How do Russians enjoy tea time?
Russians are known for drinking two things: vodka and tea. Tea is an extremely important part of Russian culture. Nourishing black tea can warm you up, refresh you, and has many other benefits. Russian tea is not only a drink, it is also a social event with a long history.
Types of Russian tea
Although Russia usually only has a few types of tea, such as green tea, herbal tea, and black tea, most Russians only drink high-quality black tea and leave the rest to the guests. Many teas sold in Russia come from China and India and are sold as loose leaves. Common teas are Oolong tea and Qimen tea. Russian supermarkets also have tea bags, including some American brands. But the prices of these well-known brands can be as much as three times that of Russian brands.
Brewing and drinking traditions
Use tea bags to make tea only when you are making tea for one person or in a hurry. Otherwise, replace it with loose leaf black tea. This stems from the traditional way of drinking tea and Russia's not-so-prosperous history. At that time, all food, including tea, was extremely difficult to obtain, and a pot of tea had to serve many people.
Russians usually drink hot black tea and are used to putting sugar and milk on the table to provide tea for those who wish to increase the sweetness or dilute the tea.
Traditionally, Russian tea is boiled in a samovar. But now, most Russian households use electric kettles. True tea traditionalists drink tea from the saucer under the cup instead of from the cup.
Snack accompaniment
In Russia, it is impolite to provide "naked tea", which means no snacks. Typical afternoon tea foods are sweets, such as biscuits, biscuits, candies and pies. These are usually brought to the guests by the host.
Please note that drinking tea "naked" is also considered a bit rude; that is, if there is such an afternoon tea snack, don't eat anything. Hosts usually stock up on "fancy" snacks they bring specifically for guests. Ideally, don't eat everything, but you must eat, otherwise, your host may be offended.
Social Tea Tradition
Since Russians are not traditionally used to going out for lunch or dinner, it is becoming more and more common for them to invite you home for tea instead of eating out. In Russia, the most common way of communication is to visit home and drink tea. Like any social gathering, it can last from 30 minutes to several hours, but in any case, the best black tea is always on the table!
Tea is a solution for Russians to face stress, sadness, embarrassment or tension; similarly, Russians drink tea at large family gatherings, large dinner parties with friends, dates and parties. In Russia, there are very few cases where tea drinking seems inappropriate. In some ways, it represents the real Russian culture better than vodka.
