Kvass

[Kvass]

Kvass

Kvass belongs to the number of drinks obtained by fermentation. This drink, almost unknown abroad, is a popular drink in Russia.

Kvass is a fermentation product sugary substances formed from starch, which is found in malt, flour or bread. In addition to malt, other mealy supplies, baked bread (dried bread crusts) or sugar and bread are used to make kvass.
Fermentation here is twofold: lactic acid and alcoholic.

Like beer, kvass is often made from malt, subjecting the latter to sugaring and then - by adding yeast - fermentation.

Malt kvass differs from beer, firstly, in that it does not contain hops, and secondly, the fermentation process here goes differently: the sugary liquid undergoes lactic acid fermentation, while alcoholic fermentation is soon stopped by transferring the kvass to the glacier. The hopping "drink" widely spread in Ireland, Ale, is produced in a similar way.

In addition to water, kvass contains sugar, lactic acid, carbon dioxide. During fermentation, esters are also formed (compounds of acids with alcohol), which give kvass a peculiar taste. In most cases, kvass contains only negligible traces, no more than 0.5 to 1% alcohol.

Kvass has excellent taste; it quenches thirst thanks to the acids it contains - lactic and partly acetic; possesses a high energy value, and thanks to carbon dioxide, it promotes easier digestion, absorption of food and increases appetite. It also contains vitamins, free amino acids, sugars and trace elements.

Kvass, as a product of fermented milk fermentation, in its effect on the body is in many ways similar to products such as kefir, yogurt, acidophilus, kumis.

Kvass is widely used in home baking, precisely because of its principle of preparation - kvass is a fermentation product, it contains sugars, brown bread crusts, wort, malt - all these products have a beneficial effect on bread dough, and later on the taste of the finished product. of bread.

You can add liquid kvass from a bottle directly to bread dough, as well as kvass wort, dry kvass:
bread kvass - replace all the liquid according to the recipe, or in any ratio of water / kvass;
leavened wort - 1-2 tbsp. l for 400-500 grams of flour;
dry kvass - 1-3 st. l for 400-500 grams of flour

[What is the difference between a kvass drink and a natural one]

What is the difference between a kvass drink and a natural one

The basis of a kvass drink is most often a kvass wort concentrate or a kvass concentrate. Manufacturers add flavors, dyes, preservatives, acidity regulators to it. This composition of kvass corresponds to the composition of soda. And although the kvass wort concentrate is rich in B vitamins, macro- and microelements, you cannot make okroshka from such a drink. They can only quench their thirst if it contains sugar, and not substitutes.

Real kvass is obtained by fermentation. In its manufacture, yeast and rye bread crusts are used. Natural kvass is naturally saturated with carbon dioxide. And it shouldn't contain any preservatives, stabilizers, flavorings and other additives! This is a "live" drink with a short shelf life - up to 1 month. To keep it longer, kvass is bottled and heat-treated. Real kvass not only quenches thirst, but also improves metabolism, regulates the activity of the stomach, prevents the reproduction of pathogenic microbes, and has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system.

Kvass-related drinks we can consider those that are obtained as a result of fermentation: mead, wine, koumiss (the national drink of the Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Yakuts, etc.). These include the Tatar “buza” (made from barley flakes), the Ossetian “kumal” (made from corn flour), and the Polish “Vidzeme” (made from lemon peels).
Sbiten occupies a special place in this series. The fact is that in classic Russian cuisine there were two drinks, for the warm and cold seasons, respectively. Kvass was a “summer” drink, while sbiten was a winter drink (something like a non-alcoholic grog). Sbiten was later replaced by tea.

My kvass on beets ferments well without sugar