Russian Tea Party

Russia was introduced to tea for the first time in 1618 when a Chinese ambassador presented Russian Czar with a chest of tea as a gift from China. However, the legend has it that the Russian Czar along with the Russian Royalty did not appreciate the taste of tea once they've tried it. So the tea was dismissed as tasteless drink and did not really become popular until many years later.

As years went by, Russian Elite has changed their mind about the "tasteless drink" of tea and in late 1600s Russia and China signed a treaty that brought tea trade to Russia. The trade route, taken by caravans of camels between two countries, went across the treacherous terrain of Mongolia and Siberia. Exhausting conditions and long journey time contributed to astronomical prices of tea, which quickly became a luxury that could only be enjoyed by the Czar and the wealthiest families of Russian society. It was not until the mid 18th century when the tea became widely available to everyone in Russia.

It is an old Russian tradition to serve tea from a Samovar, which is an undeniable main symbol of traditional Russian tea ceremony. So the first step for an authentic Russian tea party is to obtain a Samovar.

Samovar is a big teakettle that is used to boil water for tea and to keep it warm for many hours as tea drinking in Russia could be an all-day affair. Samovar has a faucet in the middle that is used to pour hot water into the teacup. On top of the Samovar is a small teapot that is used to slowly brew a strong tea concentrate from loose tealeaves. It is kept warm by the steady steam rising from the inside of Samovar.

There are many different styles of Samovar, ranging from basic metal to richly decorate. Some Samovars are hand painted with colorful patterns and pictures depicting Russian folk art and fairy tales. Richly decorated Samovar could easily be considered a beautiful piece of home décor.

Tea brewing is quite unique in Russia. It is customary to brew a very strong tea concentrate from loose black tea leaves in a small teapot on top of the Samovar. This strong tea concentrate is called "zavarka" in Russian language and is considerably bitter to the taste. A small amount of tea concentrate ("zavarka") is then poured into tea cups and diluted with hot water from the Samovar. You can add more or less of hot water depending on individual taste of your guests. Russians tend to like strong, dark tea and pour just enough of hot water over "zavarka" to keep strong taste and slight bitterness of the tea.

Traditionally, Russians drink mostly black tea. It is a common misconception that health benefits of black tea are not as good as health benefits of green tea. Numerous research and studies (conducted by Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and Environment, Dr. Joseph Vita at Boston University School of Medicine and Dr. Milton Schiffenbauer of Pace University in New York) show that black tea is rich in antioxidants and flavonoids and might provide strong health benefits, such as:

Aleksandr Pushkin, the greatest Russian poet of the 19th century, once said: "Ecstasy is a glass full of tea and a piece of sugar in the mouth."

According to old Russian tradition, tea is served in a glass fitted inside a special glass holder with a decorative handle known as "podstakannik." These special glass holders are traditionally made of pure silver or silver with gold plating, however now it is common to find them made of less expensive metal than silver. Authentic Russian tea glass holder ("podstakannik") has many different styles with unique designs.

Russians are exceptionally generous hosts known to offer plenty of food, drink and fun to their guests. To complement the feeling of warmth and the aroma of freshly brewed hot tea, serve abundance of sweet cakes, cookies, pies, homemade jams and honey. It is customary to use sugar cubes to sweeten the tea instead of granulated sugar. A traditional Russia tea party can also include servings of freshly made thin crepes or pancakes served with sweet jam or sour cream. Now just sit, relax, drink delicious tea and enjoy great company!

Now that you've got some ideas about hosting traditional Russian tea party, you can also learn how to Host Traditional Russian Dinner Party with step by step instructions on how to set the dining table, which appetizers to serve (try salted herring with pickles), incorporating beet dishes into your dinner menu (Russian Borscht Soup is delicious), choices for main course (Beef Stroganoff or Chicken-Kiev never fail) and many other great suggestions for an authentic Russian Dinner Party.

Want to host a fun party? Then learn How to Host Vodka Tasting Party. It's no secret that Russians love vodka. Now you and your guests can test your knowledge of vodka too!

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