Okroshka

Russian peasant summer food going back at least to the 18th century, though references to cold kvass-based soups are older. Originally a way to use up leftover vegetables and meat in a heat-bearable form before refrigeration. Modern versions sometimes substitute kefir or whey for kvass; purists consider that wrong but the kefir version is more common in southern Russia.

Russian peasant summer food going back at least to the 18th century, predating refrigeration — a way to use up leftover vegetables and meat in heat-bearable form. Kvass is load-bearing; sweet cola-style commercial kvass ruins it. The bowl must hit the table within minutes of the kvass going in or the bread sour fades and the radishes go limp.

Diced cucumber, radish, boiled potato, hard egg, ham or boiled beef, scallion, dill — flooded with cold kvass at the moment of serving. Sour cream stirred in clouds the broth pale. The kvass is fizzy and bread-sour; the soup is cold enough to fog the bowl. Spoon up vegetables and sip the liquid; it eats halfway between salad and gazpacho.

Kvass is the load-bearing ingredient — fermented rye bread drink, lightly alcoholic, pleasantly sour. Sweet cola-style commercial kvass ruins it; you want the dry savory kind sold from yellow street tanks in summer. The soup must hit the table within minutes of the kvass going in, or the bread sour fades and the radishes go limp.