Birch tree juice drinking and harvesting is an old tradition in Russia. The main season for this fun is spring. Tens thousands of birch trees across the country become the source for this delightful liquid, harvested mainly by kids.
Usually there are two methods of doing this. One is to make a hole in the tree body itself then put some kind of straw or pipe in the hole connected with some bottle. Usually the big wine bottle gets full of the birch tree juice from one tree overnight. Another way is to brake a branch and just insert the branch into the bottle, then tie or tape the bottle to the branch.
Russian expatriates abroad are often ask local groceries for bottled juice and very surprised when can’t get it.
Sometimes, when the spring nights are freezing, one can see his harvest place turned into this state as on those photos. Then he gets a frozen birch juice.
images via yaplakal.com
looks delicious
Maple tree juice is harvested the same way and is even tastier because of much higher sugar content
btw lithuania is No1
OMG someone must have peed in that glass overnight
lol no its not, lol
DAMAGING TREES, WHAT A “GREAT” TRADITION. PROBABLY BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE TOO POOR TO AFFORD NORMLA BEVERAGES. RUSSIA IS A DUMP.
Have you got any wooden furniture Nine Germany??
What does it have to do with anything? Yes, I have wooden furnitutre, but it’s still not ok to damage trees.
Just like it’s not ok to cause pain to animals, even if you eat meat.
Do you understand now, or is it too complicated for your vodka-riddled russian brain?
Do you think cutting down trees for furniture damages them in any way?
How about rubber? Got anything rubber? It’s extracted in more or less the same way as the birch sap. Trees don’t die and are well looked after because they make money.
Your argument is illogical and ignorant.
No need for the personal insults?
so you wouldn’t see anything wrong if someone went to the forst and started damaging trees- damging the bark, breaking branches, maybe even stting fire to it? Since all kinds of damage is the same?
That’s not the point is it?
The point is that you have come on here whining about damaging trees (without understanding anything about the practice of “milking” trees) yet you encourage people to cut them down to make your table.
In any case you hadn’t thought through your argument because your post was simply there so you could say Russia was a dump.
Why don’t you go and damage some trees, if that makes you happy, you barbarian.
Oh dear…..
I won!
only in your mind, but keep dreaming
Well – if you can explain logically how you hate damaging trees but like to have them cut down – then you have won the argument.
Saying:
“Why don’t you go and damage some trees, if that makes you happy, you barbarian.”
means you can’t – therfore you lost the argument leaving you looking a bit silly.
>>Well – if you can explain logically how you hate damaging trees but like to have them cut down.
In the same way I don’t hate butchers, but hate people who abuse animals, even though butchers kill animals.
But you won’t understand that, as apparently every act od damaging the trees is exactly the same to you-dosen’t matter if it’s for building homes or just for having mindles fun. Therefore you may think you “won” the argument, but for people who do not live in a black-and-white world you are silly looking.
Nine GERMANY – You are a sad person.
Poor germany we raped you in world war 2, and i am sure we would win in world war 3 too. Naziz like you get raped.
without the help from USA and UK you would all be speking german now, you commie scum
Maybe, but you’d be dead, that’s for sure. If Brits and US didn’t start WW2 and just let Germany and Russia take Poland they would have just carved up Europe and then would have moved on to the US.
well canadians do the same with the maple trees. to get maple syrop, the one u dump ass use on the pancakes.
OMG. Capitalism has brought anything you can imagine to the stores of the west. If people wanted birch juice, someone would sell it. In russia, you still harvest yourself if the government doesn’t provide it. Sad really.
Look… capitalism just fell over, in case you missed that…..
Seems a bit like growing your own tomatoes… quite good.
when did capitalism fell? and do pray tell, what has replaced it?
not capitalism- so what is it then?
What do you think?
I didn’t say I had a name for it!
well it has to be something, doesn’t it? or are we living in an economic nad political vacuum?
Yes – correct.
Why don’t we call it Socialism
So USA is now a socialist country?
Yes,it is!
Don’t you watch the news you dingaling!!
The current US president is a total, consistent, hard-core Marxist. Very quickly after becoming the president, he effectively nationalized the bank and the auto industry. He is now working on fully nationalizing the health-care industry.
They do sell it in new York and most citys.
It’s birch sap not the birch juice
What does it taste like?
It has a very mild flavour that cant be described really – Other than that, its like water with sugar. Go drill a hole to a nearby birch and taste.
Its sort of a sweet, mild, and very good flavour.
It’s very good. Haven’t been able to find really good versions of it outside of Russia though, since they just water it down and add sugar in the US.
Seriously, if you see a Birch tree, tap it. It’s delicious.
Birchsickles
fake.
picture and most part of story.
author must google about or visit Russia.
i love birch juice… used to drink it a lot when i was a kid… The picture looks fake.. but the story about how its made is true… and the trees don’t get damaged from this.. unless you overdo it (which is pretty hard to do).
Birch trees are also used in banyas for all kinds of purposes
Do not ‘do it’ with mother Russia, or else this tree will pee on you.
It is important for people to know which trees produce edible juices. In northern latitudes during the spring there can be few wild foods available, and in an emergency the tree juice can be a lifesaver.
As for Nine Germany, the German people have been so destroyed by WWII that they are completely helpless and dependent on the system. They’ve spread their ass cheeks for the globalists completely, and if the stores and restaurants were closed for more than a week, the Germans would starve.
BTW, drilling a small hole into a tree does little or now damage. What DOES do damage, as can see in this picture, is stripping a ring of bark from the entire circumference of the tree trunk. A missing strip of bark around the trunk can easily kill a tree.
im sure the broken glass mixed with the birch juice adds flavor as well
Birch Tree Juice
It is watery and pale green in color, with a slightly sweet flavor. The sap of some species may also be rendered into birch syrup, vinegar and birch beer (a drink similar to root beer). Birch syrup is very difficult to produce, making it more expensive than other food syrups. In Germany the sap is traditionally extracted during the spring and drunk to boost the immune system.
Yes, it is slightly sweet. Fresh birch sap tastes like a very tasty water with slight sweetness, but the real drink can be made, when you put some yeast in it, lemon, raisins and sometimes peeled branches of birch and let it stay in the basement for few days and weeks – you get very tasty, sparkling 100% ecological lemonade, a “drink of the gods” in hot summer time.
But for some people, it is easier to fill their internal organs with some processed junk like colas, sprites and the like
Thanks for explaining the taste – both Dan & OB. I’ll try some if I get the chance.
Ask around for “birch beer” in the US, basically it’s the same thing, a little like root beer, but a mellower taste and more nuances.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birch_beer
Good Question…. and after some thought – I have no idea!
No point wasting time on her. Though there’s definitely some knowledgeable people here.
Yes – usually if you need some more info on the pics someone will post who knows something about it.
Can this juice be purchased carbonated and still (no bubbles)?
This is juice,not water !
Nine GERMANY – you are just sick!
You started an argument just for the sake of it.
As scot said , you just wanted to abuse Russians.
I feel Russia is great in its technical excellence, though politically it was unfortunate. I am sure one day russia will start again delivering the best to the world of technology !
Cheers!
This is juice,not water!
soo, you want to tell me, that USA is now a socialist country?
I love my wife’s juice. She always beating me if i’m not liking her.
I do love my wife’s juice,she makes it in the kitchen from a Russian recipe.
Your writing is not as acurate as mine but keep practicing!
Capitalism works when it is not abused.It was abused in 1929 and the market crashed for many years.It was abused again by the US banks about 2 years ago and that started the world crisis.Now the system will be restructured and we will see how it all goes from there.
I don’t think there is a full proof system.Communism in Russia lasted about 70 years.Now it is capitalism which is why Moscow has the most millionairs in 1 city.
And these comments do not always post where they should post,therefore english russia does not always work!!
Nina is a troll. Seriously. Haven’t you read the other comments she wrote? It’s just Nina being tongue-in-cheek
Very interesting comments on this site. Feels like it attracts too many American ignorant douchebags. I love it!!!
They do this at Finland too .. like many things what are so “russian” ..
They do this at Finland too .. like many things here what are supposed to be so “russian” ..
I liked birch juice a lot when I was little. I just hated birch porridge, though.
hell yeah, TAP THAT BIRCH
its an extremely fertile liquid, it’s a vitamine and mineral booster after months in winter. I tried it once, but the leak wouldn’t stop ‘bleeding’ and it ‘burnt’ the grass below the tree. oh, and it’s not storeable, but to drink immediately, in small measures.
In America, we have that too but not in the juice form. They sell Birch Beer Soda at my college store. It’s fantastic.
I can’t believe how a simple website explaining birch water can bring out so many ignorant comments!! Shame on you ‘ninegermny’!! you really need to visit a head doc and deal with your ‘anger issues… this innocent site isn’t the place to whine about politics?????
You can buy it a Russian grocery.com in manhattan new York. it comes in the carton not the bottle. This one come from Ukraine. The ship it to me all the way to Texas.
Thanks for a fun and informative web site.
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