Has traditional Russian cuisine anything in store for improving immunity and stamina in these challenging times of Covid? Definitely, over the centuries the resourceful Russians have invented delicious and very healthy drinks with the use of honey and berries, herbs and spices they have had at hand. There is a great variety of such homemade Russian drinks. Here are just a few of them.
Mors – Cold Berry Drink
Mors is a popular non-alcoholic berry drink, known in Russia since the 16th century. Morses are juices of various berries, diluted with water and sometimes a little fermented. They are made with lingonberries, cherries, raspberries, cranberries, currants and other berries.
The traditional recipe of making mors included smashing berries, adding well water, spices and honey and keeping the mix in a cold cellar. The berry drink was kept for about 2 weeks to get somewhat fermented.
Mors perfectly quenches thirst and replenishes the body with loads of vitamins and organic acids contained in it.
Uzvar or Vzvar – Compote
To prepare this drink, dried fruits or fresh berries were boiled in water. The drink was served chilled. Now this drink is a well-known compote. Earlier it was considered a festive dessert drink, which was most often made on winter holidays. Any berries or fruits were suitable for making the uzvar, with slices of watermelon and melon added to it occasionally. In winter, this drink is more than helpfthein providing vitamins.
Forest Drink
This was the traditional name for a herbal decoction. Our ancestors knew many combinations and methods of brewing forest and garden plants: fireweed, lingonberry, blackberry, raspberry, mint, blueberry, nettle and others. Fresh in summer and dried in winter, their leaves and flowers were suitable for brewing. Sometimes honey and berries were added to forest tea, adding to its unimaginably rich aroma! Such decoctions were not only tasty, but also useful and even medicinal.
Honeycomb Drink
This honey drink was very often prepared by the ancestors of modern Russians. Moreover, it is one of the ancient drinks of the Slavs.
All kinds of honey drinks were served by all the peoples of Europe and Asia. Among the Slavs, they had a special status: they were offered as a gift to the gods and served to guests during ritual feasts.
The method of its preparation was as follows: honey in honeycombs was infused with warm water and, a little later, filtered from the honeycomb.Drinking this unique beverage quickly restores moisture inside the body and helps to quickly remove toxins from the body.
Ivan Chai aka Russian Tea or Fireweed Tea
Another healthful drink, Ivan's Tea, came to be known in Russia as early as over 1000 years ago. It was prprepared from dried leaves of fireweed. Information about it can be found in ancient manuscripts. It was known and revered in Europe.
In ancient times, Russians mastered the art of making this fragrant, tasty and healing herbal tea, which became wildly popular in Europe under the name "Russian Tea". Ivan tea has anti-inflammatory,astringent, antipyretic, analgesic properties, soothes nervous excitability and stress, has a sobering effect, relieves food intoxication and alcohol poisoning, cleanses the blood, gives strength in case of physical exhaustion, strengthens the immune system, lowers blood pressure, removes cholesterol, promotes scarring of stomach ulcers, facilitates the course of kidney stone disease, normalizes the liver and spleen.
“Ivan-tea not only heals the body and enlightens the mind, but also strengthens the power of the Spirit,”- an ancient Russian manuscript says.
Altai Phyto Balms
Altai phyto balms are known all over the world. First of all, it is important to note their numerous healing properties thanks to a whole range of useful herbs they contain. Balm recipes have been known for a long time. It is important that the drink does not contain alcohol, which allows not to restrict its use for either women or men. The addition of honey enhances the healing properties and increases the positive effect of Altai balms on the human body. Due to its composition and preparation technology, the drink can be an excellent assistant, and in some cases an alternative to traditional medicine.
Other traditional Russian drinks that might be good for your health are kvass, sbiten, kissel and mead, which you can read about in the article Top 5 Native Russian Drinks You Should Try.