INSIDE The Minsk Times Thursday, May 22, 2014 7 ‘Nine kvasses’ for merchant weddings If today, we were offered a list of Belarusian drinks from say, 300 years ago, for sure, we would be very surprised. Obviously, we would not see a mojito cocktail or an elite tea from the Junshan Mountains. But the variety of Belarusian drinks would undoubtedly amaze us.

By Lyudmila Minakova tional syta was prepared very eas- weddings there were traditionally ily — honey was simply diluted in ‘nine kvasses’, meaning nine dishes Kvass, kissel, syta, sbiten, kle- boiled water. based on kvass. novik, krupnik, krambambulya... There were also other ceremo- And, surprisingly, even coffee! Even nial drinks. On Christmas Eve, Coffee made in Belarusian way in the 17th century, when in many people cooked oat kissel. While Our ancestors also drank birch neighbouring countries people did on Kupalle — kulaga: berries were and maple juices, compotes from not even know of its existence, Be- washed and then cooked in a spe- berries and, curiously enough, cof- larusians savoured this flavoured cial pot. When berries began to sof- fee! One of authors of Chronicles of drink. ten, people added flour, some wa- Drinks of Belarus, Olga Kopachen- So we ask the questions: How ter, honey or sugar, then they ya, a volunteer of the Belarusian did coffee beans get to Belarus, what mixed it up and boiled on youth public association New did mulled wine substitute to our low heat until it became Faces, believed for a long time, like ancestors and why did they set fire like kissel. Kulaga was most of us, that coffee appeared in to krupnik? served with pancakes Belarus in the 20th century. How- or bread and milk. ever once, searching for informa- Honey aroma tion about coffee in Belarus, Olga Unfortunately, even today there Kvass from beet addressed herself to culture expert exists a stereotype of Belarusians One of very Sergey Khorevsky, who told her the drinking only vodka. However this popular drinks of history of the appearance of coffee ‘demon drink’ only appeared in the our ancestors was in Belarus. territory of Belarus during the 17th kvass. This drink It seems that coffee was brought century. While the most ancient al- was first men- to the country by participants of the cohol drinks were beer and mead tioned in Chroni- Battle of Vienna, which took place and people did not get drunk with cles of Nestor. It in September, 1683. The armies of them. was so popular that the German princes and the Grand Belarusians made drinks from the trade of ‘kvasnik’ Duchy of Lithuania, under com- honey for a long time. The simplest (maker of kvass) arose — a mand of the Polish King and the of them was medovukha: honey was skilled artisan, who knew Grand Duke of Lithuania, John III boiled with water and then yeast how to cook various kinds Sobieski, destroyed the army of the was added. After that, this mixture of kvass. Traditionally Ottoman Empire, which besieged was poured out into tuns and fer- kvass was prepared Vienna and thus put an end to the mented for several weeks. from rye bread, rye aggressive wars of the Ottoman in Sbiten was also prepared with (sometimes wheat, Europe. Apart from a victory for the

honey, with the addition of spices GIL VITALY oat, barley) flour, side on which our ancestors fought, and herbs — cinnamon, carda- Guests from Holland are delighted with Belarusian cuisine rye or barley malt. they also received all the riches of mom, nutmeg, ginger and bay leaf. the Turkish armies. Among them People drank sbiten hot, especially Recipes from the book Chronicles of Drinks of Belarus was a wagon with eight tonnes during the winter months, in order Sbiten Kvass based on beer of coffee and various tools for its to get warm and to protect oneself ● 1 litre of water In a two-litre pot pour 250g preparation. Thus, coffee appeared from cold. According to Chronicles ● 3 tbs. honey of beer, add birch juice, stop up in Belarus. Olga Kopachenya as- of Drinks of Belarus, based on ma- ● 1 tbs. dry mint and put in a basement. After two sures that people drank it in almost terials of historical youth competi- ● 2 buds of cloves months, you will have a light kvass every home. tion which was held in last year by Add some an- with the aroma of beer and consid- However, for a long time the the Lidskoye Pivo Company, sbiten ise, Melissa and erable quantity of gas. Belarusians did not know how gained popularity in the territory of juniper. You can Recipe from Pavel Klyuchnikov to make coffee correctly: people Belarus around the 16th century. It also add coriander or poured it into cups in large quanti- wise Berry syta was available in fairs where cups of thyme. you will ties, and the drink was very dense Take 50g of honey, half a li- sbiten sold like hotcakes. Based on Boil water, add honey, not get warmed, and strong. Therefore, people often tre of juice (currant, raspberry or these old texts, we safely call sbiten reduce heat and boil for an- and you will not taste the washed down their coffee with cold other) and 2 glasses of water. Di- a Belarusian mulled wine — a hot other ten minutes. Add mint, spices. water. Coffee was also served with a lute honey in the boiled water, then wine with spices, without which spices, and herbs and boil another Anna Shiryaeva’s glass of water in coffeehouses. Our cool and add the juice. it is nearly impossible to offer any five to seven minutes, slowly stirring. family recipe, which is ancestors also adopted the name of more than one century old Christmas market in Europe. Drink sbiten when it is warm, other- Recipe from Alexander Soroka a drink. The Turkish ‘kahve’ sounds The word ‘sbiten’, by the way, mended to collect the herbs by one- big clay bowl and then set on fire. A like ‘coffee’ in Belarusian. It is inter- comes from a Russian verb mean- self, as it was believed that if done, hostess gave a sign to all her guests But there was also kvass with esting that Russians had not heard ing to ‘beat up’. Traditionally, the krupnik had a totally different smell and they all started to blow simul- honey, horseradish, blackcurrant about coffee at that time, whilst components for this drink were and effect: you do not get drunk, taneously on the flame in order to leaves and even from beets! People in of Spain, France and England, prepared separately (honey — in but received special internal feeling. blow it out. It would seem that sev- valued maple and birch juice based it was popular only amongst the one pot, spices — in another), and Traditionally krupnik was served eral centuries ago Belarusians had kvass too. And in order to make highly educated. they were mixed up just before use. when it was hot and in tureens, but already developed the skills of the kvass tastier, the tuns, containing We often look to foreign shores in peasant houses people drank it barmen. the juice were buried in sand for 6 and dream of tasting Spanish san- Set fire and drink directly from cups or big wooden Special honey based, ceremo- days. gria or Italian grappa, but those People also prepared krupnik spoons. There was one interesting nial drinks were also prepared. For Kvass was prepared not only from a distant land have much to with honey, spices and herbs (with ritual of ‘firing’ the krupnik, when example, syta, a drink that was re- for drinking, but also as a basis for learn from us, while we have much vodka as the base). It was recom- all the components were put into a quired at the funeral table. Tradi- many dishes. On rich merchant to be proud of. Proud past displayed on pictures By Svetlana Markova architect, Nikolay Lvov. “In these pic- abroad — in libraries and museums in the background are thought to tures you can see familiar places, get of Russia, Ukraine and Poland. We be a part of landscapes of the city. Mogilev’s History Museum plans to know how people dressed formerly needed a lot of money to get hold of Vasily Voshchanka, Mogilev’s print to publish an album of age-old and the fact that there was already the original ‘soft’ copies,” says Batyu- worker, has also captured the capi- reproductions with landscapes a river police service in the city two kov. tal of the province on his engrav- of the city centuries ago,” says Alexey Batyukov, Historians think that there are ings from the 18th century. There are a town hall, cupolas of Director of the History Museum. views of Mogilev also on the ‘Birth of Workers at the museum have the church, and dandies in toppers on A local businessman helped to the Mother of God’ icon made in 1649 promised that there will be a lot the front of the Dnieper. Today’s citi- bring about the idea of creating of by Piotr Yevseevich. The inscription of surprises for lovers of the history Mogilev’s life that is showed there. zens haven’t seen the Mogilev of the album with age-old reproductions. at the bottom also specifies the place of the city, as each picture will be ac- The authors hope that the album will 18-19th centuries yet, drawn by Pol- “The fact is that these pictures of an- of residence of the foreman, the Goly- companied by a detailed story about be interesting for experts and for resi- ish painter, Yuzef Peshka, and Russian cient Mogilev have only been found nets settlement by Mogilev. Buildings both the picture and the period of dents of Mogilev.