Ingredients
Base
- 500 gdark rye bread
- 4 litreswater
- 200 gsugar
Ferment
- 10 gfresh yeast, or 5 g dried
- 100 graisins
Optional
- 1 tbsphoney
- a strip of lemon peel
Directions
- Slice the rye bread and dry it in the oven at 150°C (300°F) for 25 to 30 minutes, until hard and well darkened at the edges.
- Toast it thoroughly but stop short of burnt.
- Bring the water to the boil, pour it over the toasted bread in a large non-reactive pot, and leave it covered for 8 hours or overnight.
- Strain it through a cloth, letting it drip rather than pressing. Stir the sugar into the still-warm liquid until dissolved, then cool it to about 30°C (85°F).
- Whisk in the yeast, cover with a cloth, and leave at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. It is ready when it tastes lightly sour and prickly and there is foam on the surface.
- Use plastic and squeeze them to judge the pressure. Kali keeps fermenting in the bottle, and glass in a warm room can build enough pressure to burst.
- Leave them at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours until firm, then refrigerate. Chilling all but stops the fermentation, and from there it should be drunk within a week.
Technique
- Estonian kali is often slightly sweeter than Russian kvass and is drunk year round rather than as a summer drink.
- The raisins in the bottle feed a last burst of carbonation without pressure equipment.
- It is drunk with dark bread and herring as readily as on its own.
Substitutions
- Any dark sourdough rye.
- Honey in place of some of the sugar.
Variations
- With lemon and mint for summer.
- Darker and drier, closer to Russian kvass.
- Used as the liquid in cold soups.
History
Fermented rye bread drink poured from barrels in Soviet-era streets; Estonian breweries bottled it again in the 1990s to compete with cola.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kali?
Kali is a drink from Estonia: estonian kvass, a fermented dark bread soft drink. Fermented rye bread drink poured from barrels in Soviet-era streets; Estonian breweries bottled it again in the 1990s to compete with cola.
How long does Kali take to make?
Kali takes 20 min plus 8 hr steeping and 24 hr fermenting of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 4 litres. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Kali?
Yes, within limits. Any dark sourdough rye. Honey in place of some of the sugar.
What is the most important thing to get right in Kali?
Strain it through a cloth, letting it drip rather than pressing. Stir the sugar into the still-warm liquid until dissolved, then cool it to about 30°C (85°F).
