Kvass

Kvass is a traditional fermented drink of Russian origin; around Manzhouli it is often brewed from sliced dalieba bread, fermented with yeast and sugar to an amber colour, finely sparkling with a faint bready aroma and only a trace of alcohol.

Kvass arrived with Russian settlers along the Chinese Eastern Railway and was localised using Russian bread fermentation, becoming the people's drink of the frontier city, its summer version a memory shared across generations of Manzhouli residents.

Best drunk ice-cold to beat the heat, it is paired with dalieba and skewers; fresh draught kvass from street barrels and restaurants pours a glass of bracing cool refreshment.

The bready aroma from bread fermentation, the amber colour, the fine sparkle and the near-absent alcohol set kvass apart from ordinary soft drinks.