History of Kvass

Kvass originated on the territory of today’s Russia, roughly a thousand years ago, where several types of this drink are still being produced. Slavs made kvass because it was one of the ways of preserving cereals and conserving them. Kvass was mentioned for the first time in the Russian chroncicles of the year 989, when Knez (Knyaz) Vladimir “shared food, mead and kvass with his people”. The word “kvass” means “a sour beverage”, and is still the preferred drink of a large number of people, even after a milleninum. In the era of Peter the Great kvass was very popular, and was prepared by following various recipes. Today in Russia there are about 50 different types of kvass. Some of them are: antonovka, sour broth, white kvass porridge, lemon-honey kvass, garden strawberry kvass, raspberry kvass, beetroot kvass, bread kvass. There is also a St. Petersburg kvass, known for being served at the table of the Russian Emperor Nikolay I Pavlovich.

Kvass is a drink of great biological worth, especially in terms of mineral matter.It contains plenty of iron, calcium and phosphorus, as well as B-complex vitamins, which are of a high value. Compared to fruit juices and other non-alcoholic beverages, kvass contains significantly less potassium. Kvass can be used in diets, when a person needs to increase the intake of B-complex vitamins. This primarily refers to patients who are recovering from a disease or surgery, as well as: a weakened immune system, recovering from pregnancy, nutritional anemia, disorders of the digestive system, vitamin B deficiency, poor concentration and body health in general. In folk medicine, kvass was used as a cure for various diseases, and in Russian hospitals, kvass was given to all their patients daily, because of its beneficial effect on body energy levels and body health in general.

Naturally, this drink can be consumed by completely healthy people, thus extinguishing their thirst by drinking a nutritious product. If your child enjoys refreshing non-alcoholic drinks, offer him kvass instead of some other carbonated “juice”.