Kvass: Difference between revisions

The exact origins of kvass are unclear, and whether it was invented by [[Slavic people]] or any other Eastern European ethnicity is unknown,<ref name="Garshol">{{Cite book |last=Garshol |first=Lars Marius |date=2020 |title=Historical Brewing Techniques: The Lost Art of Farmhouse Brewing |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_KDgDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA254 |publisher=[[Brewers Publications]] |isbn=978-1-938-46955-8 |pages=254–257 |quote=Nobody knows who invented kvass, or when. The first written mention of it is in Nestor’s ''Primary Chronicle'', compiled in Kiev in the early twelfth century. At that time there was no Russia as we understand it today, and whether it was a Slavic people or some other eastern European ethnicity that invented kvass will probably never be known.}}</ref> although some Polish sources claim that kvass was invented by Slavs.<ref name="ministerstwo" /><ref name="gazolsz" /> Kvass has existed in the northeastern part of Europe, where grain production is thought to have been insufficient for beer to become a daily drink.<ref name="Garshol"/> It has been known among the [[Early Slavs]] since the 10th century.<ref name="ministerstwo" /><ref name="gazolsz" /> Likely invented in the [[Kievan Rus']] and known there since at least the 10th century, kvass has become one of the symbols of East Slavic cuisine.<ref name="gazolsz" /> The first written mention of kvass is found in the ''[[Primary Chronicle]]'', describing the celebration of [[Vladimir the Great]]'s baptism in 996, when kvass along with [[mead]] and food was given out to the citizens of [[Kiev]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://assets.press.princeton.edu/chapters/s5285.pdf |title=The Early History of Kiev |language=en |access-date=2023-11-28 |publisher=Princeton University}}</ref> Kvass-making remained a daily household activity well into the 19th century.<ref name="Hornsey"/>▼

In the second half of the 19th century, with military engagement, increasing industrialization, and large-scale projects, such as the construction of the [[Trans-Siberian Railway]], created a growing need to supply large numbers of people with foodstuff for extended periods of time, kvass became commercialized; more than 150 kvass varieties, such as apple, pear, mint, lemon, chicory, raspberry, and cherry were recorded. As commercial kvass producers began selling it in barrels on the streets, domestic kvass-making started to decline.<ref name="Hornsey"/> For example, in the year ended 30 June 1912, there were 17 factories in the [[Governorate of Livonia]], producing a total of 437,255 gallons of kvass.<ref>{{Cite book |date=1913 |title=Daily Consular and Trade Reports |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-mU3AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA114 |publisher=[[Government Printing Office]] |location=Washington |volume=1 |page=114}}</ref>▼

In the 1890s, the first scientific studies into the production of kvass were conducted in Kyiv, and in the 1960s, commercial mass production technology of kvass was further developed by chemists in Moscow.<ref name="Hornsey"/>▼

Kvass may have appeared in Poland as early as the 10th century,<ref name="ministerstwo">{{cite web|date=2018-06-03|title=Kwas chlebowy|first=Sławomir|last=Mucha|url=https://www.gov.pl/web/rolnictwo/kwas-chlebowy|publisher=[[Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Poland)|Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland]]|access-date=2022-05-26}}</ref> it quickly became a trendy beverage thanks to it easy and cheap method of production as well as its thirst-quenching and digestion-aiding qualities.<ref>{{cite book|last=Wieczorek|first=K.|date=2006|title=Młyn na Stawkach. Nad Czarną|location=Lubiaszów}}</ref> By the time of [[Władysław II Jagiełło]]'s rule, kvass was universal.<ref name="gazolsz">{{cite web|url=https://gazetaolsztynska.pl/775533,Kwas-chlebowy-Zapomniany-skarb-polskiej-kuchni.html|title=Kwas chlebowy. Zapomniany skarb polskiej kuchni|last=Snopkow|first=Paweł|date=2021-10-23|website=gazetaolsztynska.pl|publisher=[[Gazeta Olsztyńska]]|access-date=2022-05-26}}</ref> It was at first commonly drunk by peasants in the eastern parts of the country, but eventually the drink spread to the [[szlachta]].<ref name="gazolsz" /> One example of this is {{Lang|pl|kwas chlebowy sapieżyński kodeński}}, an old type of Polish kvass that is still sold as a contemporary brand. Its origins can be traced back to the 1500s, when {{Interlanguage link|Iwan Semenowicz Sapieha|lt=Jan Sapieha|pl|Iwan Semenowicz Sapieha}} founded the town of [[Kodeń]] on land granted by the [[Monarchs of Poland|Polish king]]. He then bought the mills and 24 villages of the surrounding areas from their previous landowners. Then, the taste of kvass became known among the Polish [[szlachta]], who used it for its supposed healing qualities. Throughout the 19th century, kvass remained popular among [[Polish people|Poles]] who lived in the [[Congress Poland]] of [[Imperial Russia]] and in [[Austrian Poland|Austrian Galicia]], especially the inhabitants of rural areas.<ref name="kchsk">{{cite web |date=2 July 2018 |title=Kwas chlebowy sapieżyński kodeński |url=https://www.gov.pl/web/rolnictwo/kwas-chlebowy-sapiezynski-kodenski |publisher=[[Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Poland)|Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland]] |access-date=30 July 2021}}</ref> Up until the 19th century, recipes for local variants of kvass remained well-guarded secrets of families, [[religious order]]s, and monasteries.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Dekowski|first1=J.P.|date=1968|title=Z badań nad pożywieniem ludu łowickiego (1880-1939)|journal=Seria Etnograficzna|issue=12|location=Łódź}}</ref>▼

The beverage production in Poland on an industrial scale can be traced back to the more recent interwar period, when the Polish state regained independence as the [[Second Polish Republic]]. In interwar Poland, kvass was brewed and sold in mass numbers by magnates of the Polish drinks market like the [[Warsaw|Varsovian]] brewery [[Haberbusch i Schiele]] or the ''Karpiński'' company.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Delorme |first=Andrzej |date= 1–15 October 1999 |title=Alternatywa dla Coca Coli? |url=http://zb.eco.pl/zb/140/zdrowie.htm |journal=Pismo Ekologów |publisher=Zielone Brygady |number=14(140)/99 |issn=1231-2126}}</ref> Kvass remained particularly popular in eastern Poland.<ref name="kchsk" /> However, with the collapse of many prewar businesses and much of the Polish industry during [[World War II]], kvass lost popularity following the aftermath of the war. It also gradually lost favour throughout the 20th century upon introducing mass-produced soft drinks and carbonated water into the Polish market.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kwaschlebowy.eu/produkt/kwas-chlebowy-tradycyjny/|title=Historia kwasu chlebowego|website=kwaschlebowy.eu|publisher=Eko-Natura|access-date=2022-05-26|quote=W wieku XX kwas został zapomniany, wyparty przez wody gazowane i inne słodkie napoje.}}</ref><ref name="ministerstwo" /><ref name="gazolsz" /> In the early 21st century, kvass experienced a renaissance in Poland due to the heightened interest in healthy diets, natural products, and traditions.<ref name="ministerstwo" />▼

Kvass can be found in some supermarkets and grocery stores, where it is known in [[Polish language|Polish]] as {{Lang|pl|kwas chlebowy}} ({{IPA-pl|kvas xlɛbɔvɨ|}}). Commercial bottled versions of the drink are the most common variant, as some companies specialise in manufacturing a more modern version of the drink (some variants are manufactured in Poland whilst others are imported from its neighbouring countries, Lithuania and Ukraine being the most popular source).<ref name="gerima">[http://gerima.pl/index.html Gerima dystrybutor kwasu chlebowego w Polsce] Gerima – distributor of kvass in Poland. {{in lang|pl}}</ref><ref name="ukrainski">{{cite web|title=Kwas chlebowy z Ukrainy – dlaczego warto go kupić?|url=http://www.zdrowozmiksowani.pl/kwas-chlebowy-z-ukrainy-dlaczego-warto-go-kupic/|publisher=Zdrowo Zmiksowani|website=zdrowozmiksowani.pl|date=22 October 2020|access-date=2022-05-26|archive-date=12 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812155338/http://www.zdrowozmiksowani.pl/kwas-chlebowy-z-ukrainy-dlaczego-warto-go-kupic/|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, old recipes for a traditional version of kvass exist. Some of them originate from eastern Poland;<ref>{{cite web |title = Kwas chlebowy sapieżyński kodeński |trans-title = Sapieżyński Kodeński kvass |language=pl |publisher = [[Lublin Voivodeship]] |website = lubelskie.pl |url = http://www.lubelskie.pl/?pid=647 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131016163658/http://www.lubelskie.pl/?pid=647 |archive-date = 2013-10-16}}</ref> others from more central regions include adding honey for flavour.<ref>{{cite web|date=2019-01-25|title=Kwas chlebowy na miodzie z Grębkowa|first=Sławomir|last=Mucha|url=https://www.gov.pl/web/rolnictwo/kwas-chlebowy-na-miodzie-z-grebkowa|publisher=[[Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Poland)|Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland]]|access-date=2022-05-26}}</ref> Although commercial kvass is much easier to find in Polish shops, Polish manufacturers of more natural and healthier variants of kvass have become increasingly popular both within and outside of the country's borders.<ref>{{cite news |last = Jeziorska |first = Jolanta |date = 2009-09-08 |title = Ich kwas chlebowy podbija rynek |trans-title = Their kvass conquers the market |language = pl |work = [[Dziennik Łódzki]] |url = https://dzienniklodzki.pl/ich-kwas-chlebowy-podbija-rynek/ar/160252?cookie=1 |access-date = 2023-06-10}}</ref><ref name="ministerstwo" /> A less healthy alternative of quick-to-make variants using kvass concentrate can also be purchased in shops.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=S. Orgelbranda Encyklopedja Powszechna|year=1901|publisher=Wydawnictwo Towarzystwa Akcyjnego Odlewni Czcionek i Drukarni S. Orgelbranda Synów|location=Warszawa}}</ref> One colloquial Polish name for {{Lang|pl|kwas chlebowy}} is {{Lang|pl|wiejska oranżada}} ('rural orangeade').<ref name="gazolsz" /> In some Polish villages, such as [[Zaława]] and its surroundings, kvass was traditionally produced on every farm.<ref name="zaława">{{cite web|date=2020-04-10|title=Kwas chlebowy z Załawy|url=https://www.gov.pl/web/rolnictwo/kwas-chlebowy-z-zalawy|publisher=[[Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Poland)|Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland]]|access-date=2022-05-26}}</ref>▼

The name of [[Kvasir]], a wise being in [[Norse mythology]], is possibly related to kvass.<ref>Александр Николаевич Афанасьев (1865–1869). ''Поэтические воззрения славян на природу''. Директ-медиа (2014) том. 1, стр. [https://books.google.com/books?id=r-d3BAAAQBAJ&q=квасир 260]. {{ISBN|978-5-4458-9827-6}} ([[Alexander Afanasyev]]. ''The Poetic Outlook of Slavs about Nature'', 1865–1869; reprinted 2014, p. 260; in Russian)</ref><ref>[[Karl Joseph Simrock]]. ''Handbuch der deutschen Mythologie mit Einschluss der nordischen'', 1st edition (1855), p. [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_EhxBAAAAcAAJ_2/page/n99 272] or 2nd edition (1864), p. [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044089074793;view=1up;seq=258 244]. Bonn, Marcus.</ref><ref>[[J.J. Mikkola|Jooseppi Julius Mikkola]]. ''Bidrag till belysning af slaviska lånord i nordiska språk''. [[Arkiv för nordisk filologi]], vol.&nbsp;19 (1903), p. [https://runeberg.org/anf/1903/0339.html 331].</ref><ref>[[Georges Dumézil]] (1974). ''Gods of the Ancient Northmen'', p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=rurD1yd0Ok0C&q=kvas%20kvasir 21]. University of California Press. {{ISBN|978-0-520-03507-2}}</ref><ref>[[Jan de Vries (linguist)|Jan de Vries]] (2000). ''Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch'', p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=so8eAAAAIAAJ&q=kvasir&pg=PA319 336]. 4th edition, Leiden (in German)</ref>▼

There is a Russian expression, {{Lang|ru|Перебиваться с хлеба на квас}} (literally 'to clamber from bread to kvass'), which means 'to live from hand to mouth' or to 'scrape by'<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lubensky |first=Sophia |date=2013 |title=Russian-English Dictionary of Idioms |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vOh0AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA695 |publisher=[[Yale University Press]] |edition=Revised |page=695|isbn=9780300162271 }}</ref> referring to the frugal practice amongst the poor peasants of making kvass from stale leftovers of [[rye bread]].<ref>[[Svyatoslav Loginov]], [http://www.rusf.ru/loginov/books/story07.htm "We Used to Bake Blini..." ("Бывало пекли блины...")] {{in lang|ru}}</ref> Another kvass-related term in Russian is "{{Interlanguage link|kvass patriotism|ru|Квасной патриотизм}}" (квасной патриотизм) dating back to an 1823 letter by the Russian poet [[Pyotr Vyazemsky]] who defined it as "unqualified praise of everything that is your own".<ref>{{cite web |last=Latour |first=Abby |date=29 October 2018 |title=Kvas Patriotism in Russia: Cultural Problems, Cultural Myths |url=https://jordanrussiacenter.org/event-recaps/kvas-patriotism-in-russia-cultural-problems-cultural-myths/ |publisher=Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia |access-date=4 January 2022 |archive-date=2 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302020748/https://jordanrussiacenter.org/event-recaps/kvas-patriotism-in-russia-cultural-problems-cultural-myths/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>▼