Tea in Russia

Since 1638, tea has had a rich and varied history in Russia. Today it is considered the "de facto" national beverage cite book | last = Mack | first = Glenn | title = Food Culture in Russia and Central Asia | publisher = Greenwood Press | location = Westport | year = 2005 | isbn = 0313327734 ] and one of the most popular beverages in the country Martinchik, AN. et al. "Tea and Coffee Consumption Among Russian Population" ("sic"). Voprosy pitaniia. 2005;74(3):42-6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16044841 "Article (in Russian)". ] , due in part to Russia's northern climate and is closely associated with traditional Russian culture. An important aspect of the Russian tea culture is the ubiquitous Russian tea brewing device known as a Samovar, which has become a symbol of hospitality, and comfort. It was traditional drunk at afternoon tea, but has since spread as an all day drink, especially at the end of meals served with soup or desert.

History

Tea in Russia was introduced in 1638, when Mongolian ruler donated to Tsar Michael I four poods (65-70 kg) of tea.cite book | title = Great Soviet Encyclopedia | publisher =Советская энциклопедия | date = 1978 | pages = vol. 29, p. 11 | month = | isbn = ] In 1679 Russia concluded a treaty on regular tea supplies from China via camel caravan in exchange for furs. The Chinese ambassador to Moscow made a gift of several chests of tea to Alexis I.cite web|url=http://www.rispubs.com/article.cfm?Number=193|title= Tea Time in Russia: Russian Life|author= |accessdate=2008-04-22] However the difficult trade route made the cost of tea extremely high, so that the beverage became available only to royalty and the very wealthy of Russia. In 1689, the Treaty of Nerchinsk was signed that formalized Russia's sovereignty over Siberia, and also marked the creation of the Tea Road that traders used between Russia and China.

Between the Treaty of Nerchinsk and the Kiakhta Agreement, Russia would increase its caravans going to China for tea, but only thought state dealers. In 1706, Peter the Great made it illegal for any merchants to trade in Beijing. In 1736, Catherine the Great established regular imports of tea. By the time of Catherine's death in 1796, Russia was importing more than 3 million pounds by camel caravan in the form of loose tea and tea bricks, enough tea to considerably lower the price so that lower and middle class Russians could afford the beverage. [cite book | last = O'connor | first = Sharon | title = Afternoon Tea Serenade | publisher = Menus & Music Production | location = City | year = 1997 | isbn = 1883914183 ]

The peak year for the Kiakhta tea trade was in 1824, and the peak year for the tea caravans was 1860. From then, they started to decline when the first leg of the Trans-Siberian Railroad was completed in 1880. Faster train service allowed for tea to be imported from nearly a year and a half to eventually just over a week. [ cite book | last = Weinberg | first = Bennett | title = The World of Caffeine | publisher = Routledge | location = New York | year = 2001 | isbn = 0415927226 ] The decline in Chinese tea in the mid 19th century in turn meant that Russia began to import more tea from Odessa, and London. By 1905, horse drawn tea transport had ended, and by 1925 caravan as the sole means of transport for tea had ended. [cite book | last = Avery | first = Martha | title = The Tea Road | publisher = China Intercontinental Press | location = Beijing | year = 2003 | isbn = 7508503805 ] In 2002, Russia imported some 162,000 metric tons of tea. [ cite book | last = Jolliffe | first = Lee | title = Tea and Tourism: Tourists, Traditions, and Transformations | publisher = Channel View Publications | location = Clevedon England | year = 2007 | isbn = 9781845410575 ]

Production

By the end of the 18th century, tea prices had gone down somewhat. The first local tea plant was set in Nikitsk botanical gardens in 1814, while the first industrial tea plantation was established in 1885. The tea industry did not take off until World War I, and greatly expanded following World War II. Prior to the fall of the USSR, "the total area under tea as 3,707 acres with an annual production of 3,858-4,4409 tons from two factories." However, by the mid 1990s, tea production came to a standstill. Today, the main area in Russia for tea production is in the vicinity of Sochi, which has the world's northernmost tea plantations. [ Pettigrew 2004, pg. 154]

Varieties

Traditionally, black tea is the most common tea in Russia, but green tea is becoming more popular.

Traditional tea in Russia includes the traditional type known as Russian Caravan as it was originally imported from China via camel caravan. As the trip was very long, usually taking as long as 16 or 18 months, the tea acquired its distinctive smoky flavor from the caravan's campfires. Today, this tea is often given its smoky flavor after fermentation or is a keemun or a "black or oolong from China or Formosa with a hint of smoky Lapsang Souchong or Tarry Souchong." [cite book | last = Pettigrew | first = Jane | title = The Tea Companion | publisher = Viking Australia | location = City | year = 1999 | isbn = 0670884014 ]

Nutrition

According to a 2005 study, some 82% of Russians consume tea daily. Tea is a source of various minerals and nutrients that help supplement the Russian diet, and is used in Russia as a source of low cost nutrition. However, due to the large intake of tea by women and children, there is evidence to support that the Russian diet is deficient in iron in part because tea contains tannins which inhibits iron absorption. [Kohlmeier, L. et al. "Deficient dietary iron intakes among women and children in Russia: evidence from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey." American Journal of Public Health. v.88(4). April 1998. [http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1508433 "Article"] ]

Tea culture

According to William Pokhlyobkin, tea in Russia was not perceived as a self-dependent beverage, thus even the affluent classes adorned it with a jam, syrup, cakes, cookies, candies, lemon etc. This is similar to the archaic idiom "чай да сахар" (tea and sugar). The Russian language utilizes some memes pertaining to tea consumption, including "чайку-с?" (roughly "some tea?"), used by the pre-Revolutionary attendants. The others are "гонять чаи" (whip the teas, i.e. drinking the tea running) and "побаловаться чайком" (indulging in tea). Tea was made a significant element of cultural life by the literati of the Karamzinian circle."Знание - сила", 9/2006, p. 105; ISSN 0130 1640] By the mid-19th century tea had won over the town class, the merchants and the petty bourgeoisie. This is reflected in the dramas of Alexandr Ostrovsky. Since Ostrovsky's time, duration and the amount of consumed tea are appreciated in the tea-drinking. Aleksandr Pushkin in "Eugene Onegin" displayed the role of tea in establishing romantic relations::Of single boredom, right away:They speak–but in a cunning way.:They call him to their samovar–:None but Dunya will pour the tea;:They whisper to her: "Dunya, see!":And then produce her sweet guitar.:O Christ! She then begins to cheep::"Come see me in my golden keep!"In the Soviet period, tea-drinking was the sole embellishment in the life of official staff (female secretaries, laboratory assistants, etc). Tea brands of the time were nicknamed "the brooms" (Georgian) and "the tea with an elephant" (Indian). Tea was an immutable element of kitchen life among the intelligentsia in 1960s-'70s.

In pre-Revolutionary Russia there was a joke "что после чаю следует?" with the correct answer being "the resurrection of the dead" from the creed. This is based on the word "чаю" ("chayu"), the homograph designating formerly "I expect" ("look for" in the creed) and the dative case of the word "tea", still in use.

Within Russia, tea preparation differs, but usually includes lemon, and sugar or jam. In 19th century Russians drank their tea with a cube of sugar held in between their teeth. [cite book | last = Perry | first = Sara | title = The New Tea Book | publisher = Chronicle Books | location = San Francisco | year = 2001 | isbn = 0811830535 ] It is also customary to drink tea in Russia with the spoon inside the cup, instead of taking it out after stirring.

Tea is very popular in Russian prisons. Traditional mind-altering substances such as alcohol are typically prohibited, and very high concentrations, called "zavarka" or "chifir" are used as a substitute. [cite web | url = http://home.fazekas.hu/~nagydani/rth/Russian-tea-HOWTO-v3.pdf | title = Russian Tea HOWTO | publisher = | date = 2002-04-01 | accessdate = 2008-04-26]

Traditional forms of Russian tea ware include the Russian tea brewing urn called a samovar, the Lomonosov tea sets adorned with a cobalt blue net design and 22 karat gold, and traditional Russian tea glass holders.

Beyond drinking, tea bricks were sometimes eaten and used as a form of currency up until World War II.

Notes