with spices. It is made in winter and served in large mugs.
Hot sbiten
A spiced drink with no fermentation and no alcohol, ready in half an hour.
You will need
- Water1 l
- Honey4–5 tbsp
- Cinnamon1 stick
- Cloves4
- Fresh gingera small piece
- Allspice3–4 berries
- Bay leaf1
Method
Make the spiced infusion
Put the spices and sliced ginger in the water, bring to the boil and simmer on low heat for about fifteen minutes.
Let it steep
Take the pan off the heat, cover with a lid and leave for ten minutes so the aroma develops fully.
Add the honey
Strain the infusion and stir in the honey once the drink has cooled a little: honey loses its aroma in boiling water.
Serve hot
Pour into mugs. Leftovers keep in the fridge and can be reheated without boiling.
Tip: Try adding a strip of orange zest or a few lingonberries to the infusion; the sbiten will taste fresher and brighter.
Beer and food: pairings for the adult table
- Light, mild beer is traditionally served with fried fish, seafood and vegetables in batter.
- Dark beer with a malty note usually goes alongside braised beef, pork and rye bread.
- Spicy sausages and sauerkraut are more often paired with beer that has a noticeable hop bitterness.
- Every pairing has an alcohol-free match: kvass with meat, mors with fish, a malt drink with bread.
See also
- Recipes
Kvass okroshka, rye bread with malt and beef braised in beer, with an alcohol-free alternative.
- Seasonal
Cold kvass soups in summer, spiced hot drinks in winter and treats for the festive table.
- Ingredients
Rye and barley malt, hops, rusks, sourdough starter and yeast: how to choose, store and use them.
- Techniques
Scalding malt, rye starter, fermenting kvass, batter and braising, with safety notes.
- Questions
Answers to questions about kvass, malt, sourdough and how to cook dishes with beer safely.
- Taste exhibit (in Russian)
A short historical essay on kvass, malt, hops and beer as an ingredient in different cuisines.
What we rely on
- GOST 31494-2012 (kvass)
- GOST 31711-2012 (beer)
- cookery reference books and traditional Russian recipes
Fermentation and baking times in the recipes are approximate: they depend on your kitchen temperature, the flour, the rusks and how active the starter is. Go by taste, smell and look, not just the clock.