Birch sap – level 3

Birch sap is the sap directly tapped from birch trees, and it may be consumed both fresh and naturally fermented.

When fresh, it´s a clear and uncolored liquid, often slightly sweet with a slightly silky texture. After two to three days, the sap starts fermenting and the taste becomes more acidic.

Many Latvians annually tap birches for their sap during a short season lasting for only a few weeks. To make the collection of the sap more convenient, a team of developers designed internet-connected containers which alert users when they´re full. Many Latvians ascribe healing powers to birch sap, even though experts say that the vitamin and mineral content is low. According to a survey, most people tap birches because their grandparents and parents did it and they´ve been tapping birch sap from an early age, often using the same tree.

Difficult words: sap (the liquid that circulates inside a plant), ferment (to turn juice into alcohol), ascribe (to believe that something is caused by something else).

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