Typical summer low-alcohol drink, perhaps the oldest and most common. He was more than a thousand years. At staroshvedskom language means something "sharp, poignant, strong. In ancient times, Luda drinks from grain raw crushed grain, prepared from the dough, which was heated in earthen vessels with red-hot stones, than was achieved by partial saccharification of starch. The resulting mass was diluted with water and left to ferment.
The first mention of kvass found in chronicles in 988: on the occasion of the baptism of Prince Vladimir of Kiev ordered to give them food and drinks - honey in barrels and kvass.
In Kievan Rus kvass was very popular. To make it, usually using rye grain.
In ancient literary monuments of the word "kvass" occurs simultaneously with the mention of wine and honey. Its importance, however, does not quite correspond to the present. In the church book in 1056 called kvass drink, because the language of that time the word "Kvasnik" was used in the sense of "drunk". In the XI century kvass cooked like honey, hence its properties, he was the closest to the beer in the modern sense of the word, but only thicker, acted more ohmelyayusche.
Later, in the XII century, kvass began to distinguish as a sour alcoholic drink and how much intoxicating. The latter was called "creation" kvas, that is cooked specially made, and not arbitrarily zakisshim as usual kvas. He was considered a strong alcoholic drink and be equated with guilt.
At the beginning of XVIII century kvass became an indispensable part of hospital rations. About kvasovareniya widespread in Russia, shows the work of doctors, LI Simonova, published in 1898 by writing: "... jam kvas distributed, we also like baking: it is boiled in a peasant, philistine, merchants and master's farms, in monasteries and soldiers' barracks, hospitals and hospitals in towns and there kvasovarni kvasovary, cooked kvas for sale. Doctors believe our kvass hygienic and beneficial drink not only for health but also for patients. Recently, doctors are beginning to pay attention to the Russian kvass and recommend it to Western Europe. "
In the second half of the XIX century kvas interested physicians Russia, conducting research, studying the technology of its preparation and chemical composition. A great lover and promoter of kvass was the great Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeleev.
A long time in folk medicine kvass used for fever, colds, edema, certain diseases of the intestine, as a diuretic and laxative.
Most fully manifested in the properties of the drink chilled. Kvass served in decanters, drinking from cups or glasses.
