{"id":27558,"date":"2022-01-24T11:14:30","date_gmt":"2022-01-24T19:14:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nourishedkitchen.com\/?p=27558"},"modified":"2022-02-09T10:36:37","modified_gmt":"2022-02-09T18:36:37","slug":"bread-kvass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nourishedkitchen.com\/bread-kvass\/","title":{"rendered":"Bread Kvass"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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With a honey-like sweetness balanced with just the right punch of acidity, homemade bread kvass <\/strong>is a delicious addition to the table. Notes of toasted bread come through in this naturally fermented, traditional Russian drink. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only does it taste refreshing, but it's a nutrient-rich functional food that you can make with practically no effort. You just need a few scraps of old bread to get you started.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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What is kvass?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kvass is a traditional Eastern European fermented drink<\/a> typically made with stale, toasted sourdough rye bread<\/a>. While bread kvass is the most popular version, other versions exist, including those made with beets<\/a> and fruit<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It tastes of honey and malt, similar to a cross between a blonde beer and mead; however, it contains much less alcohol than these drinks. Owing to its brief fermentation cycle, it usually contains as much alcohol as other similar drinks, such as kombucha<\/a> or water kefir<\/a>, ranging from .3 to 1.5% (1).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Where did it come from?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The earliest recorded reference to kvass dates back to 989 AD. Russian chroniclers describe a celebration held in which newly converted Christians were given food, honey, and bread kvass at the direction of Prince Vladimir (2). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While written references may date back over a thousand years, the drink is undoubtedly older than that, with references to brewing small beers and other fermented drinks made from fermenting spent grains dating to antiquity - particularly in Sumeria and the fertile crescent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It makes sense, too. Kvass is a natural solution to a few problems of the pre-industrial era: lack of access to clean water coupled with a collective need to minimize food waste. Traditionally, the water for kvass was first boiled and then the hot water would be poured over hard stale bread. Boiling water kills pathogenic bacteria that could sicken people, making kvass a safer drink than water. Further, when food was scarce, preparing kvass also meant creating nourishment out of something that might otherwise go to waste: stale bread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many families, turning bread and water into kvass was a daily practice. By the 19th century, kvass making became a thriving cottage industry with kvasniks<\/em> specializing and selling unique varieties that featured grains such as barley, mint, and other herbs, or fruit such as apples and berries. Today, kvass continues in popularity throughout Eastern Europe and is rising in popularity in the U.S.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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What's in it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The ingredients for bread kvass are simple and uncomplicated. You need day-old sourdough rye bread, water, a source of sweetener such as honey, and a yeast-based starter culture. To this basic mix, you can add spices, herbs, and fruit for flavor as it suits you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n