Sbiten- an ancient drink that was made from honey and water with the addition of spices. The sailors called sbiten “Russian mulled wine.” Drinks based on honey were made by almost all the ancient peoples of Europe. So, the Slavs, Scandinavians, Germans, Greeks and others knew how to make such drinks. In addition to honey and spices, alcoholic sbiten also included yeast to ferment the drink.
In many cultures, honey was considered a sacred product. Scientists have discovered archaeological finds that depict the honey production cycle in 7-6 thousand BC. e.. It was believed that rivers of honey flowed in the other world. Our ancestors called bees divine insects that extract honey from the heavenly river. At that time, such drinks were identified with immortality. The Germans considered honey a gift from the gods, as well as a ritual food. The transition to the other world was facilitated by the consumption of honey; sometimes the deceased was simply called “intoxicated.”
Antimony is considered the ancient ancestor of sbiten. It was a drink based on milk and honey. To begin with, the milk was settled, then herbs and hops were added to it, and the fermentation process began in barrels. The resulting drink was filtered and prepared for 21 days. It tasted like a fermented milk product and can be classified as a low-alcohol drink. The most difficult thing in the process of preparing antimony was to achieve its transparency.
Until the 17th century in Rus' there was a recipe for exclusively non-alcoholic sbiten. It was more of a medicinal drink that helped to warm up during the cold season and boost immunity.
Sbiten was so popular that it could be compared to modern tea or coffee. Before the advent of these drinks, honey whipping was prepared in a samovar. There were even so-called “downed kurens”, which were located in public places. There were also special people who were engaged in making sbiten, they were called “sbiten makers”. Traders carried a samovar with sbiten on their backs and sold the drink to everyone.
The alcoholic version of sbiten appeared in the 17th century. The strength of this drink was 4% -7%. At the beginning of its history, it was very expensive, so only rich people could afford it. Only during the reign of Peter I did sbiten become available to the population.
The name “sbiten” most likely comes from the verb “to knock down”, this is due to the fact that the drink was made using two different vessels. One was infused with honey, and the other with medicinal herbs. The contents were then mixed to form a single drink. The second version says that the name comes from the words “knock down”, “compact”. After all, sbiten is a concentrated drink. Its strength in the alcoholic version is 4%-7%, and in the non-alcoholic version – 1%.
The decline in mead making was due to many factors. Firstly, other, often cheaper drinks began to appear. Secondly, recipes that no one wrote down were gradually lost; they were passed down from generation to generation orally. To prepare honey drinks, it was necessary to use a large amount of honey and also spend a lot of time. Modern mead and sbiten bear little resemblance to their ancient counterpart.
Cooking features
There are many recipes for alcoholic and non-alcoholic sbiten. Over time, not only the attitude towards sbiten changed, but also the amount of ingredients used. Honey has been and remains the constant basis of the drink.
The technology for preparing the drink has changed slightly. So, there are simple and custard sbitni. Custard sbitni are considered more complex products, since their preparation process takes longer. They are prepared from wort, which includes honey, molasses, and spices.
Beneficial features
The beneficial properties of sbiten are due to the substances included in its composition. The drink is rich in proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins A, B, C, PP, E. Organic acids and microelements were also found in its composition.
The addition of medicinal herbs makes sbiten a tasty and effective medicinal product. For example, sage, oregano, and thyme give it anti-inflammatory properties.
Calorie content of sbiten is 58 kilocalories per 100 g.
Use in cooking
In cooking, traditional sbitney recipes can be used to prepare quick cocktails.
So, you can make a “Spicy Sbiten” cocktail. To do this, place a stalk of lemon grass and 1 tsp in a blender. sugar syrup. The ingredients are whisked and poured through a sieve into the pitcher. Also put 2 tbsp in the pitcher. l. honey, lemon juice, 3 drops of peace juice. In addition, cinnamon and cloves are added to the drink. Pour 150 ml of water, heat the drink, but don't boil. Pour the finished product into an Irish coffee glass and add a little nutmeg. The glass is decorated with a slice of lemon.
The “Raspberry Sbiten” cocktail is prepared from water, lemon, raspberries, and honey. Place 2 tbsp in the pitcher. l. honey, 5 raspberries, 1 tbsp. l. Sahara. In a pitcher, grind raspberries with sugar using a spoon. Next, pour 150 ml of water and coffee. Decorate with raspberries and fruits.
You can prepare traditional “Red Sbiten”. For this we need 1 liter of red wine, 0.15 kg of honey, a little cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves. Honey is added to the heated wine, boiled, and then spices are added. Next, the drink is infused and drunk.
How to cook at home?
There are many recipes for making sbiten at home.
For example, you can make the so-called “Russian mulled wine”. To do this, 1 liter of strong wine is mixed with 100 g of honey, 100 g of granulated sugar, 6-7 cloves. The wine is put to boil, a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg are added to it. Then the drink is infused for 30 minutes.
You can also prepare Siberian sbiten. For this we need 2 tbsp. l. dry tea, 4 tbsp. l. honey, 1 tbsp. l. cinnamon, a few clove stars, 1 glass of water. First, strong tea is brewed, then it is boiled with honey and spices are added. The foam that formed during boiling must be removed. Infuse the drink for 30 minutes and serve hot.
“White sbiten” is prepared from 250 g of white honey, 1 liter of water, 200 ml of raspberry juice. All ingredients are mixed, put on fire, and the resulting foam is removed all the time. Next, cool the drink, add 2 tbsp. l. liquid yeast, set to ferment for 12 hours. Next, the wort is drained and placed in a cold place. The drink is infused for a month and stored in bottles.
How to drink?
It is correct to drink sbiten hot, like mulled wine. But in the summer, to refresh, the drink is drunk chilled.
The drink is usually served at the end of the meal. Sbiten goes well with traditional Russian sweets: bagels, cookies, rolls.
Benefits of sbiten and treatment
The benefits of sbiten were known to our ancestors. They drank this drink for stomach pain, physical stress, and colds. Besides, sbiten is a product with high nutritional value, so its use adds strength throughout the day.
Whisking, prepared on the basis of medicinal herbs, allows not only to improve blood circulation, but also to speed up metabolism, dilate blood vessels, and normalize digestion.
Harm of sbitn and contraindications
Sbiten can cause harm to the body due to individual intolerance. It is not recommended to drink the drink for people with allergic reactions to bee products. Also, sbiten can be harmful to people with liver and kidney diseases, as well as patients with diabetes.
Sbiten is an aromatic and warming ancient Russian drink. Nowadays it is cooked less and less, but several centuries ago sbiten was often used to warm up on cold days. Almost every family knew how to prepare it, and many even had their own secret to preparing the drink. Today, sbiten recipes are available to any housewife.
Sbiten: what is it?
Sbiten (or, as it used to be called, “zbiten”) is a traditional Russian drink. Its name comes from the verb “to knock down”, since the basis of its preparation was precisely churning. The drink was served hot, it consisted of pure water and bee honey, with the addition of various spices and medicinal herbs, and was brewed in large samovars. The word “sbiten” can first be seen in the chronicles of the Slavs, which date back to the 12th century (1128). Until the end of the 19th century. Peasants and noble families drank this drink instead of tea.
There were even special establishments called “knitted kitchens”, located in crowded places and representing “windows”. People could buy the drink in different variations there. After the October Revolution, the consumption of sbiten practically disappeared. But now its popularity is growing again, and many housewives have learned to prepare the drink themselves.
How to cook sbiten at home?
Compound:
- Water - 3 l
- Honey - 350 g
- Sugar - 250 g
- Black tea - 100 g
- Ground cinnamon - ½ tsp.
- Cloves - ½ tsp.
- Ground nutmeg - ¼ tsp.
- Celery stalk - 100 g
- Lemon zest -5 tbsp.
Preparation:
- So, first you need to boil the water. To do this, pour water into a deep container, after boiling, add sugar and honey. Mix the ingredients and cook until dissolved.
- Brew strong tea in a separate bowl, then strain it and pour it into a pan with the sweet brew.
- Place celery, spices and lemon zest in a saucepan. The drink is brewed for about 10 minutes, then removed from the stove, covered with a lid and infused for several minutes.
- When the sbiten is completely ready, strain it and boil again.
- The drink is poured into cups and served hot.
- You can put slices of lemons or oranges in it. This sbiten is good to drink when you have a cold.
How to cook strawberry sbiten?
Compound:
- Honey - 300 g
- Water - 5 l
- Strawberry juice - 500 ml
- Mint - 2 tbsp.
- St. John's wort - 1 tsp.
- Sage - 2 tsp.
Preparation:
- First of all, boil the water, then pour in the strawberry juice and boil again. Add natural honey, mint, St. John's wort and sage.
- Cook the sbiten for about an hour, periodically removing the resulting foam. Strain the finished sbiten and serve, pouring it into beautiful glasses.
- Strawberry sbiten will be an excellent alternative to fruit tea. Instead of strawberries, you can take other fruits and berries (currants, raspberries, blueberries, apples, pears), resulting in a completely different warming drink.
Sbiten: recipe with ginger
Compound:
- Water - 3 l
- Honey - 300 g
- Ground cloves - 2 tsp.
- Fir - 100 g
- Ginger root - 50 g
- Sage - 4 tbsp.
- Ground cinnamon -2 tsp.
Preparation:
- Take a large saucepan, put spices and herbs in it (fir, sage, cinnamon and chopped ginger root). Fill the ingredients with water, put the saucepan on the fire, boil and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Leave the finished sbiten for half an hour so that it brews well. At the end of cooking, add the remaining ingredients - honey, cloves and simmer over low heat for 20-25 minutes.
- Churning with ginger will be an excellent medicine during a cold, as well as a prophylactic during a flu epidemic.
Sbiten classic: recipe
Compound:
- Water - 3 l
- Honey - 300 g
- Sugar - 200 g
- St. John's wort - 4 tsp.
- Chopped cloves - 3 tsp.
- Black peppercorns - 10 pcs.
- Ground ginger - 1 tsp.
- Cinnamon - 2 tsp.
- Mint - 3 tsp.
- Thyme - 1 tsp.
- Cardamom - 1 tsp.
- Lemon - 1 pc.
Preparation:
- Honey is poured into 2 tbsp. water and stir until completely dissolved. Pour honey water into a saucepan and boil. Skim the foam periodically and add sugar. Cook the mixture over low heat until smooth (do not bring to a boil).
- Pour the remaining water into a large saucepan, add spices and cook under a closed lid for about 20 minutes. Leave the cooked spices to steep for 10 minutes, then strain and mix with the honey mixture. Heat the drink, but do not bring it to a boil.
- Serve the sbiten hot with lemon slices.
Homemade sbiten with wine: recipe
Compound:
- Wine - 3 l
- Honey - 250 g
- Cloves - 5 pcs.
- Nutmeg - 1 tsp.
- Ground cinnamon - 1 tsp.
Preparation:
- To prepare this sbiten, it is better to choose dry red wine (mostly homemade). Pour wine into the pan, heat it, but do not boil it. Add spices and honey, heat slightly (do not bring to a boil).
- Infuse the wine whipped wine for 30 minutes for richness and aroma. Then it is recommended to strain the drink.
- This sbiten recipe tastes like mulled wine, is served hot and perfectly warms up on cold winter evenings.
Moscow sbiten: recipe
Compound:
- Water - 7 l
- White molasses - 1 kg
- Honey - 300 g
- Cloves - 7 pcs.
- Cinnamon - 2 tsp.
- Ground ginger - 3 tsp.
- Black peppercorns - 15 pcs.
- Cardamom - 5 pcs.
- Star anise - 5 pcs.
Preparation:
- Boil water in a deep saucepan, dissolve honey along with molasses. Boil sweet water for about 15 - 20 minutes. Add cloves, cinnamon, ginger, star anise, pepper and cardamom.
- Cook the sbiten with spices for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour the finished drink into glasses or cups.
Sbiten is a native Russian warming drink that was previously drunk instead of tea. Thanks to its restorative and anti-inflammatory properties, sbiten is good to take during a cold, as well as in the winter instead of a strengthening agent. There are a large number of recipes for making sbiten, so everyone will find one that suits their taste.
Sbiten (zbiten) is an ancient honey drink popular in Rus'; in addition to honey, it contains water, spices and medicinal herbs were added to some recipes. For example, folk sbiten consists of peony, nettle leaves, chamomile flowers, plantain, hazel leaves, fireweed and mint. Sbiten was made hot and cold. The hot drink had warming and anti-cold properties, so it was mainly consumed in cold weather; in addition, the drink brings great benefits to the body. They drank cold sbiten to quench thirst in the summer heat.
In ancient times, hot honey sbiten was the most popular in Rus'. It was prepared at home, made in taverns, sold at fairs and bazaars by the glass, and drunk everywhere at holidays and festivities. The hut where the drink was prepared was called the Downed Kuren. Sbitna was first mentioned in chronicles back in 1128; the drink reached its peak of popularity during the time of Peter the Great. Foreigners compared the Russian hot drink to mulled wine. In the 19th century, the drink was consumed instead of tea and coffee.
Hot sbiten was served in special copper vessels similar to modern samovars, they were called sakla or baklaga. They also poured and drank it into special cups with convex walls to avoid burns. We drank honey sbiten as a bite with gingerbread and other baked goods. A huge number of all kinds of recipes for making sbiten have reached our time. Making a honey drink at home is as easy as shelling pears. There are custard and plain sbitni, alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Custards are prepared by fermenting honey wort with additions of various spices and herbs, resulting in a low-alcoholic drink reminiscent of mead or mash.
Classic recipe for making sbiten
Nowadays, the old recipe for real Russian (Moscow) sbitnya with ginger is being reborn, the drink has become very popular, it is served at holidays (Maslenitsa, Christmas), and it is very easy to make it yourself at home.
Ingredients:
- Water – 6 l;
- White (starch) molasses – 1 l;
- Honey – 200 gr;
- Cinnamon – 2 g;
- Black pepper – 10 pcs;
- Cardamom – 7 pcs;
- Ginger – 2 tsp;
- Star anise – 3 pcs;
- Cloves – 5 pcs.
Preparation:
- Heat water in an enamel bowl to a boil, add honey and white molasses. Stir the contents and cook the honey mixture over low heat for 10-15 minutes.
- Place all the spices and spices in a bowl, cook with them for another 10-15 minutes;
- Pour into cups and serve with cookies or other baked goods.
Alcoholic sbiten with dry wine
Compound:
- Honey – 100 gr;
- Dry red wine – 500 ml;
- Cloves – 1-2 pcs;
- Nutmeg - on the tip of a knife
- Cinnamon – 2-3 gr.
Cooking method:
- Heat the wine to 75°C;
- Add honey and spices. Stir thoroughly until the honey dissolves.
- Leave for half an hour, strain through a gauze filter.
- Pour into glasses and serve.
Kumushkin sbiten with hops
Compound:
- Honey – 1 kg;
- Water – 4l;
- Pharmaceutical hops – 20 g;
- Cinnamon - to taste.
Preparing sbiten:
- Heat water, add honey, hop cones and spices. Cook on low power for 2-3 hours.
- Strain the intoxicating honey sbiten and let cool. Drink chilled.
Hot ginger sbiten
Ingredients:
- Water – 2l;
- honey -300 gr;
- granulated sugar – 300 gr;
- cloves – 6-7 pcs;
- cinnamon – 10 g;
- ginger – 10 gr.
Cooking method:
Add honey and sugar to warm water, add cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Heat and cook for 10-15 minutes. The foam that has formed during boiling must be removed. Strain the honey sbiten through a fine sieve and serve with cookies.
Recipe: Maslenitsa sbiten with herbs
Ingredients:
- Honey – 300 gr;
- Water – 3 l;
- Granulated sugar – 200 gr;
- St. John's wort herb (dry) – 5 tsp;
- Dried mint – 3-4 tsp.
- Oregano – 3 tsp;
- Cloves – 4 pcs;
- Black peppercorns – 10 pcs;
- Dried ginger – 0.5 tsp;
- Ground cinnamon – 1-2 tsp:
Recipe preparation method:
- Heat 0.5 liters of honey to a boil, skimming off the foam.
- Boil sugar in about 5 liters of water.
- Combine honey and sugar water, cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
- Add spices and aromatic herbs to the remaining water and cook for 15 minutes.
- Strain the aromatic decoction, add to sugar and honey syrup, heat slightly.
- Pour into cups and serve hot.
Video recipe on how to make folk sbiten
Recipe for raspberry custard sbiten
Ingredients:
- Honey – 500 gr;,
- Fresh raspberries – 500 gr;
- Water – 1.5 l;
- Yeast – 1 tsp.
Preparation:
- Rinse raspberries with water. Squeeze the juice from the berries.
- Pour the raspberry juices with water, boil, then cool and strain through a sieve.
- Add honey, boil again and pour in the squeezed raspberry juice.
- Cool the honey-raspberry broth to 30 degrees. Add prepared yeast.
- Place the dishes in a warm place for 9-11 hours for fermentation.
- Pour into suitable bottles, close well and store in a cool place. After two or three weeks, the raspberry whipping can be tasted.
Recipe for Suzdal spicy sbiten
Compound:
- Water – 2l;
- Honey – 300 gr;
- Granulated sugar – 300 gr;
- Bay leaf – 30 g;
- Spices: ginger, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon – 30 g each.
Preparation:
- Heat water, add honey and cook for 20-25 minutes.
- Add spices and bay leaves, cook for another 5-10 minutes.
- Strain the broth and pour into glasses.
The benefits and harms of honey sbiten
Folk sbiten has many beneficial properties. It contains a bunch of vitamins (A, B, PP, C, E, H). Only honey in the recipe makes the drink healthy. It is an antiviral, anti-inflammatory agent, and helps well with prostatitis. Folk sbiten increases male strength, has a warming, tonic effect. A cold drink quenches thirst well and restores the body's energy. Sbiten, thanks to the presence of honey, helps restore energy and protects against viruses.
Like any other product, in addition to its benefits, honey sbiten has some contraindications. First of all, an allergic reaction to some components of the drink (honey, herbs, spices). Alcoholic drinks are contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women. The drink can also be harmful to people with diabetes and kidney and liver diseases.
An ancient drink that was brewed from water and honey, flavored with spicy or medicinal herbs or seasonings, was called SBITEN. Later, they began to add sugar or molasses to it for taste, as well as alcoholic drinks - wine or vodka. Initially, sbiten was non-alcoholic. Among the spices, cardamom, ginger, cloves, vanillin, cinnamon, and bay leaf were added to it. We used the herb St. John's wort, chamomile, rose hips, mint and others. Drink this drink cold or hot. It was prepared by specially trained people - knockers. They sold it at bazaars, markets, shopping areas and right on the streets. Later, tea brought from Europe forced sbiten out of use and was practically forgotten about. Although this is a very tasty and very healthy drink.
The benefits and harms of sbiten
The drink sbiten has many beneficial properties: antiviral, anti-inflammatory, warming, thirst-quenching, tonic, restorative, immunomodulatory. These properties are high thanks to the ingredients it contains: honey, spices and medicinal herbs. Cold sbiten perfectly quenches thirst in the hot season and restores the body's water balance. This property is especially valuable after sports activities and heavy training. A hot drink is more suitable for cold times, as it can warm the body, enrich it with vitamins and strengthen it. Helps restore strength after illnesses, surgeries, and injuries. The composition of sbiten includes vitamins (A, B, PP, C, E, H); minerals: zinc, copper, manganese, iron, phosphorus, iodine, fluorine, cobalt, sulfur, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium. The main component of honey contains enzymes, sugars, proteins and amino acids that are important for the body. The composition of sbiten contains organic acids and dietary fiber. Sbiten, thanks to the presence of honey, helps restore energy and protects against viruses.
Its other components are no less useful: cinnamon (has an antifungal effect, stimulates brain activity, normalizes blood sugar levels), cloves (has antiseptic and analgesic properties), cardamom (calms nerves, increases appetite, relieves tension), sage, thyme, St. John's wort, elecampane, fireweed (herbs calm the nervous system, treat colds, reduce inflammation, have a positive effect on the digestive system, strengthen the heart and nerves). Sbiten is useful for the treatment and prevention of anemia, flatulence, metabolic disorders, digestive disorders, heart diseases and skin diseases. If it contains fireweed or ginger, then this sbiten perfectly relieves hangover syndrome and acts as a means of detoxifying the body during alcohol poisoning.
It is not recommended to use sbiten for those who are intolerant to any of the ingredients included in sbiten. It should not be used if you are allergic to honey. When consuming sbiten, which includes alcohol, there are all contraindications to alcohol consumption. If you have diabetes, cardiac disorders, kidney or liver diseases, you should consult your doctor.
Sbiten is a drink that was extremely popular in Ancient Rus'. It was made according to a specific recipe, which was not known to everyone. Therefore, people who not only knew what sbiten was, but also knew how to cook it, enjoyed great honor and respect. Moreover, there were a huge number of recipes. Unfortunately, few people know about this drink now. After reading this article, you will not only get an answer to the question of what sbiten is, but also learn how to cook it.
A little history
Our distant ancestors knew well about this drink. In terms of its popularity, it was far superior to the kvass and tea we all know. Before you get the answer to the question of what sbiten is, let's take a short trip into the distant past. One of the most favorite drinks among the ancient Slavs were those to which honey was added. After all, they not only quenched thirst, but also added physical strength, and also relieved some fatigue. A drink like mead was very popular among our ancestors. But as a rule, he was alcoholic. What was needed was a drink that both adults and children could drink. That's why the folk sbiten was invented.
It was first tried in the 12th century. At that time, various folk festivals and fairs took place very often. They were there not only in the summer, but also in the winter. A drink that could warm you up in cold weather and quench your thirst in hot weather was called sbiten. We will tell you further about why it received such an interesting name. Sbiten could also be an alcoholic drink. It was sold not only in taverns, but also on the streets. The person who wore and sold sbiten was called sbitenschik. The drink was poured from large vessels that resembled a Russian samovar.
Curious facts
What is Old Russian sbiten
This name is often found in ancient Russian literature. So what is sbiten? This is a drink that is prepared with the addition of honey and various spices. Why is it called that? The name comes from the process of its preparation. All ingredients that make up the whipping must be thoroughly mixed, shaken or, in other words, “churned.” Now you know where this name came from and what it means.
About the beneficial properties of the ancient drink
We have already talked about what sbiten is. Next, you will learn how to prepare it at home. We will provide the simplest recipes that do not require much time. But first, we invite you to get acquainted with the beneficial properties of this delicious drink.
Required Ingredients
Since there are a huge number of recipes for preparing this drink, the set of components can be very diverse. For classic sbiten, you first need several products. Let's list them:
- spices;
- water.
In addition to the above products, others can be used. Sugar, bay leaf, cardamom, sage, St. John's wort and other medicinal herbs can be added to sbiten. This drink can be made from beer or dry red wine. Next we will look at some simple recipes.
Cook together
Now that you know what sbiten is, let's learn how to cook it. We suggest using the simplest recipes.
Sbiten classic
Sequencing:
- Boil one liter of water.
- Add half a glass of sugar and stir well.
- Add the spices you like best to boiling water. You can add several varieties of them. Remember that ginger gives a more tart taste to the finished drink.
- Again, stir everything well and bring the mixture to a boil. Leave on the stove, having previously reduced the heating temperature, for ten or fifteen minutes.
- Remove the pan from the stove and let cool slightly.
- Strain through a colander or cheesecloth.
- Add half a glass of honey and stir it well. Let's brew the sbitn. Serve hot or slightly chilled.
Sbiten with red wine
Some people, especially during colds, like to make mulled wine. We would like to offer you a good alternative. Prepare sbiten with red wine. This drink is not only tasty and aromatic, but also very healthy. Let's start cooking.
Sequencing:
Secrets of cooking sbiten
Many housewives in Rus' had their own recipes for the ancient drink. We invite you to get acquainted with some secrets that will allow you to prepare excellent sbiten.
- If you want to prepare not only a tasty but also healthy drink, be sure to add various herbs to it.
- Honey should never be added to a hot mixture, only to a warm one. Otherwise, all its beneficial properties are destroyed.
- To prepare an alcoholic drink, you need to take dry red wine.
- To prepare sbiten, it is best to take a large saucepan.
- The finished drink is best consumed warm. You can also drink it cold.
- It is better to purchase spices at the bazaar rather than in stores.
- During seasonal colds, it is best to add ginger to the drink. You will get a wonderful remedy that will activate the body's defenses.
Loading...