Birch Juice; Divine Nectar
Beryozovy Sok (Birch juice) is the sap from a Birch tree. It is a water-like sweet liquid. It’s the only kind of juice in Russia that is venerated in songs about the love of the Motherland.
The ancient Slavs worshiped various Pagan gods and Birch was one of the most sacred trees. At that time it was forbidden to take the juice from the tree for regular use – it was to be saved for rituals. But after the introduction of Christianity the ban gradually disappeared. And people started to collect Birch nectar for everyday needs.
To collect the sap you have to go to the Birch grove, of course. The only time you can get the juice is during the 20 day period from the middle of March to the beginning of April – that’s when the core of the tree is filled with juice. During some winters this period may be reduced to 10-12 days. Because of melting snow it’s important to wear rubber boots – otherwise one can get soaked.
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