Value per hour per teaspoon in the phraseology reference book. Tea drinking traditions in Russia Fortune telling using a wooden spoon

The Russian tea tradition, they say, is unlike any other.

The official history of tea drinking in Russia dates back to 1638. According to legend, the Mongol Khan sent Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich four pounds of tea leaves as a gift. The wonderful drink was enjoyed at the court of the Russian sovereign. In 1655, the court physician cured Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the father of the future Emperor Peter I, with tea infusion from a stomach illness. And in 1679, the Russian ambassador Golovin managed to negotiate with the Beijing court about the passage of Russian tea caravans.

The widespread distribution of tea already at the beginning of the 19th century led to the emergence of a unique and colorful tea drinking ritual in Rus'. Since good tea in those days was not cheap, it was very important, in addition to the ability to brew delicious tea, to also serve it. In Russia, from the 16th to the mid-19th centuries, they drank exclusively Chinese tea. And in terms of the total volume of import and consumption of tea, the inhabitants of the Russian Empire drank even the British by 1844...

Since 1885, the first tea plantations appeared in Russia - due to climatic conditions in the southernmost regions of the Empire - in Georgian Adjara, and then in Azerbaijan, in the south of the present Krasnodar Territory and in the regions of Transcaucasia. Now in Russia, tea is grown only in the Krasnodar Territory, but 95% of Russians consume it, so it is approximately 1-1.2 kg per capita. in year.

On tea plantations...
...In Moscow, a pound of green tea cost 12 rubles, and the same amount of black tea cost a little more than 2 rubles. This could not but affect the attitude towards green tea; it was forced out of the markets of the European part of the Russian Empire. The habit of drinking only black tea subsequently prevented the spread of green tea. A hundred years later no one knew him anymore.

Moscow was the trendsetter in tea consumption.
Nowhere else did they drink tea like in Moscow. Until the mid-19th century, Moscow consumed up to 60% of the tea imported into Russia. There was an expression “Muscovites-tea-drinkers”, although among Ukrainians and Cossacks they said disparagingly: “Muscovites-water-drinkers”. The fact is that in these regions, even in the 19th century, they knew about tea only by hearsay and identified it simply with drinking water. “Is there at least one similar city on the globe in which tea plays such an important role as in Moscow”? - N. Polyakov once asked.

A.I. Vyurkov left a wonderful description of Moscow tea drinking in the last century in his work “Family Friend”: “Muscovites drank tea in the morning, at noon, and always at four o’clock. At this time in Moscow, samovars were boiling in every house. The teahouses and taverns were full, and life came to a standstill for a while. We drank it in the evening; drank when sad; They drank because they had nothing to do, and “just because.”

They drank it with milk, with lemon, with jam, and most importantly - with pleasure, and the Muscovite loved the tea strong, infused and hot, so that it burned his lips. The Muscovite delicately refused liquid tea, “through which you can see Moscow,” and could not stand drinking it from a teapot...

If a Muscovite, after drinking a dozen glasses, put the glass aside, this did not mean that he was drunk: this was how he took a break. But when he turned the glass upside down, put the rest of the sugar on it and thanked him, it meant that the tea party was over and no amount of persuasion would help. During tea drinking, the Muscovite carefully watched as tea was poured for him. If the glass was not filled to the top, the guest immediately asked to top it up so that life would be fuller. If the samovar, crackling its coals, “sang songs,” the superstitious Muscovite rejoiced: this is for good.


If, with the coals burning, the samovar suddenly began to whistle for no apparent reason, the Muscovite would frightenedly grab the lid, cover the samovar with it, and begin to shake. Having drowned out the whistle in this way, the Muscovite spent a long time afterwards in anxiety and anticipation of all sorts of troubles. It was considered the worst omen if the samovar broke down. In this case, be sure to expect trouble.”

Tea was popular everywhere. Among the merchants, tea drinking was carried out on a special scale. The merchants spent long hours at the tea table and sometimes drank twenty cups (“merchant tea”).


And here’s how, for example, the famous Kustodievskaya “Merchant’s Wife” could drink tea: with sweet cherry, strawberry, apple jam, with honey or with a piece of crushed sugar. She spread the jam on bread or ate it with a spoon from a saucer. Sugar in the 19th century was completely different from the current one, scattered. It was unclarified and in pieces - the owner of the house chopped it off from a large “sugar loaf”, and they drank tea with it “in a bite”. And crushed sugar did not dissolve instantly, but was “long-lasting,” like candy, which helped prolong the pleasure. And, of course, as today, milk, cream or a slice of expensive lemon, and sometimes fruit liqueurs were added to the tea.


In the middle of the 19th century, and not only in Moscow, but in all major cities, tea from large samovars began to be offered to the public in parks and other walking places. Hot tea was an indispensable remedy that eased the hardships of traveling along the roads of Russia.

At post stations, both gentlemen and coachmen were treated to tea, so samovars were placed both in the “clean” half and in the driver’s quarters. In winter, it was not recommended to drink alcoholic beverages on the road, since in severe frosts, intoxication could lead to tragedy, but tea invigorated, warmed, and lifted the mood. But you could drink tea while on the road not only at post stations. For this purpose, a special utensil was used - a road cellar.

It included, as a rule, two cups with saucers, two spoons, a teapot, a teapot with an alcohol lamp, a canister for alcohol, a box for sandwiches, and finally, the cellar itself. Such a chest was widespread in the southern regions of Russia, among steppe landowners who were forced to make long trips.

The appearance of purely Russian establishments that had no analogues abroad—tea houses—dates back to the 19th century. They appeared in rural areas in the Tver province under Alexander II. From the very first days, the teahouses were placed by the government in very special conditions: they had a minimum rent, a very low tax and a “democratic” operating mode. Teahouses had the right to start working at 5 am (when the taverns were still closed). This caused great dissatisfaction among tavern owners, who reproached the authorities for providing tax benefits to tea shops.


Teahouses quickly won the love of working people, especially those living in barracks and hostels, and peasants who came to the market, cab drivers who whiled away the time waiting for riders.

In St. Petersburg, the first teahouse was opened on August 28, 1882. Then they appeared in Moscow and other Russian cities. At first they were opened on the working outskirts, near large industrial enterprises, then they appeared near markets and cab drivers’ stops. As a rule, each teahouse had three rooms (except for the kitchen, dishwasher and utility rooms).


Teahouse owners were allowed to have “music” (gramophone) and billiards. Almost all tea shops had files of newspapers. But they had no right to sell alcoholic beverages. Boiling water was only allowed to be served in samovars. Tea was served with milk, cream, bread, bagels, bagels, butter, and crushed sugar.

This is how, for example, Smolensk local historian A.Ya. describes. Trofimov is one of the city teahouses of the end of the last century, which was maintained by the society for the care of people's sobriety. “It was a one-story wooden structure up to 25 meters in length: two halls, a kitchen, where cooks prepared light snacks - pancakes, scrambled eggs, meat and fish dishes.

The Russian invention of the samovar also appeared (although the “prototype” of such a samovar itself was brought to Russia from China). Rich merchant families kept several samovars of different shapes and sizes and metal teapots.


There were thermos teapots in which hot coals were placed so that the water did not cool down. The samovar was the pride of the family and was considered the heart of the house. Often he personified the wealth, taste and social status of the owner.

Since the end of the 18th century, Tula gunsmiths began to make samovars. In the 19th century, samovars became an item of mass consumption, but even at the beginning of the 20th century they were still considered a rather expensive acquisition and were passed on from generation to generation. Usually samovars were made of copper, but there were also expensive silver ones. The design of the samovar consists of 12 elements; it was heated with wood or hot coals. In addition to efficiency and beauty, samovars were valued for their “musicality.” Before boiling, this device began to “sing”, and its “song” gave special comfort and intimacy to the tea table.

... Since ancient times, our taverns and teahouses were not only drinking establishments, but also original people's offices. Here, for a moderate, or even a meager fee, they could draw up a petition, a complaint, or any piece of paper. And former minor employees of public places “served” as clerks in taverns and teahouses... In the evenings in this “clerks’” hall they showed “foggy pictures” to the audience through a projection lamp, charging 1-3 kopecks for entry...

In the 19th century, Russians developed their own tea drinking ritual and their own recipes for making tea. The custom of drinking tea with sugar with a bite or, as they said then, “with remorse” came from Siberia.


The so-called “sugar loaves”...

So what is Russian tea drinking? This is, first of all, a spiritual procedure. In V. Dahl’s “Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Russian Language,” the verb “tea” means “to hang out over tea, drink it in the wild.” And of course, only a Russian person could describe the teapot so colorfully in his riddle:

There is a bathhouse in the belly,
There is a sieve in the nose,
On the head there is a navel,
Just one hand
And she’s on her back.

In Russian tea drinking, company is most important. Perhaps it is this unconscious joy from the fact that good people are sitting at the table, that the conversation is flowing peacefully and sedately, and that in general there is such an opportunity - to break away from the bustle for an hour or two, forget about all matters and just drink tea - that is exactly what it is. the most important part of Russian tea drinking.


Respectable merchants, drinking hot tea after a bath, had the habit of stroking their stomachs in different directions, which meant that the tea went to their liking, along all their veins.

The production and packaging of tea expanded.

...Among the most famous tea partnerships in Russia, Vysotsky and Co., S. Perlov, Pyotr Botkin, Caravan (T.D. Vogaz and Co.), Brothers K. and S. Popov stood out ", "Vasily Perlov" and many others. The history of the Perlovs’ “tea empire” began in 1787.

In 1895, according to the design of the architect K. K. Gippius, the facade and interior of the house were decorated in Chinese style. This decoration of the building was carried out in connection with the arrival of the regent of the young Chinese Emperor Li Hung-Chang in Moscow for the coronation of Nicholas II. As soon as it became known that Lee Hung-Chang would be staying in the house of the tea merchant Perlov, a decision was made to remodel the facade of the house and the interior of the store in the Chinese style. The store on Myasnitskaya still retains the Perlov style...




Well, speaking about the traditions of tea drinking, it is simply impossible not to mention the following: long after the appearance of imported tea, in Russia they drank the so-called “Koporie tea”, named after the place of its first appearance in the town of Koporye...

In the summer, the well-known Ivan tea or fireweed (lat. Epilobium) blooms throughout Russia.

In its composition, Ivan tea is very close to Chinese tea leaves: it contains iron, nickel, copper, boron, titanium, manganese, vitamin C, due to which Koporye tea helps improve immunity, digestion, hematopoiesis, relieves headaches, nervous tension, and helps with insomnia. In the old days, a medicinal drink similar to tea was made from its leaves, and even “Russian tea” was widely exported from, as they said then, Muscovy to Europe, where even the British liked it. But with the advent of “overseas tea” as a result of powerful competition with the East India Tea Company, mass production of Koporye tea in Russia practically ceased.

PER TEASPOON PER HOUR

So slow; for a very long time, with long breaks. The expression is actually Russian. Initially, the pharmacist’s inscription on bottles of medicines, regulating the use of medicine.

Handbook of phraseology. 2012

See also interpretations, synonyms, meanings of the word and what is PER TEA SPOON PER HOUR in Russian in dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference books:

• HOUR
  "BEAR" - a steady decline in the exchange rate value of the stock exchange...
• HOUR in the Dictionary of Economic Terms:
  "BULL" - a steady increase in the market value of the stock exchange...
• HOUR in the Bible Dictionary:
  - in the well-known sense, as 1/24 of a day, came into use only in the 4th century. according to RKh, although for the first time...
• HOUR in the Bible Encyclopedia of Nikephoros:
  (Dan 3:15, 4:16, Mark 15:25-34, Acts 2:15, 23:23, John 11:9). Measuring time using a sundial, namely the sun's shadow on...
• HOUR in the Big Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  
• HOUR
  a non-system unit of time equal to 60 minutes or 3600 seconds. Designations: rus. h, int. h. 1 day 24 hours...
• HOUR in the Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  , hour (hour) and (with number) hour, hour, sentence. about an hour, in an hour and in an hour, pl. -s, -ov, ...
• HOUR
  in Russia, an ancient travel measure equal to 5 ...
• HOUR in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  a derived unit of time, designated h. 1 hour = 1 / 24 days = 60 min = 3600 s. 1 hour Wed. solar time is 1.02273791...
• HOUR in the Complete Accented Paradigm according to Zaliznyak:
  cha"s, clocks", cha"sa, chaso"v, cha"su, chas"m, cha"s, clocks", cha"som, chas"mi, cha"se, ...
• HOUR in the Dictionary of epithets:
  About time, moment; about a period of life (usually something important, significant). Serene, gracious (obsolete), blessed (obsolete poet.), fleeting (obsolete poet.), fleeting...
• HOUR in the Popular Explanatory Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Russian Language.
• HOUR in the Dictionary for solving and composing scanwords:
  60 …
• HOUR in the Thesaurus of Russian Business Vocabulary:
  1. ‘moment of action’ Syn: time, time (raised), minute (raised), moment, moment (raised) 2. ‘a period of time intended for a specific activity’ ...
• HOUR in the Russian Language Thesaurus:
  1. ‘moment of action’ Syn: time, time (raised), minute (raised), moment, moment (raised) 2. …
• HOUR in Abramov's Dictionary of Synonyms:
  || The hour has struck, the good hour has come, be patient for an hour, the last hour has struck, ...
• HOUR in the Russian Synonyms dictionary:
  moment of action Syn: time, time (raised), minute (raised), moment, moment (raised) period of time intended for a specific activity Syn: time, ...
• HOUR in the New Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language by Efremova:
  
• HOUR in the Complete Spelling Dictionary of the Russian Language:
  hour, -a and (with numbers 2, 3, 4) -a, sentence. in an hour and in an hour, pl. -s,...
• HOUR in the Spelling Dictionary:
  hour, -a and (with numbers 2, 3, 4) -`a, preposition. at the hour and at the hour, plural. -`s,…
• HOUR in Ozhegov’s Dictionary of the Russian Language:
  a period of time equal to 60 minutes, one twenty-fourth of a day. days, and by the hour (very quickly) A whole hour has passed. Late...
• HOUR in Dahl's Dictionary:
  husband. time, times, hour, time; | leisure, freedom from business; | time, time, convenient time. The bad time has come. ...
• HOUR
  derived unit of time, denoted h, h. 1 hour = 1/24 day = 60 min = 3600 s. 1 hour average...
• HOUR
  hour (colloquial hour) and hour, about hour, in hour and in hour, plural. s, m. 1. hours (hours region). time, …
• BY in Ushakov’s Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language:
  (without stress, except in those cases when the stress from the noun is transferred to the preposition, for example, on the nose, on the ears, on the bottom), preposition ...
• HOUR in Ephraim's Explanatory Dictionary:
  m. 1) A period of time equal to sixty minutes, one twenty-fourth of a day. 2) A certain period of time allocated for a lesson, lecture...
• HOUR in the New Dictionary of the Russian Language by Efremova:
  m. 1. A period of time equal to sixty minutes, one twenty-fourth of a day. 2. A certain period of time allotted for a lesson, lecture...
• HOUR in the Large Modern Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language:
  I m. 1. A term, a measure of time equal to sixty minutes, one twenty-fourth of a day, calculated from noon or midnight ...
• Choline chloride
  CHOLINA CHLORIDE (Сholini chloridum). (2-Hydroxyethyl)-trimethylammonium chloride. Synonyms: Bilineurine, Choline chloride, Cholinium chloratum, Luridine. White crystals or white crystalline powder...
• Fish fat in the Directory of Medicines:
  FISH OIL (0leum jecoris). Purified fish oil for internal use (0leum jecoris depuratum pro usum interno) is obtained from the liver of cod fish...
• Sodium benzoate in the Directory of Medicines:
  SODIUM BENZOATE (Nаtrii benzoas). Synonym: Natrium benzoicum. White crystalline powder with a sweetish-salty taste. Easily soluble in water (1:2), ...
• Thermopsis lanceolata herb in the Directory of Medicines:
  THERMOPSIS LANCEOLATA GRASS (Herba Thermopsidis lanceolata). Synonym: Mouse grass. Collected at the very beginning of flowering before fruit formation and dried grass...
• Karlovy Vary artificial salt in the Directory of Medicines:
  ARTIFICIAL CARL VARY SALT (Sal carolinum factitium). Ingredients: 22 parts sodium sulfate, 18 parts sodium bicarbonate, 9 parts sodium chloride, 1 ...
• Field or arable steelweed in the Directory of Medicines:
  FIELD STEEL, OR arable (Ononis arvensis). Perennial herbaceous plant, fam. legumes (Leguminosae), grows in the Caucasus. The root (Radix Ononidis arvensis) is used. ...
• Rhizomes with valerian roots in the Directory of Medicines.
• EFFERALGAN in Essential Medicines:
  Available in the form of a pediatric solution and effervescent tablets. Action. Analgesic and antipyretic. Indications. Infections of the upper respiratory tract, bronchi, lungs. ...
• FRANCE
• UKRAINIAN SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLIC in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, TSB:
  Soviet Socialist Republic, Ukrainian SSR (Ukrainian Radyanska Socialistichna Respublika), Ukraine (Ukraine). I. General information The Ukrainian SSR was formed on December 25, 1917. With the creation ...
• THE USSR. SOCIAL SCIENCES in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, TSB:
  sciences Philosophy Being an integral part of world philosophy, the philosophical thought of the peoples of the USSR has traveled a long and complex historical path. In spiritual...
• THE USSR. NATURAL SCIENCES in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, TSB:
  sciences Mathematics Scientific research in the field of mathematics began to be carried out in Russia in the 18th century, when Leningrad became members of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences...
• UNITED STATES OF AMERICA in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, TSB:
  States of America (USA). I. General information The USA is a state in North America. Area 9.4 million...
• RUSSIAN SOVIET FEDERAL SOCIALIST REPUBLIC, RSFSR in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, TSB.
• GREAT BRITAIN (STATE) in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, TSB.
• JAPAN*
• FRANCE* in the Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron.
• FINLAND* in the Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron.
• FACTORY LEGISLATION
  ? In our country, this name, not entirely correctly, means the entire department of legislation, which in the West bears a more appropriate name...
• SIBERIA* in the Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron.
• PEASANTS in the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedia:
  Contents: 1) K. in Western Europe. ? 2) History of Kazakhstan in Russia before liberation (1861). ? 3) Economic situation of K. ...
• BIBLIOGRAPHY in the Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron.
• CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE OF THE RSFSR in the Modern Explanatory Dictionary, TSB.
• RUSSIAN LABOR CODE in the Modern Explanatory Dictionary, TSB:
  FEDERATION (approved by the Supreme Court of the RSFSR on 12/09/71) The preamble is excluded. - Law of the Russian Federation dated September 25, 1992 No. 3543-1. (as amended by Decrees of the Presidium of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation dated September 20, 1973, dated ...
• Purified sulfur in the Directory of Medicines:
  PURIFIED SULFUR (Sulfur depuratum). Fine lemon-yellow powder. Soluble in water, slightly soluble in ether. Used as an antihelminthic...
• Lidaprim in the Directory of Medicines:
  LIDAPRIM (Lidaprim). Combined antibacterial drug. Like bactrim and sulfatone, it contains sulfonamide in combination with trimethoprim. The sulfanilamide component of lidaprim is sulfametrol...
• Sodium fluoride in the Directory of Medicines:
  SODIUM FLUORIDE (Natrium phthoridum). Synonyms: Fluossen, Coreberon, Natrium fluoratum, Sodium fluoride. Fluoride ions accumulate in the body mainly in tooth tissues...
• Anti-asthma medicine in the Directory of Medicines:
  ANTI-ASTMATIC MIXTURE (according to Traskov’s prescription) (Mixtura antiasthmatica Trascovi). Contained in 1 liter of sodium iodide and 100 g of potassium iodide, ...
• Potassium iodide in the Directory of Medicines:
  POTASSIUM IODIDE LKalii iodidum um). Synonyms: Potassium iodide, Kalium iodatum. Colorless (white) cubic crystals or white finely crystalline powder without...
• Diluted hydrochloric acid in the Directory of Medicines:
  HYDROCHLORIC ACID, DILUTED (Acidum hydrochloricum dilutum). Synonym: Diluted hydrochloric acid. Contains 1 part hydrochloric acid and 2 parts water. Content …
• nettle leaves in the Directory of Medicines:
  NETTLE LEAVES (Fоlia Urticae). Collected during flowering and dried leaves of the wild perennial herbaceous plant stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.), ...
• Lagochilus intoxicating in the Directory of Medicines:
  LAGOHILUS INTENSIFYING (Lagochilus inebrians Bunge). The harelip is intoxicating. Subshrub family Lamiaceae (Labiateae); grows in Central Asia. The aerial parts contain lagochilin (tetraatomic...
• Natural gastric juice in the Directory of Medicines:
  NATURAL GASTRIC JUICE (Succus gastricus naturalis). Natural gastric juice. Obtained from healthy dogs through a gastric fistula during sham feeding (according to ...
• Legalon in the Directory of Medicines:
  LEGALON*. A preparation containing the active substances of the fruits of the milk thistle plant (hot-variegated; Silybum marianum L.). In 1969, from these fruits...
• Holosas in the Directory of Medicines:
  HOLOSASA (Cholosasum). Syrup made from condensed aqueous extract of rose hips and sugar. A syrupy liquid of dark brown color, sweet and sour taste, peculiar odor. ...
• Lingonberry leaves in the Directory of Medicines:
  LINGONBERRY LEAVES (Folia Vitisidaea). Leaves of the perennial evergreen wild lingonberry bush (Vaccinium Vitisidae) collected before flowering or after fruit ripening ...

Tea began to be imported to Rus' in the 17th century. Before the advent of this drink, our ancestors prepared herbal infusions, kvass, beer, and sbitny. After becoming acquainted with Chinese tea, the ritual of tea drinking quickly took a special place in the lives of Russian people, with its spiritual atmosphere, leisurely communication and the light aroma of flowering plants.
Tea etiquette gradually developed. Nowadays tea receptions are called. They are organized in Russian, French, English, Japanese, and Chinese traditions. Europeans have their own customs that differ from the eastern rituals of serving and drinking tea.

Tea etiquette

There are rules of etiquette that must be followed during the tea ceremony. How to set the table, pour tea, hold a cup - all this and many other knowledge is necessary for a well-mannered person so as not to lose face during tea drinking.

One of the most important rules is that you can only pour tea at the table, approaching each guest from the right side. Tea drinking etiquette requires that tea leaves and boiling water be served not separately, but in a large teapot, pre-mixed in a 1:2 ratio.

Table setting

Teaware should be from one set, preferably porcelain. According to etiquette, on the table during tea drinking are: cups and saucers, a teapot, a sugar bowl, a strainer, a milk jug, teaspoons, and a cover for the teapot. The tablecloth should be white.

Treats for tea are laid out on small plates. You can serve milk with the drink. According to the rules of etiquette, it must be poured before tea.

You can read more about table setting at.

How is the tea ceremony performed?

Tea is prepared in the presence of guests. The hostess can offer guests a choice of several types of drink. You should not walk around guests with a kettle of boiling water in your hands.

Each tea party participant receives his own cup from the hands of the hostess of the house. Tea should be poured so that the level of the drink does not reach the edge by about 1 cm. First, lemon is added to tea, and only then sugar. It is poured from the sugar bowl with a common spoon so that it does not fall into the drink.

How to properly hold a bowl and saucer

According to the rules of etiquette, cups with handles are supposed to be held by the handle with the thumb and forefinger, without leaving the little finger. If there is no handle, then in order not to spill hot tea on yourself, the thumb should be placed at the six o’clock position, the middle and index fingers at the twelve o’clock position.

Mugs of tea should not be kept in a canopy. It is not customary to lift a tea saucer with a cup. This can only be done to top up the tea. And the spoon must be removed from the cup. Drinking tea with a spoon is bad manners.

If during tea drinking a guest sits not at the table, but, for example, in a chair, then he should take the tea cup in his right hand, the saucer in his left.

How to drink tea correctly

According to etiquette, it is customary to drink tea silently, without sipping, in small sips. While drinking it, they look into the cup.

If the drink is too hot, you need to wait until it cools down. You cannot drink from a spoon or pour it into a saucer. This traditional Russian ritual of tea drinking does not allow this to happen according to modern etiquette standards.

The rules and prohibitions of the tea ceremony

In order not to violate the rules of good manners during tea drinking, you need to know the basic prohibitions and mistakes of etiquette. What should you not do at the table?

• Do not stir the sugar by tapping it on the bowl. You should not lick the spoon. It is carefully placed on the edge of the saucer.
• Etiquette dictates not to drink tea in one gulp and not to blow on the drink in order to cool it.
• The sight of greasy traces of treats on teaware is unpleasant. Therefore, you must eat cakes or pastries carefully so as not to leave marks along the edge of the cup.
• Lemon served with tea should not be eaten.

Treats for tea

The cake should not be cut on the eve of tea party. This is done after all the guests have gathered at the table.

• Sweets are served in a box.
• Jam or honey is offered in special vases with high legs.
• Etiquette dictates that milk or cream should be served only in milk jugs and creamers.
• Before serving, cut the lemon and place it on a plate, near which there should be a fork with two prongs.

You can read about how to eat desserts correctly and beautifully.

Tea ceremonies in different countries

Tea parties can be held not only taking into account the rules described above, but also in accordance with English, Chinese, Japanese and other traditions accepted in different countries of the world.

English etiquette

The rules of tea ceremonies developed in England are relevant throughout the world. The British drink an average of five cups of tea a day: early in the morning, at English Breakfast, at lunch, at five o’clock, and at dinner. They believe that this drink has miraculous properties, helps cope with physical problems and psychological trauma, treats mental pain and smoothes out minor everyday troubles.

In Britain they drink tea with milk. Brew tea and heat milk, then pour 2-3 tablespoons of milk into cups, after which tea is added. It is believed that this method of preparing the drink makes it special.

How do they drink tea in America?

Americans have their own rules for drinking tea. They prefer to add a large amount of ice to the drink, as well as rum. Sweet iced tea is considered a source of vitality.

It was in this country that instant tea first became widespread. Many residents of the country drink ready-made tea. They brew strong tea bags, adding sugar, lemon, and sometimes a little soda.

Chinese tea ceremonies

The history of tea in China dates back to the mythological deity Shen Nong, who is considered the ancestor of the Chinese people. The tea drinking ceremony in this country is called gong fu cha, which literally means “the highest art of tea.” The Chinese ritual is one of the most mysterious, because for the Chinese, tea is a wise plant that gives energy. To get it with a cup of tea, you must follow certain rules when brewing it.

Chinese tea is very aromatic, since when it is prepared, all the taste qualities of the drink are revealed. It is brewed slowly, in an atmosphere of tranquility, to the sounds of soft music, using fancy tea utensils.

Japanese ceremonies

The traditions of tea drinking in Japan were established during the Middle Ages. Buddhist monks practiced them as meditation. The essence of the Japanese tea ceremony is the meeting and communication of the tea master and guests, a leisurely conversation.

In the Land of the Rising Sun, several types of tea drinking are cultivated: night tea, at sunrise, morning and afternoon, evening and special. Traditionally, they are held in tea houses and gardens, in special areas closed from prying eyes.

• Introduction, brief history of tea and tea culture in ancient China from the 3rd millennium BC.
• The main events that influenced the development, change and spread of the drink.
• The essence of the tea ceremony. The right approach to the perception of tea. Principles and basics of opening tea leaves. Water.
• Object medium and its correct use in the tea ceremony: dishes and tea utensils. Yixing clay, Jingdezhen porcelain.
• Criteria for systematization and identification of varieties, the most common in the world of tea classification.

Lesson 2 – Puer

• Basics of professional tea tea testing
• Pu-erh: history of appearance, production technology, main places of production, differences between types and varieties, legends, preferred containers and brewing options
• Lecture and tasting using gaiwan (pin-cha tea ceremony) using the Tea Color simulator and the “wheel of aromas”.

Lesson 3 – Red teas

• Red tea: history of appearance, production technology, main places of production, famous varieties, differences between varieties, legends, preferred containers and brewing options.

Lesson 4 – Green Teas

• Green tea: History, production technology, main places of production, famous varieties, differences between varieties, legends, preferred containers and brewing options.
• Lecture and tasting of the method of preparing tea using gaiwan (pin-cha tea ceremony) using the Tea Color simulator and the “wheel of aromas”.

Lesson 5 - Oolong

• Oolongs: history of appearance, production technology, main places of production, famous varieties, differences between varieties, legends, preferred containers and brewing options.
• Lecture and tasting of the method of preparing tea in the ceremony of gong fu cha (highest tea skill) using the Tea Color color simulator and the “wheel of aromas”.

Lesson 6 – White, Yellow and Black tea

• White and yellow and black teas: history of appearance, production technology, main places of production, famous varieties, differences between varieties, legends, preferred containers and brewing options.
• Lecture and tasting of the method of preparing tea using gaiwan (pin-cha tea ceremony) using the Tea Color simulator and the “wheel of aromas”.

Lesson 7 – water, tools, tea conversation, properties of tea

• Preparing dishes for the ceremony, caring for tea utensils
• Theory and practice of different ways of brewing tea.
• Biochemistry of tea: tea leaf substances and their effects on the body. Tea as a medicine from the point of view of Chinese medicine, 10 prohibitions on tea, simple tips on the correct use of tea. Rules for storing tea at home
• Non-tea teas: flowers, additives, combinations. Tea mixology, tea aromatization and blending.
• Exam for theoretical and practical mastery of the information received and brewing tea using the Pin Cha method.

Tea came to Russia earlier than to Europe, but later than to the East. In the 16th century, small quantities of tea were brought to Rus' in the form of expensive gifts from Asian envoys. The exact date of Chinese tea reaching the Russian Tsar is known - it is 1567. Two Cossack chieftains Petrov and Yalyshev, who visited China, tried and described this drink, and also brought a box of expensive yellow tea as a gift to the Tsar from the Chinese Emperor. In 1638, Russian ambassador Vasily Starkov brought 64 kg of tea as a gift to the Tsar from the Mongol Khan. In 1665, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was treated with tea. Over time, tea reached Siberia, and researchers in the eastern part of the Russian Empire discovered widespread tea consumption there. By the 17th century, tea in Russia was drunk by boyars and their associates; it was served at royal receptions and in the houses of wealthy merchants. In the 18th century, nobles and wealthy merchants were added to these categories, and by the 19th century, tea became ubiquitous.

Initially, tea came to Russia by dry route from China and neighboring countries. Later, with the opening of the Suez Canal, tea began to be supplied by sea. Our ancestors knew only green and yellow tea and drank it without sugar. Perhaps this is why women did not drink tea for a long time. The bitter taste of the drink was unusual in comparison with traditional Russian drinks (sbiten, honey), which had a sweetish taste.

The tradition of Russian tea drinking is one of the most difficult to describe. Over the past 150 years, there have been so many changes in society and way of life that it is no longer clear what is considered the main thing in the Russian tradition of drinking tea. For foreigners, the symbol of Russian tea drinking is considered to be a strange Russian samovar, previously used to prepare sbiten.
A samovar, drinking from a saucer, a glass in a silver cup holder - these are just external features available to us from the descriptions of the classics and from the paintings of famous artists of the past. It is necessary to separate the technical side of preparation from the inner, spiritual essence of drinking tea in Russian. Tea in Russia has long been a reason for long, leisurely and good-natured conversation, a way of reconciliation and resolving business issues. The main thing in Russian tea drinking (besides tea) is communication. Lots of tea, treats and pleasant company - these are the components of tea in Russian. A modern Russian feast often consists of two parts: food and alcohol, and tea with sweets. So, more often than not, it is in the tea (and not in the alcoholic) part that conversations take place, guests indulge in pleasant memories, and interesting ideas arise. The hostess only has time to warm the water, but the tea is flowing like a river and running out of sweets is no obstacle to continuing it. This tradition also has practical meaning. Some time after a heavy meal, unsweetened tea helps digestion, and the guest gets up from the table refreshed and invigorated.

Technically, the brewing process exists in 3 variants. The first is the most “Russian”: water is heated in a samovar, tea is brewed in a large teapot, which is placed on the crown (upper part) of the samovar and poured into cups without adding water or sugar. In this method, sweets are eaten as a bite. What is important here is the large volume of the teapot and heating of all the dishes at each stage. Tea doesn't like coolness - it likes heat. In the second method, the samovar is replaced with a teapot, and the teapot is covered with a special tea warmer so that the heat does not escape - almost the same as in the English tradition. Tea is not diluted with water, and sweets are eaten as a snack. There is a third way, which has its roots in the poor Soviet era. The tea is brewed strong, and this tea is poured into cups into which hot water is added. The same procedure is sometimes carried out using a samovar instead of a kettle.

It is customary to drink tea in Russian when you have at least half an hour of free time. It is not customary to grab a cup of tea and run further on errands. It is not customary to remain silent at the table, as is done in a Japanese or Chinese ceremony, or to stand on ceremony and perform a “tea performance,” as is done in England. Silence behind the samovar is regarded as a sign of deep disrespect for the owners of the house. For the “Russian tea ceremony” it is customary to use red (in the European classification - black) Ceylon, Indian or Chinese tea. Green ones are not suitable for this type of tea drinking.

The Russian tea tradition has its own established stereotypes, which, one way or another, influence the perception of tea by Russians themselves or guests of the country.

Stereotype one: tea and samovar. The samovar was invented for tea, and only with a samovar is real Russian tea drinking possible.
However, the samovar is far from a Russian invention. Its principle was used back in Ancient Rome, where hot stones were placed in a container of water to heat it. Later, the samovar came to Europe and was used to heat water. It is known that Peter the Great, among other wonders, brought from Holland a device reminiscent of a modern samovar. Later, Russian craftsmen made their own version of the device, giving it a sonorous Russian name, and from the end of the 18th century, samovars began to be made in Tula and the Urals. Thus, the samovar “Russified” and was adapted to our needs - first for preparing sbiten, and then for making water for making tea. It must be said that the widespread use of samovars began only in the 19th century.

Stereotype two: Russians drink tea from a saucer or from a glass in a cup holder. Both undoubtedly existed, but were optional. They could drink tea from a saucer in a narrow circle of friends or relatives, because in society such behavior was considered vulgar. Also, people from the merchant community liked to drink from the saucer, who did not accept the European “rules of decency”, considering them prim and far-fetched, and proposed their own rules, with which guests felt more comfortable at the table. Later, this tradition was also “tried on” by the townsfolk, copying different versions of tea drinking and mixing them together.

Stereotype three: To prepare tea, the tea is brewed and then diluted with boiling water in a cup. This custom appeared in the post-revolutionary years, when there was plenty of “lordly” tea, but few knew how to brew it correctly. In times of scarcity, tea was diluted with water to save money. This “economical” method steals the true taste of tea, turning the aromatic drink into a colored liquid for washing down sandwiches.

Stereotype four: green tea is bitter and not suitable for Russian tea drinking. It can turn out bitter in two cases - bad tea or improper brewing. Properly brewed green tea has a sweetish taste and delicate aroma. And its color is very light, greenish or yellowish, but not intense, but almost transparent. You should not infuse green tea - you should immediately start draining it, as soon as you fill the teapot with hot water. If the tea is still bitter, try pouring less tea leaves or pouring out the finished drink faster.

Another stereotype is that Russian tea drinking had an orderly appearance, similar to English tea drinking. This has never happened before, and this is perhaps the greatest value of Russian tea. They drank tea as they pleased, each house had its own traditions. Unwritten laws did not fix and make Russian tea drinking dead, as happened in England.

If we talk about the established tradition of Russian tea drinking, we can highlight a certain popular image, an average “brand” of tea in Russian: a samovar, a pot-bellied teapot, porcelain cups on saucers, lump sugar and tea treats: pancakes, pies, cheesecakes, bagels and other sweet and not so “snacks”. This merchant-philistine way of drinking tea began to be considered Russian, since noble tea drinking, with its copying of English traditions, cannot be considered Russian.

It is customary to drink tea in Russian several times a day. As a rule, this is 4-6 times, and on days of fasting and in winter they drank tea more actively. An indispensable attribute of Russian hospitality is serving tea. Now this tradition has become automatic and involves, in addition to tea, mandatory conversations and treats to sweets (jam, honey, pies, candies and cookies). A special “holiday” service is kept in the house for guests, which does not take part in everyday tea drinking. The same service is used in the tea part of Russian feasts. In Soviet times, a beautiful tea set was an indicator of the status of the owners. The best were considered “foreign” ones, those that were difficult to find. It was especially important to have a beautiful tea set at home as opposed to catering glasses with weak, sweet tea.

The tradition of drinking tea from glasses, incomprehensible to foreigners, dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries. At that time, tea in taverns was served in glasses, because European cups and sets had not yet come into fashion. Later, glasses began to be gradually replaced by cups, but in some families it was customary to use such traditional dishes until the revolution. Porcelain cups replaced glasses almost everywhere, but in taverns they still remained: tea, as a rough masculine drink, was served in the same container as cheap alcohol, or alcohol was mixed with tea. To avoid burning your fingers, we made a cup holder. It was more like camping, railway utensils, which, under any favorable conditions, were replaced with porcelain or earthenware.

The obligatory list of items for a classic Russian holiday tea party included: a samovar or kettle for heating water, a stand or tray for the samovar, a service that consisted of a teapot, tea pairs (cups and saucers), a milk jug and a sugar bowl, tongs for refined sugar, tongs for chopping refined sugar , teapot strainer, vases for sweets. They preferred to take soft spring water for tea. The tea made with this water was aromatic and fresh. The brewing method was similar to the English one. In the Russian tradition, however, it is customary to brew tea not as strong as in England. Russian tea was prepared in a teapot and poured into cups without diluting with water. If milk or cream was added, it was heated and added to the cups before tea. The tradition of making a strong brew separately and then diluting it with water has taken root among the workers and peasants, and for some reason is now considered a folk method. But considering that tea with this method turns out much worse than tea brewed correctly, it is better not to use it.

There is a tradition of ending the tea party. In the classic Russian version of the 18th and 19th centuries, this was a glass or cup turned upside down, placed on a saucer. Somewhat later, in the European style, they began to put a spoon in a cup. A teaspoon in an empty cup was a sign that the guest no longer wanted tea. You couldn’t blow on the tea to cool it, or clink the spoon while stirring the sugar. The rules of good manners dictated that the spoon should not touch the walls of the cup, and after stirring should not remain in the cup. Pouring tea into a saucer and drinking from it was also considered contrary to these rules. But, as you know, tea in a merchant’s way refuted all overseas rules and provided greater freedom at the tea table.

In Tsarist Russia they drank mainly Chinese tea. Until the 19th century it was exclusively Chinese; at the end of the 19th century Ceylonese and Indian began to appear. Until the 19th century, teas from China delivered dry were very highly valued - they did not spoil on the road or become damp, although they were very expensive. This tea was valued by European gourmets, who had no access to expensive Chinese tea. They bought it in Russia for a lot of money. In the mid-19th century, China sharply reduced tea supplies to Europe, and some varieties were completely banned from export. For Russia, on the contrary, an exception was made, and our ancestors could enjoy exclusive yellow tea, unavailable to Europeans.

At the end of the 19th century, teas from India and Ceylon began to be sold in Russia, and the first harvests of tea from Georgia and Krasnodar appeared. Indian tea has always been of a lower grade and cheaper than Chinese tea. There were exceptions - high-mountain teas of northern India or the mountainous regions of Ceylon. This tea was widely sold and enjoyed success among the unsophisticated public or in taverns. Indian tea could be brewed strongly and sparingly, and its purpose was most often to “drink and warm.” Black tea became tea for pies, tavern tea. Later, the same niche was occupied by Georgian, which was an even lower grade and was sold as part of mixtures (blends). Krasnodar tea has always stood apart from all known tea-growing areas. Experiments on growing tea bushes in fairly cold conditions were successful, and the interesting and specific taste of Krasnodar tea found its admirers. However, the labor intensity and high price of “native” tea did not allow and still does not allow it to compete with Chinese and Indian varieties.

In the 20th century Chinese tea was drunk until the 70s, until relations with China worsened. Since the 1970s, they switched to Ceylon and Indian tea, as well as Georgian and Krasnodar, which appeared 100 years ago, but were considered low-grade and were only mixed with inexpensive Chinese and Indian varieties. In the 80s of the 20th century, the quality of imported tea (primarily from Georgia) in the USSR sharply deteriorated. In the 90s, high-quality Chinese tea, along with knowledge about Chinese traditions, leaked into Russia, but the bulk of the tea was of very low quality. Now the stores are dominated by cheap varieties of Ceylon tea, the second most popular is Indian, followed by Chinese, Kenyan, Javanese, Vietnamese, Turkish, Iranian, and Krasnodar tea completes the ranking. Georgian tea completely disappeared from sale due to its low quality.

As for expensive teas, their choice is so large that everyone has the opportunity to choose tea to their liking.