Russian tea party

To have people over once in a month in my home for try teas from other countries has been a dream in the making for the last few years.

I decided this was the year.  And I decided to go all in!!  I want this to be a fun, relaxing, encouraging, educational, and entertaining time with old friends and new ones.  I want anyone who wants to come to come and drink tea!!


I was ready to have friends over for my first ever, Passport to Tea 2023.  January we visited Russia.  I was going to share 4 kinds of Russian Teas.


I purchased 3 Caravan teas...they are called Caravan teas because in the 18th century teas was brought from Asia to Russia by camel caravan.  The tea is smokey and mimics the dusty, smokiness of the caravan travel.

The last tea I purchased was from Georgia- a country that was once part of Russia.

*******

Georgian Tea was nice. Not smokey.  But, we did enjoy it.




This tea from Mahamosa Tea Bar, was the most popular tea of the day.




This tea from Ohio Tea was the most smokey- and that would be the lapsang tea.  A classic smoked black tea, made with a blend of Keemun, Lapsang and Assam.




This was a Sweet Russian Caravan Tea from Simple Loose Leaf.  This tea is a mix of sweet China and strong Indian tea.




I had only one real Samovar.  But, I created 3 other Samovars with teapots that I already had.


I had fun putting the "table" together.  I tried to stay Russian with the decor, but I did use my french plates.  I found these 12 floral plates from France at a Goodwill for .25 a piece.


I ordered the traditional cups from Ukraine.  I enjoyed helping some people in Ukraine as well as having traditional cups.  Part of the Passport to Tea 2023 is using traditional items- I want people to get the feel that they are in cafe in the country that we are "visiting".  I want people to come away with some great tea and cool educational facts.



I also have Passports for everyone attending.  They will get a Russian flag for their passports too.


I put 4 heaping teaspoons into the smaller tea pot with around a 1 C to 2 C of hot water to make the concentrate. I let the tea steep for over 2 hours.





I had so much fun making these teas and preparing for this tea.  I loved studying the Russian Tea culture and learning about some of their fun traditions.  I also watched lots of You Tube Russian tea videos to prepare.  I found it super helpful.  I also had a friend who lived in Russia as a missionary, so she helped answer questions for me too.


I had some non-traditional treats too.

(on a side note, I painted some Russian Nesting Dolls- too...each doll is holding a tea cup too)
Nesting dolls are called matryoshka

Here are the tops of my nesting dolls. 







I had lemons, milk, sugar, honey, and blueberry jam to try with the tea.  I read that some people drink tea with sugar cubes between their front teeth.  Some take spoonfuls of jam, some add lemon, some add milk, etc.  So, as we drank the tea we tried it a bunch of different ways.  That was fun too.


 

These were homemade Samovars.  They worked really well!!  I do have to say that you need to put the tea kettle lid on the big tea kettle when you pour the hot water on the concentrate or you will get burned by the steam.  



Today is the day...and in January you never know what you will get- but the weather was great!!  I salted the steps just to be sure though.  I love that the weather did not stop the party!!


The Kettle is On sign is out and the tea light is on in the window- let the guests arrive.


I had 9 guests.  It was like my worlds were colliding...people from so many aspects of my life.  One of my best friends from high school and her mom came.  My mom.  One of my best friends from church and one of my best friends from work her mom.  Then also a new friend and her daughter and her daughters friend.  

There were lots of laughter and slurping happening.  I had a blast!!!



A dear, sweet lady from my church passed away- and her daughters gave me her tea kettle...I used it for this tea.  It was super special to have Carolyn's Tea pot!



I also taught some Russian words  while we were together too.

Russian tea words...

Samovar-double teapot

Stakan- glass

Podstakannik- metal cup holder

Zavarka- Russian Tea Concentrate 

Kipyatok- boiling hot water

The word for tea in Russian sounds like CHJA

 



The jam from France was a huge hit too!  It had chunks of blueberries in it. It was sweet and delicious. 


These teas last around an hour and are meant to be laid back and fun.  The Russian tea was $5 a person.  This tea or aspects of this tea can be added to your home party if you would like.

February 4, 2023 is China.  
The 11am seating is sold out, but I do have some seat available for the 9 am seating.
Each seat is $5.  
Everyone gets a passport and a Chinese flag for attending to put in their passport.
You will get to see a traditional eastern style Gong Fun Tea ceremony.   I also have Gaiwans for everyone to use.  You will get to try 3 or 4 different kinds of tea.

March will be make your own Chai from India
April will be Milk Tea from Hong Kong
May will be Matcha from Japan
June will be Bubble Tea from Taiwan
July will be Dominican Republic 
August will be Morrocan
September will be Turkey
October will be Attaya tea from Guinea
November will be Thailand
December will be an English Tea


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January Russian Tea - Passport to Tea 2023



I've always wanted to have people over for tea and celebrate different tea cultures.  I've decided in 2023 to monthly tea parties featuring different ceremonies.  

January is Russia.  So, I am researching how tea is prepared and drunk in Russian.


Russian tea words...

Samovar-double teapot

Stakan- glass

Podstakannik- metal cup holder

Zavarka- Russian Tea Concentrate 

Kipyatok- boiling hot water


The spread and use of tea for the Russian masses is likely a product of the Russian Civil Was in 1917, when the Red Army took over several large tea warehouses in Moscow, Odessa, and St Petersburg.  Before this tea was sparse and only for the very wealthy.

Zavarka- which means "to cook" or "to brew" started around 1920.  It was discovered that it was most efficient to make a concentrate.  This then became the standard way to make Russian Tea for all.  The thought is, you basically have tea for all day- because you are just pouring out a little on the concentrate.


Make the Zavarka, the tea concentrate in the samavor, the double tea pot.    The water is in the bottom tea pot, the concentrate is made in the top tea pot.

4-5 heaping teaspoons of loose leaf tea 

1 C boiling hot water for tea concentrate

Bring the bottom kettle of water to a boil.  Place the loose leaf tea into the small pot and add the 1 C hot boiling water.  Place the small teapot on top of the large teapot.  Allow the tea concentrate to steep for at least 15 minutes, and up to a few hours.  Ideally you want the leaves floating back to the top.  Pour some concentrate into the cups and full the rest with boiling water.  

  Keep topping off the Zavarka with hot water.  

Zavarka is usually made with a combination of oolong, Keemun, and lapsang souchong teas.  It is heavily oxidized tea and makes a strong Zavarka concentrate.  It should be sweet and smoky with minimal bitterness.

Russian Caravan Tea mimics the original smokey flavor of the long journey the tea took to get to Russia by camel caravans.  Tea was brought from Asia to Russian and Europe.






To drink.....pour some of the tea concentrate, 1/4 of the cup, then add boiling water.  Some add milk and sugar to the tea. Some add nothing.  And some add lemon- but never lemon and milk,    Lemon was added in the 18th and 19th century to travelers to help with motion sickness- and the vitamin C didn't hurt...and neither did the flavor. 

Some will take a spoonful of jam and then a sip of tea.  The hot jam melts and transforms the flavor and makes a syrup of sorts.  Blueberry seems to be the most popular jam.

Another way some drink the tea is to put a sugar cube between their teeth and sip the tea through the cube.

Americans say, "We are going to have tea".  Russians say, "A sit by the samovar".


It is an old Russian tradition to serve tea from the Samovar after supper.  The Samovar is put in the middle of the table and the family gathers round for tea.   You pour the tea to the strength you like. 

You would never have someone over for a meal and not offer them tea.  And it is an insult to say no.    Today tea is served with a light meal.  The Russians serve their tea with meat, cheese, cookies, donut shaped bread rings to dip in the tea, or another snack. 

Russians drink on average 3 pounds of tea year.  The US average is 1/2 pound per year. Tea is much more universal a drink in Russia than anything else.


This style of glass holder dated back to the 18th century.  It is thought they were invented by Sergey Witte- the Russian Empire's Transport Minister in 1892.

In the 18th century, only women could drink from a porcelain cup.  Men had to use glasses.   The glasses were hot and thin, so podstakannik's were developed.   The bases were not very wide.  So, it is thought that Witte redesigned the podstakannik's for the train travel.   

During the 1950's-1970’s  there were 15 factories across Russia that produced podstakannik's.  They were made of tin, aluminum, stainless steel, or the most prestigious were the nickel/silver. 

















I added sugar only- nothing else.  And then I tried it without sugar.  I actually think I liked it without the sugar.




I made this Christmas Eve day.  I had several cups.  I kept the concentrate steeping all day. 

I started early in the morning- when I got up....and I drank tea until it was time to go to my parents for Christmas Eve.


 I felt very Russian...drinking tea throughout the day.





I am ready to serve my friends now.    I get how to make the tea and the appeal of it.


In my research I found Friendship Tea, it is also called Russian Tea.  I asked my friend who lived in Russia about this tea.  She said that this is not a real Russian tea.  Some may drink it in the states around the holidays to mimic Russian tea, but it is not the same thing.

The American Russian Tea/Friendship Tea - the citrus based tea has nothing in common with real Russian Tea.

2 C instant Lemon Iced Tea Mix

2 C Tang powder

1 C Sugar

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t ground clove


February we will be heading to China for our tea.

Stay tuned for more information.




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