Way to Russia Talk Lounge

Moniek · Just Starting Joined: 30 Sep 2008 Posts: 3

I'm doing a small research on the russian tea culture and I was wondering if everybody in Russia still uses a Samovar to prepare their tea. And also what is the most important ingredient of the Russian tea culture?

Can anybody please help me?

Ender · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 7:05 am Post subject:

You can encounter a samovar probably in the countryside but deffinitely not in a city. Russians use electric or ordinary teapots in order to boil the water. I don't see anything special in Russian tea culture. I think that the most important ingredient of Russian tea culture is that people usually drink tea together and discuss various things. I guess this is similar to other cultures.

gomer · WayToRussified Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 445

Ice tea is popular in some countries. Muscovites I met heard of ice tea but none ever drank any, even during summer.

Ender · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 7:12 am Post subject:

Varrah · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 4:39 pm Post subject:

Russians use samovars rarely these days.
This is either for special case or if every other method of boiling water is not accessible in the exact moment.
Samovars these days are electric mostly.
To find a fire-heated samovar is hard. It is almost impossible to use it in a city, so yes, more chances to see it on a countryside.

Russians do not like packeted and instant tea - the worst tea-leaves go there.The main point of a good tee, that it should be leaf tea. You should make it with a special small tea-pot.

Many Russians prefer to make so-called "zavarka" - kind of tea concentrate in a tea-pot, which you can make once and then use for the whole day (or more - depends on the tea) to make full-flavour tea with just small amount of "zavarka" and hot water.

I was shocked to see that in Europe and US people only drink packeted tea, even in 5-star hotels/restaraunts.

UPD: about the cold tea - believe me, there's no better drink for a thursty man in a hot summer day, than a cup of good green tea Smile

Moniek · Just Starting Joined: 30 Sep 2008 Posts: 3

Thank you all so much for your replies! If you have any other information about tea and Russia you know where to post it!

Halida Koethe · Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 3:54 pm Post subject:

u have to go to special shop, as Cofeynaya Contanta, or Coffe and Tea, or some other shops wer u can buy a relly nice tea, green or white or black or fruit... sometime u can buy it in big supermatkets (as O key, ASHAN, KARUSEL, LENTA < REAL)
Usually tea in package (as Lipton Ahmad and others) people drink at work ( because it s more fast to do it and u dont need to wash things after this)
From packaged tea Greenfeld is more better.
Wink

U can bye from Nestle Nestea, just call to order office in ur city and they will bring it to ur home...
So...just look it in ur city Smile

Avis · Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 12:42 pm Post subject:

I wonder if there's any tea culture in Russia Laughing

As for packeted tea i would say it's quite a usual thing among those people i know (me either).
Anyway it all depends.

Moniek · Just Starting Joined: 30 Sep 2008 Posts: 3

I have an other question I hope you can help me with: Do you know why the Samovar isn't used in the city anymore?

Ender · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 6:22 pm Post subject: