Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Thursday, June 24, 2010
Frank and I were at Naran Tuul (aka the Black Market) yesterday when we noticed these mini-tankers all over the place selling what appeared to be beer. Frank did a bit of searching on the internet and found that it was kvass and not beer. Kvass is a very mildly alcoholic beverage based on fermented rye bread. Wikipedia reports that it is commonly drunk throughout the former Soviet Union. Of course, Mongolia was not part of the USSR, but it was heavily influenced by the Soviets.
Today Frank went back for some more shopping at the Black Market and decided he'd give it a try. He reports that it is sweet, wonderfully refreshing, and that he could not detect any alcohol--sort of like lightly sweetened ice tea.
The perfect thing for a 99°F (37°C) day.
