Syrivets

Syrivets (bread kvass) is a traditional Ukrainian sour drink of natural fermentation, long made in every peasant home. It is made from dried rye bread or rusks covered with water, with the addition of a little flour or malt, and left to ferment for several days.

Lactic-acid bacteria and yeasts turn the mixture into a pleasantly sour, slightly sparkling drink. Syrivets had a double purpose: it was drunk as a refreshing, thirst-quenching drink, especially at harvest time and in the heat, and it was also widely used in cooking — as a sour base for cold soups, green borsch, and other dishes that needed a pleasant tang. Rich in probiotics and useful substances, syrivets is another example of the wise “fermentation” cuisine of our ancestors, who knew how to waste nothing and to make a valuable product from stale bread.