SC - Mus, Brei, confusion and translation

[allilyn@juno.com]

>All of this kind of reminds me of a trip I took to Russia some years back.
 While
>there, especially in Moscow, there were drink machines at various locations,
>which dispensed glasses of kvass, which, if memory serves, was a lightly
fizzy,
>probably light in the alcohol department and very tasty.  Is kvass period?  If
>so, (or even if not) can it be made easily and does anyone have a recipe?
>Kiri

Yes, kvas is period.  As Stephen posted, you can find some more info in the
Florilegium.  And your recollection is correct, kvas is lightly fizzy and
has a little bit alcohol in it (although native Russians will swear on
their mother's grave that it has no alcohol whatsoever).  There are no
period recipes, but there are mentions of different types of kvas in the
Domostroi (16th cen) and other SCA-period Russian sources.  I use a modern
kvas concentrate to make mine, but only because I don't like the taste of
kvas (sorry) and I don't want to make huge quantities of it.  I am sure the
real way is better, but even the Russian cookbooks say to use the
concentrate.  This summer I will try to make real kvas and I'll let people
know how it goes.  I would also like to invite you (and anyone else who is
interested) to come to the Slavic and Eastern European Party at Pennsic and
try some kvas.  I made a gallon last War and it went over very well, so
I'll probably make more this year, maybe even the Real Stuff (TM).  Various
modern recipes follow.

- --Yana


MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
 
      Title Kvas
 Categories Kazakh, Soup, Ethnic, Russian, Sidedish
      Yield 6 Servings
 
      1 lb Stale black bread
           - or -
      1 lb Pumpernickel bread, stale
      1 c  Sugar
      2 tb Raisins
      2 tb Mint leaves, fresh
           - or -
      1 tb Dried mint leaves
      2 tb Active dry yeast
    1/4 c  Luke warm water
 
**NOTE** Water must [not?] be hot as it will kill the yeast. Oven must be
preheated to 200 degrees F. Cube bread then spread on a cookie sheet and
place in oven for 1 hour. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and drop in the
bread.. Remove from heat, cover with a towel, & allow to sit at room
temperature for 8 hours. Strain through a fine seive by pressing the
moistuire from the bread. Sprinkle the yeast & 1/4 teaspoon of sugar over
the cup of lukewarm water and stir to dissolve the yeast completely. Set
aside in a warm place covered by a towel for approx. 10-12 minutes or
until. mixture doubles in volume. Add the mint leaves, and remaining sugar,
stir well then re-cover with the towel and set aside for 8-12 hours more at
room temperature.

Again strain the mixture through a fine seive. Pour into a 1 gal.
container, add the raisins, cover the top with plastic wrap, secure with a
rubber band, and place in cool NOT cold, spot for 4-5 days or until the
raisins are floating and the sediment has sunk to the bottom. Pour off the
clear amber liquid and rebottle in a clean jug or bottles. refrigerate
until ready to use. In Russia this is a beverage as well as cold soup stock.

ORIGIN Dr. Sergei Betschonov, Uralsk-Kazakhstan, circa  1995
>From Dr. Donald Houston
 
MMMMM


>From the Russian cookbook of the Time-Life series

Ingredients: (for 6 cups)
1 pound dayold black bread or Danish pumpernickel
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup lukewarm water (110  115F)1/4 cup lukewarm water (110  115F)
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves or 1 tablespoon crumbled dried mint
2 tablespoons raisins

Procedure:
Preheat the oven to 200F. Place the bread in the oven for about 1 hour, or
until it is thoroughly dry. With a heavy knife, cut and chop it coarsely.
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in an 8-quart casserole and drop in the
bread. Remove from heat, cover loosely with a kitchen towel, and set it
aside for at least 8 hours. Strain the contents of the casserole through a
fine sieve set over another large pot or bowl, pressing down hard on the
soaked bread with the back of a large spoon before discarding it.

Sprinkle the yeast and 1/4 teaspoon of the sugar over the 1/4 cup of
lukewarm water and stir to dissolve the yeast completely. Set aside in a
warm, draftfree spot (such as an unlighted oven) for about 10 minutes, or
until the mixture almost doubles in volume. Stir the yeast mixture, the
remaining sugar and the mint into the strained bread water, cover with a
towel, and set aside for at least 8 hours

Also, here is a recipe [from a modern Russian cookbook] for "Peter the
Great's kvas" -- a recipe that is claimed to have originated around Peter's
time:

This recipe is for 5 liters of kvas.  Slice some rye bread thinly and dry the 
slices in your oven till they are brown.  You will need 800 grams of these 
"sukhari."  Cover them with 4 liters of boiling water and leave for 2 hours.  
Strain the liquid.  Then, add 20-25 grams of yeast and sugar to taste (500 
grams suggested).  The resulting kvas needs to ferment for 5 to 6 hours.  
When it is ready, add 100 grams of grated horseradish mixed with 100 grams of 
honey.  If desired, spices and dried mint can be added to taste.  The kvas 
has to be kept refrigerated.

[also modern] "Moskow kvas" can be made out of pretty much any fruits and
berries, such as apples, raspberries, red currants, cherries, mountain ash
berries (riabina), strawberies, or pears.  Strawberries and raspberries
require small wooden barrels and a somewhat complicated procedure [which my
source did not include] Fill out your jar completely with fruit or berries
(uncut, I think) and add cold boiled water to fill.  Place the jar in a
cold place and wait about three days, when you can drink it with sugar
added right in the glass if you want.  Apple and red currant kvas are good
with lemon rind in the jar.  Note that one jar lends lots of kvas since you
are supposed to refill it with cold boiled water as long as there is flavor
left.  It is essential that the berries and the fruit be absolutely
unblemished since any damage may result in fermentation.