The word "mead" is familiar to everyone. However, not everyone knows what it is. Today, it is often called vodka with the addition of honey. Such a mixture is far from everyone's taste, and a large amount of alcohol can harm the body. And once in Russia mead was highly valued. The harm and benefits of the drink for this reason excite many people. But first you need to figure out what he really is.
What is mead
This is an alcoholic drink with a strength of 5-16 degrees. It is prepared on the basis of honey. The amount of alcohol contained is affected by the preparation method. Back in the days of Kievan Rus, mead was a traditional Slavic drink. It remained so until Tsar Peter I brought wine and vodka into the country. They drank mead during the holidays, at weddings, served on the table to princes and kings. It was cooked mainly in monasteries. The mead cooked there was famous throughout the country. And still the monks make it according to old recipes.
Honey and mead. Is there any difference?
There are differences, and significant ones. Honey appeared much earlier and was a non-alcoholic drink. The cooking method was simple. People took honey and bred it with water. The alcoholic drink appeared later after it was discovered that the contents in one barrel fermented. The first mention of honey dates back to 6-7 centuries BC. e. It was used in ritual services. This is evidenced by the dishes found in ancient temples with the remains of honey and wall paintings telling how to cook it.
In Russia, the drink was made from berries, water, herbs. The main ingredient was, of course, honey. The drink was stored in oak barrels. That he wandered, had to wait 20-40 years. The resulting drink was affectionately called honey, honey, and intoxicated honey. They drank it from small cups on special holidays: the birth of a child, a wedding, a funeral. Under Nicholas II, the honey recipe has changed. He began to boil, add yeast, hops. Such a drink was called mead. It is noteworthy that the cooking time was reduced to 1 week.
Mead. Harm and Benefit
The main ingredient in the drink is honey. Therefore, its useful qualities should be considered. It contains a large number of important trace elements and has fewer calories than sugar. Mead helps fight colds, strengthens the immune system, replenishes energy and vitality, and prevents the development of atherosclerosis and heart disease. In addition, what is more useful mead is so that it helps to increase potency. Not in vain in Russia the newlyweds in the first month after the wedding were allowed to drink only mead. This was done so that a strong and healthy offspring appeared in the family as soon as possible. Hence the expression "honeymoon."
But only a drink that is prepared without boiling has such properties. The fact is that all the useful substances in honey disappear under the influence of high temperatures. It is impossible to find a drink that has been aged for several decades today on a free market.
The harm from the mead can be the same as from any alcoholic beverage. When using it is important to observe the measure. Also, with a drink, caution is needed for people who are allergic to the main ingredient. It is believed that non-alcoholic mead may be on the menu of pregnant women. The usefulness of this advice is doubtful, because boiled honey loses its healing properties, and the possibility of an allergic reaction and harm to the unborn baby remains.
How to drink mead
In the past, the drinking process was subject to certain traditions. Of great importance was the purpose of the drink, at what time and with what snacks. Today, these traditions are lost. Nevertheless, you can drink in such a way that the mead does not cause harm, and the benefits for the body were significant. It should be taken on an empty stomach. To stimulate the intestines, improve digestion and metabolism, it is enough to drink a glass of drink on an empty stomach 30 minutes before a meal. In addition, the properties of mead contribute to a healthy sound sleep. To do this, you need to use it for half an hour or an hour before you go to bed.
How to cook mead at home
For cooking, you can take raw materials of any quality. Fresh honey, old, sterilized, will do. It should be borne in mind that the aroma of the finished drink depends on how fragrant honey is. If there is no expressive smell, then it is better to add spices to the recipe.
It’s easy to make a drink on your own. For the recipe you will need honey, water and yeast. Pour cold water into the pan. Then it is necessary to stir honey in it. Water should be 7-10 times more than the main ingredient. Next, the pan with the mixture must be put on a small fire and brought to a boil. During boiling, foam should be removed. As soon as it ceases to stand out (usually the process lasts no more than two minutes), the pan must be removed from the heat, cooled to a warm state and add yeast. The resulting mixture should be kept warm for a month. Then you should put another portion of yeast (the amount in both cases is put on the eye) and again left for the same period for fermentation. The finished mead is filtered, bottled and put in a cold place. The drink is stored for six months.
Variety of species
Today you can meet not only the usual mead. There are several types of this drink. They differ not only in the method of preparation, but also in the set of ingredients.
- Set. When cooking it, honey is not boiled.
- Hearty or boiled. The drink is boiled.
- Fortified. Mead contains ethyl alcohol.
- Intoxicated. Hops are added to it, as a result of which the fermentation process is reduced, and the drink acquires a bitter taste.
- Fake. Contains spices and spices.
- Non-alcoholic.
For lovers of note
Talking about how beneficial the drink is, one cannot ignore the variety of tastes. The thing is that mead makes changes to the basic recipe. By adding certain spices, you can get a new taste. The ingredients, of course, are selected according to individual preferences.
The most successful combinations are obtained if citrus peels (lemon, orange) or the juice of these fruits are added to the honey. Of the spices, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, black pepper can be distinguished. Thyme and mint will make the drink very original and unusual. If you add fresh berries or dried fruits, for example, dried apricots, raisins, figs to the mead, you will get a completely new taste.
Increasing the strength of the drink is also not difficult. When the fermentation process comes to an end, you need to add alcohol to the drink. Two tablespoons is quite enough for 1 liter of mead.
It is interesting
- During the reign of kings, the mead was considered a drink for the nobility. It took a lot of time and effort to make it, so it was expensive. Ordinary people consumed it only during big holidays or used cheaper drinks.
- To get rid of a hangover, you need to drink a glass of very chilled fortified mead with lemon. However, the correctness of the treatment method can be argued. The first thing that doctors in no case recommend doing is to hang out with alcoholic beverages.
- From dark raw materials, a very useful and most fragrant mead is obtained. The benefit is the presence of a large number of trace elements. But not everyone likes the harsh taste and smell of such honey, so most people prefer to use light varieties.
- The bear is the biggest lover of honey among animals. For which, by the way, he got his name. It’s not for nothing that they say that the bear “knows honey”.
- It is believed that the principle of making the drink was later used in winemaking.
- The expression "honeymoon" is not only among Russians. It is noteworthy that the stories of its appearance among different peoples coincide. This is due to the fact that people have noticed the main thing that a mead is useful in this period of time. It is believed that thanks to her, the chances of conceiving a boy increase.
- Drinks based on honey were made not only in Russia. In some countries, traditions have been preserved to use them during the holidays.
Today, a lot of controversy is caused by mead. Harm and benefit - the main issue related to the alcohol content in the drink. It all depends on the strength and amount of mead drunk. If you comply with the measure, then from a real drink prepared according to an old recipe, there will only be benefits.