[RU] Civilization : tea the russian way

[N_Molson]

Hello,

From what I know, (black) tea is very popular in Russia (more than coffee) and I'd be interested to have tips about the origin of the best sorts, how to prepare it, how to make it stronger/lighter, etc...

In my russian-learning process I've managed to get addicted to it (and it seems to be better for my nerves than coffee), so I'd like to do things the proper way !

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

Hello,

From what I know, (black) tea is very popular in Russia (more than coffee) and I'd be interested to have tips about the origin of the best sorts, how to prepare it, how to make it stronger/lighter, etc...

In my russian-learning process I've managed to get addicted to it (and it seems to be better for my nerves than coffee), so I'd like to do things the proper way !

Strange to associate black tea as a "russian thing", do you mean a particular blend specific to them? If you want really strong tea, youll need to brew it, then boil off some of the moisture, but I hear the taste is rather extreme at that point.

Strangely enough, I find Irish/English breakfast tea helps me calm down at night.

 

[Yurik]

Hello,

From what I know, (black) tea is very popular in Russia (more than coffee)

Есть такое дело / Right you are, and not only in Russia

 

[SiberianTiger]

My way:

Buy a bif leaf black tea (actually, as I have learnt in a tea-growing Caucasus region, green tea is different to black tea only in the specifics of leaf withering). The Chinese export some very good sorts (don't try to be extreme in selection of them, though).

Get a china kettle about 0.5 to 1 litre in volume. Make a boiling water separately. Pour a little boiling water into the china kettle. Close the lid and rock the kettle a bit, to let hot water warm the walls. Empty the china kettle. Then put in it few teaspoons of tea leaves: one for each drinking person and extra one for the kettle. Close the lid. Let the leaves to rest inside the warm kettle for a while: they'll develop aroma in the process. After few minutes, fill the china kettle with the boiling water by 1/2 of it. Leave your tea alone for at least 15 minutes so it would grow in strength. Then fill the rest of the kettle with boiling water.

Now, it's the time for your tea set to appear. If your kettle is a litre or bigger, you can pour tea into cups up to the edge, but that would be a strong brew. For a lighter infusion, fill cups by half of less and add in some bolied water. Offer your guests sugar, honey, lemon slices, confiture, chocolate. Have fun!

Also, don't let your girlfriend to make a tea for you: somehow, tea loves to be cooked by men more. :lol:

A truly Russian way of making boiling the water would be to use a coal samovar, but that's publicly regarded obsolete in the age of peaceful nuclear energy.

 

[N_Molson]

A truly Russian way of making boiling the water would be to use a coal samovar, but that's publicly regarded obsolete in the age of peaceful nuclear energy.

That's what our teacher said ; ideally you can put the kettle on top of the samovar, so it keeps it warm. Also she said that there are electrical-nuclear samovars nowadays, with resistors instead of burning coal :lol:

Also she said that to make strong tea, you should dip a tea bag less than 5 minutes ; she said that boiling water kills the effect of theïne with time. Did you have ever heard of that ?

BTW making tea with leaves seems "more professional" to me, but then the manual removing of the leaves in near-boiling water seems a little iffy :yes:

Also, don't let your girlfriend to make a tea for you: somehow, tea loves to be cooked by men more.

Obviously

Edit : also as I had sleep difficulties, I asked my doctor if caffeïne was stronger than theïne, and he said that both have extremely similar effects.

 

[PeterRoss]

Although tea bags are widely used nowadays, making tea this way is generally considered as profanation Leaf tea is the only 'true' way of making tea in Russia. There are special means used with teapot to prevent leaves from getting into a cap like a strainer. My teapot has an internal bay with perforated walls which helps to keep leaves inside.

---------- Post added at 07:42 ---------- Previous post was at 07:35 ----------

As a rule Russians drink very hot tea. When I heard first time about drinking tea with icecubes I was shocked to the point of feeling myself insulted :lol:

 

[N_Molson]

My teapot has an internal bay with perforated walls which helps to keep leaves inside.

Russian hi-tech ! :lol:

As a rule Russians drink very hot tea. When I heard first time about drinking tea with icecubes I was shocked to the point of feeling myself insulted.

Agreed, I'm definitively against "ice tea". :yes:

Anyway if you forget your hot cup 10 minutes outside in winter...

 

[PeterRoss]

Anyway if you forget your hot cup 10 minutes outside in winter...

If you find yourself outside in winter cold with a cup of hot tea you'll be clutching it with both hands trying to get warm and won't just 'forget' it, I tell you by my experience :lol:

 

[mc_]

Main rule of russian tea drinking: don't get the spoon out of the cup.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Main rule of russian tea drinking: don't get the spoon out of the cup.

And don't forget to squint your right eye, so it doesn't get damaged by the spoon! :rofl:

 

[N_Molson]

It's where wearing glasses can pay off ! :lol:

 

[paddy2]

But surely a monocle is required wear!

While I like a cup of coffe, it never the real "oohhhhh" a pot of tea has

 

[N_Molson]

Well, I drank a mug of black tea this morning and it kept me awake pretty well. But I think it was very strong, as the bottom of the mug had almost an acid taste ! :lol: But again, for some reason, I don't experience the adverse "hand shaking" effects coffee always causes on me... :hmm:

 

[SiberianTiger]

Well, I drank a mug of black tea this morning and it kept me awake pretty well. But I think it was very strong, as the bottom of the mug had almost an acid taste ! :lol:

Don't overdo your cultural immersing exercises with tea in high concentrations: you might end up becoming familiar with simple pleasures of prisoners in Russian jails...

 

[Eccentrus]

Wow, a thread concentrating on the topic of tea, me likey, too bad I drink the British and Chinese ones, never heard of Russian teas before.

 

[PeterRoss]

Don't overdo your cultural immersing exercises with tea in high concentrations: you might end up becoming familiar with simple pleasures of prisoners in Russian jails...

They call it чифир. A tea concentrated to the point it causes effects similar to drugs.

Wow, a thread concentrating on the topic of tea, me likey, too bad I drink the British and Chinese ones, never heard of Russian teas before.

Neither we heard anything about Russian tea It's Indian or Chinese mainly.

 

[N_Molson]

They call it чифир. A tea concentrated to the point it causes effects similar to drugs.

Interesting :hmm:

 

[PeterRoss]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chifir'

 

[N_Molson]

Jules Verne's book In Search of the Castaways mentions Australian tea similar to chifir' (a quart of water, in which half a pound of tea had been boiled four hours).

Wow that's what I call concentrated ! I guess you reach the saturation level of tea in water that way ! :blink:

 

[amzee82]

OHH TEA