Sbiteni

With the onset of cold weather, many countries open the season for mulled wine, grog, punches and other warming drinks. Many of us, perhaps, also cannot imagine winter without these tasty and fragrant delicacies. But at the same time, many do not even realize that our ancestors had their own “mulled wine” since the time of Rus’ – honey and without alcohol.

Russian “mulled wine”: what is it

If the name “sbiten” today may not mean anything to the broad masses, then the researchers of Old Slavic history know that this honey drink was a favorite in ancient times. On the Internet, you can read a variety of versions of the origin of the sbitnya. But in fact, it is a hot drink made from a decoction of medicinal herbs and honey. And even its name comes from the word “knock down”, that is, to combine different components together. True, besides this name, others were often used: perevar, broth, var, which indicated the method of preparing a healthy drink.

Sbiten was first mentioned in chronicles of the XNUMXth century. In those days, there were two versions of this drink: winter (warmed in the cold) and summer (refreshed in hot weather). And the oldest recipe that has survived to this day is attributed to Archpriest Sylvester and dates back to the XNUMXth century. Probably, the popularity of this drink would not have decreased to this day, if not for several historical upheavals. At first, Peter the Great forced everyone to drink fashionable tea and coffee, although this did not force people to completely abandon sbiten. Then the October Revolution made its “contribution”, the main drinks of which were the same tea and coffee, and the ancient traditions were completely forgotten.

How was it prepared in ancient times?

Archaeological excavations show that in ancient times, honey played an almost divine role for many civilizations. And the ancient Slavs also deeply revered this product: they used it for religious rituals, as everyday and festive food. Honey in the form of various drinks is a kind of “calling card” of the ancient Slavs, and then the Russians. And one of these drinking honeys was sbiten. Real sbiten is honey mixed with water and spices. The classic set of seasonings for a long-standing recipe consisted of sage, St. John’s wort, ginger, bay leaf, capsicum, cardamom, cinnamon, mint and cloves. Interestingly, even in the 2th-XNUMXth centuries, those who could afford it bought exotic spices from Byzantium (ginger, cinnamon, cloves) and added them to sbiten. And instead of ordinary water for a drink, a decoction of medicinal herbs or fruits was used. It could be lingonberry or mint water, or even a decoction of a healing collection of chamomile, mint, St. John’s wort, sage and many other herbs. After mixing all the ingredients, the pots of brew were simmered for almost XNUMX hours in the oven. And modern mead makers confirm: the longer you cook sbiten, the tastier the result will be. For many years, sbiten was perhaps the only hot drink in Rus’ that was prepared at home. A little later, samovars with honey swill became an integral part of all winter fairs and folk festivals. Right on the street, frozen people were poured overvar from samovars into earthenware mugs, and kalachi and gingerbread were served to it. By the way, some researchers suggest that the samovar was invented specifically for sbiten, since tea appeared on the tables of our ancestors much later.

How to cook

This is perhaps the only honey drink invented in Rus’, which is prepared in just a few hours and does not require fermentation, like mead or surya. Several old sbiten recipes have survived to this day. The difference between Stobushinsky, Suzdal, Mozhzhevelov, Vladimirsky, Moscow and others is in the set of spices used to make the drink. But the process itself is identical. According to the traditional scheme, two vessels were required to prepare a drink: honey was dissolved and boiled in one, and a decoction of herbs or spices was prepared in the other. And then both parts were “knocked down” together.

Recipe 1

For a drink you will need a glass of honey, 6 times more water, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, walnuts and nutmeg, vanilla. Put all the spices at the bottom of the pan and pour honey diluted in water. Bring to a boil and cook on very low heat for another 2 hours. Strained sbiten pour into a thermos.

Recipe 2

Dissolve 200 g of honey in a liter of water, boil, add a teaspoon of cinnamon and ginger, a third of a teaspoon of cardamom and anise, 4 cloves and 8 black peppercorns. Boil for another 20 minutes, leave to infuse for 4 hours.

Recipe 3 (Moscow)

In 5-6 liters of water, 200 g of honey and 1 kilogram of molasses are diluted, prepared according to the classic recipe. The bouquet of spices of this option consists of black pepper (10 pcs.), Dry mint (5 tablespoons), ginger (2 teaspoons), cinnamon (2 g), cardamom (2 teaspoons), cloves ( 5 pcs.), star anise (3 pcs.). Together with spices, cook for about 20 more minutes.

Recipe 4 (Juniper)

The traditional recipe contains honey, juniper berries, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, oregano, St. John’s wort, wormwood, thyme and yarrow. The drink is prepared according to the classical scheme.

Recipe 5 (Fir)

This drink is prepared from a liter of water, 150 g of honey, a teaspoon of sage, 50 g of fir shoots, 3 cloves, half a teaspoon of ginger and cinnamon, 1 bay leaf. According to the recipe, boil plants and spices in water (cook for about a quarter of an hour), when the broth cools down a bit, add honey and laurel. Simmer (not letting the mixture boil) for another 25 minutes. Insist, cool, strain.

intoxicating sbiten

But in addition to the non-alcoholic version of the broth, sometimes they also prepared “hoppy honey”. It took more time to prepare it and, importantly, conditions were created for fermentation.

One of the options for such a drink was prepared from 1 liter of water, a quarter kilogram of honey, a glass of raspberry juice and hop cones (in a modern recipe, you can replace 2 tablespoons of yeast). Honey, as usual, was dissolved in water, brought to a boil and boiled with juice for an hour and a half, then cooled and hop cones (yeast) were added. After that, the vessel with the mixture was placed in heat for 12 hours, and then for another month in the cold. The resulting drink is the old Russian intoxicating sbiten.

What is useful sbiten

Natural sbiten, prepared according to the classic recipe, is a real storehouse of useful ingredients, as well as a miracle cure for many diseases.

Some use this drink as a medicine to get rid of existing health problems, others consume it for prevention. But in any case, there is undoubtedly a benefit from it. After analyzing the composition of the drink, it becomes clear where such confidence in the healing properties of sbitn comes from. First, honey is perhaps the most beneficial antioxidant product on the planet. Some researchers say that there is no other product on Earth that is so saturated with a variety of vitamins, micro and macro elements, phytonutrients and other extremely useful substances. Secondly, a decoction of medicinal herbs is used to prepare a classic drink. Sbiten based on a decoction of thyme, sage, chamomile, oregano, St. John’s wort, mint has tonic, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties that it received from these medicinal herbs. A drink with an extract of elecampane, sage, Ivan-tea and thyme is useful for the digestive system, in particular, it improves intestinal motility and stomach function. Various combinations of these herbs are also useful for blood vessels, the nervous system, and immunity. No less useful are spices, which are traditionally added to a warming brew. To calm the nerves and improve appetite, it is good to drink sbiten, which contains cardamom. If you need to lower blood sugar levels, get rid of fungal infections, improve brain function, it is important to choose a recipe for a drink with cinnamon. Cloves added to the drink make it a natural pain reliever and antiseptic, and ginger is good to add to honey brew, intended for people after poisoning and with severe intoxication. Sbiten, prepared from a decoction of willow-tea and ginger, will help get rid of the symptoms of a hangover. The best honey brew recipe for cough treatment should contain elecampane, sage, thyme and oregano to get rid of sore throats or inflammations, and juniper drink is suitable as a prevention of colds. And if you add fir extract to the drink, you will get fir sbiten, and thanks to the coniferous plant, it will acquire antiseptic properties, it is useful for treating arthritis, anemia, tuberculosis, viral diseases, bronchitis, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The same product is also useful for people after significant blood loss, since fir has a beneficial effect on the process of hematopoiesis. Ginger spiten will improve the functioning of the digestive system, activate the thyroid gland, improve memory and concentration, and strengthen the immune system. It is also useful as an immunostimulating, antimicrobial, sedative and antiallergic agent. Cinnamon enhances perspiration and has a tonic property. Sbiten with this spice is useful for healthy digestion of food, acts on the body as an analgesic, antimicrobial agent, and is also important for people in years, as it slows down age-related changes and prevents senile dementia. Honey brew with nutmeg, in addition to analgesic and anti-cold effects, has antioxidant and aphrodisiac properties. Var with star anise is a cure for stress, dyskinesia of the biliary tract, flatulence, intestinal colic, and with allspice it is already a natural tonic. Bay leaf turns the honey mixture into a cure for rheumatism and joint diseases, and mint makes the drink useful for nervous shocks, viral diseases, allergies and spasms. Cherry leaves in honey broth – treat anemia, hypertension, hepatitis and beriberi, and blackcurrant greens supply many vitamins, phytoncides, essential oils and tannins. Working in combination, all these useful components make winter (hot) sbiten an excellent tool for strengthening immunity. It is good to drink such a drink for adults and children on the eve of seasonal epidemics and viral diseases. In addition, researchers who have studied the chemical composition of the drink claim that it can be very useful after serious illnesses or surgical operations. The drink strengthens the body, helps to quickly restore strength and the work of all organs. The effectiveness of sbitnya in the complex treatment of diseases of the heart, blood vessels, prostate, anemia and many others has been proven. The summer version of the drink is a good way to restore the balance of water in the tissues. Such a sbiten will quench your thirst well and help you to endure the summer heat more easily. It is useful for hard physical work, after intense sports training. In any case, sbiten is a rather sweet and very concentrated drink. Therefore, for therapeutic purposes, it is advised to use 1 tablespoon, which should be diluted in a glass of warm water. Use sbiten-medicine always before meals.

• recuperation;
• immunity strengthening;
• improving the emotional state and getting rid of depression;
• treatment of beriberi;
• prevention of infectious, viral diseases;
• strengthening the heart and blood vessels;
• getting rid of pathogenic fungi;
• strengthening gums and treating diseases of the oral cavity.

Possible hazardous properties

And although sbiten is not a medicine and healthy people can drink it without restrictions, there are still some nuances that are worth remembering. Honey is one of the most famous food allergens. Do not abuse the drink for pregnant women, children, people with diabetes, nursing mothers.

Remember how it was in fairy tales: “I drank honey-beer, it flowed down my mustache …”. Researchers of history believe that this is about sbitna – an expensive, but very tasty and wholesome drink of our ancestors.