Sbiten - beverage surprising: almost everything about him ever heard, but few who had to try it. Despite attempts to popularize the famous first drink, modern humans have a rather vague idea Sbitnev. And after a couple of centuries ago, this drink was even more popular than black tea.

History sbitnya

The first mention of Sbitnev can be found in the chronicle, dated 1128 year. In those days the drink based on honey was probably already well-known and popular.

Initially sbiten called digest, then stewed fruit and with pitch. These names indicate the method for preparing a beverage: honey boiled in water with herbs. The name change might be due to some changes in the technology of preparation: now the drink went astray, that is prepared by mixing honey and herbal infusions. In sbiten added herbs and spices: St. John's wort, bay leaf, sage, pepper and ginger.

The drink was so popular that in public places equipped with special "Sbiten smoking", where they cooked sbiten. A hole in the wall box to everyone offered a spicy drink. A Sbitenschik carried the drink in a samovar on the markets and fairs selling fragrant sbiten summer - chilled, and in winter - hot.

Hot sbiten well warmed in cold weather. In fact, it was the only hot drink which was used in Russia before tea became widespread. Many willingly and warmed by a variety of low-alcohol was brought down, the fortress that reaches 4-6 degrees.

I wonder what brought down the reputation of being sold on the street, was not very good. Sbitenschik often accuses of cheating instead of natural tinted sbitnya they offered burnt sugar syrup and sweetened hot water.

Popularity brought down gradually petered out after the October Revolution of 1917. Despite the fact that in the late XX century, attempts were made to revive the production of the ancient drink, the taste was brought down today few people know.

Honey Beverages

Honey has long served as the East Slavic peoples for the beverage industry. Intoxicated honeys were served at banquets and perfectly complement any meal. Some varieties of intoxicating honey wandered for a long time - up to 15 years. It is not surprising that honey was considered a festive drink, which was served only on special occasions - are now so expensive champagne. Over time, the technology of preparation simpler, meads got ready much faster, although the taste is not the best way affected. "Fast" honeys wandered only a few weeks or even days.

Mead is preparing even faster - the fermentation process lasts only a few days. In the modern form of mead it appeared only in the eighteenth century. Initially, the raw material for beverage served fermented berry juice, which is added to the honey. Stored a long drink, and preserving the original recipe does not provide, so this mead in our time have tried, not all, but some plants produce this drink to this day.

Preparing in Russia and one drink a honey-based - Surya. The exact recipe of the drink has long been lost, but we know that he was preparing a mixture of honey and milk with the addition of hops, and later - yeast.

As for the benefits brought down, it will, according to doctors, is questionable: the process of digestion in the lion's share of useful substances from honey disappears. However sbiten useful, for example, carbonated beverages, though, because he prepared exclusively from natural ingredients.

Preparation sbitnya

Today, few imagine the taste of the famous drink. Meanwhile, cook sbiten yourself is a snap. And, probably, it is worth at least once out of curiosity to try to boil this drink, about which so much has been written in the literature.

Cooking should be brought down to take water, honey and spices. Buy expensive honey does not make sense, the most common approach. However, it is desirable to select the most aromatic varieties since the correct choice of the honey will depend ultimately flavor beverage.

What herbs should I use? The exact answer to this question is no, you can trust your own taste. Recipes brought down, there were many, and a set of spices can vary significantly. The most common spices include bay leaf, sage Sage - useful properties do not count St. John's wort, cardamom Cardamom: grains of paradise and the king of spices , Ginger, cinnamon, paprika, nutmeg, mint, citrus peel and cloves. Of course, there is no need to add all the spices right, you can experiment by combining them in different ways, until you have the perfect taste.

Typically, the honey were dissolved in water, brought to a boil and the broth was mixed with hot spices. Occasionally drink brewed on the simplified technology, mixing all the ingredients at once. Sbiten boiled for a quarter of an hour, they insisted, and then filtered.

In some cases, added to honey or sugar syrup. Adding hops cones allowed to get drunk sbiten with a characteristic flavor. Finally, sometimes the finished slightly ostuzhennoy sbiten added spirits - usually vodka. Thus obtained beverage is especially appreciated in the winter for its warming properties. Somewhat less common recipe was brought down with red wine. This drink is somewhat reminiscent of mulled wine is heated almost to boiling, mixed with honey and spices, infused, strain through cheesecloth and serve.

Maria Bykov

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