A teaspoon per hour. Tea drinking traditions in Russia According to the tea room

An hour later, a teaspoon of Razg. Unism. Very slowly and little by little; barely (usually about an action that can and should be done faster). Only with verbs. nesov. type: accept, speak, do... how? an hour later, a teaspoon.

And you, young writers, have so far written too little—a teaspoon every hour. (M. Kuprina-Iordanskaya.)

“Are you seeing a new doctor again today?” - "He is. After an hour, a teaspoon.” (A. Gorbachev.)

(?) Originally: a pharmacist’s inscription on bottles of medicines, regulating the use of medicine.

Educational phraseological dictionary. - M.: AST. E. A. Bystrova, A. P. Okuneva, N. M. Shansky. 1997 .

Synonyms:

See what “a teaspoon in an hour” is in other dictionaries:

an hour later, a teaspoon- adverb, number of synonyms: 10 drop by drop (19) little by little (14) not suddenly (21) ... Synonym dictionary

IN AN HOUR, A TEASPOON

After an hour, a teaspoon- Razg. Iron. Very slowly and little by little. And you, young writers, have so far written too little every hour, a teaspoon at a time, and only intellectuals, magazine subscribers, know you (Kuprina Jordanskaya. Years of Youth) ... Phraseological Dictionary of the Russian Literary Language

After an hour, a teaspoon- See a teaspoon per hour...

an hour later, a teaspoon- see spoon... Dictionary of many expressions

In (after) an hour, a teaspoon- Razg. Disapproved Very slowly, for a very long time, with breaks. BMS 1998, 615; FSRY, 516; ZS 1996, 477, 484; BTS, 503, 1467 … Large dictionary of Russian sayings

IN AN HOUR, A TABLE SPOON- do something; happen Little by little and infrequently; So slow. It is implied that the result of what l. action is achieved much more slowly than it should. This means that the action (p) performed by the person (X) or what l. event (P)… … Phraseological Dictionary of the Russian Language

an hour later, a spoonful (a teaspoon per hour)- (foreign language) to act slowly; hesitantly, with stops; with annoying intermediate repetition (a hint of the inscription on recipes) Cf. Take a tablespoon every hour (medical panacea). Wed. I told you that you were planning to retire early...

PER TEASPOON PER HOUR- do something; happen Little by little and infrequently; So slow. It is implied that the result of what l. action is achieved much more slowly than it should. This means that the action (p) performed by the person (X) or what l. event (P)… … Phraseological Dictionary of the Russian Language

a teaspoon per hour- after an hour, a spoonful (per hour, a teaspoon) (foreign language) act slowly; hesitantly, with stops; with annoying intermediate repetition (a hint of the inscription on recipes) Cf. Take a tablespoon every hour (medical panacea). Wed... ... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary

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.

A hundred years have passed since the founding of the company, and on a round date, in 1887, the founder of the Vasily Perlov and Sons Partnership was awarded the title of nobility. In 1890, on the initiative of S.V. Perlov, a tea shop was built on Myasnitskaya Street.

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.

do smb.; take place

Little by little and infrequently; So slow.

It is implied that result of something action is achieved much more slowly than it should. What is meant is that produced by a person ( X) action ( p) or some event ( R) occurs over time s/ at intervals, on a small scale. Spoken to disapproval if the pace of the action does not suit the speaker. speech standard. ✦ X does R R happens a teaspoon per hour . unism. Only with verbs nesov. V. In the role obst. Order of component words fixed

She can barely walk a teaspoon per hour, and even then with a stick. The guy was generally smart, but there was a real problem with his speech. Squeezes out words a teaspoon per hour, and even those are not always intelligible. A. Marinina, The Law of Three Negations.

And some driver got caught - he keeps pulling and pulling, a teaspoon per hour. Ch. Aitmatov, And the day lasts longer than a century.

Well, if you're going to get ready a teaspoon per hour, we won't make it anywhere. ( Speech)

You're talking to me instead of telling me what happened. I always need to pull it out of you a teaspoon per hour. V. Kunin, Russians on Marienplatz.

About fifteen years ago Abram Isakovich treated my teeth; I didn’t take a penny and didn’t torture for a long time. He puts a piece of iron in his mouth, drills it and lets go. That's how I treated it, an hour later, a teaspoon. L. Borisov, Assistant to Nat Pinkerton.

The planes were heading to the airfield in Kopushki an hour later, a tablespoon. Cargo, instructors, miners, and new demolition equipment arrived. P. Vershigora, People with a clear conscience.

After the death of [the artist] Perov, some of his creations were published..., but only in small portions, at retail, an hour later, a spoonful, here and there, in illustrations and in illustrated publications. V. Stasov, V.G. Perov.

cultural commentary: Initially phraseol. was a pharmacist's inscription regulating the use of medicine on bottles of medicines. ( Birikh A.K., Mokienko V.M., Stepanova L.I. Dictionary of Russian phraseology. Historical and etymological reference book. St. Petersburg, 2001. P. 615.) Image phraseol. via component hour correlates with time s/ m culture code, i.e. with a set of names denoting the division of time into segments, and with a person’s relationship to time. In this case, in metaphorically figurative content phraseol. hour appears as a relatively long time O/ th segment. phraseol. also correlates with the object-material (ware) code of culture, i.e. with a set of names of utensils that act as signs of the “language” of culture, and reflects a stereotypical idea of teaspoon (tablespoon) as a container that holds a small dose (portion) of the substance placed in it. In the metaphor underlying the image, the slow, “extended” implementation of something. actions with temporary s/ at intervals is likened to the process of taking medicine in portions, in which it is necessary to observe the timing O/ th interval between doses prescribed by the doctor. phraseol. generally serves as a standard, i.e. measures, slow progress of some kind. situations. I. V. Zakharenko

- drinking alcohol slowly increases its effect, possibly due to absorption through the oral mucosa...
Lem's World - Dictionary and Guide
- with tea...
Together. Apart. Hyphenated. Dictionary-reference book
- do something; happen Little by little and infrequently; So slow...
Phraseological Dictionary of the Russian Language
- do something; happen Little by little and infrequently; So slow...
Phraseological Dictionary of the Russian Language
- Razg. Unism. Very slowly and little by little; barely. Only with verbs. nesov. type: accept, speak, do... how? . And you, young writers, have written too little so far - . “Are you seeing a new doctor again today?” - "He is...
Educational phraseological dictionary
- 1) very slowly; 2) rarely...
Live speech. Dictionary of colloquial expressions
- ...
Spelling dictionary-reference book
- p"ol h"aina l"...
Russian spelling dictionary
- after an hour, take a spoon - act slowly; hesitantly, with stops; with annoying intermediate repetition Wed. Take a tablespoon after an hour. Wed. “I told you that you were planning to retire early”...
Mikhelson Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary
- After an hour, take a spoonful slowly; hesitantly, with stops - with annoying intermediate repetition. Wed. Take a tablespoon after an hour...
Michelson Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary (orig. orf.)
- Razg. Iron. Very slowly and little by little. - And you, young writers, have so far written too little - a teaspoon every hour, and only intellectuals - magazine subscribers - know you...
Phraseological Dictionary of the Russian Literary Language
- Shall we tell them a riddle - throw them over the garden bed, over the fence, across the manor’s yard...
- Across the street with a gray duck, across the garden with a quail, across a wide yard with a red cabbage, and in the high tower with a kind fellow...
IN AND. Dahl. Proverbs of the Russian people
- Razg. Disapproved Very slowly, for a very long time, with breaks. BMS 1998, 615; FSRY, 516; ZS 1996, 477, 484; BTS, 503, 1467...
Large dictionary of Russian sayings
- adverb, number of synonyms: 4 barely slowly little by little...
Synonym dictionary

"IN AN HOUR, A TEASPOON" in books

From the book Preserves, jams, jellies, marmalades, marmalades, compotes, confiture author Kashin Sergey Pavlovich

Tea rose petal jam

From the book Blanks. Easy and according to the rules author Sokolovskaya M.

Tea rose petal jam

From the book Original recipes for jam from onions, zucchini, watermelons and flower petals author Lagutina Tatyana Vladimirovna

Goat cheese with black caviar on a spoon “Simply in Rublev’s style”

From the book Cheese Dishes author Treer Gera Marksovna

Section I Hanging on a spoon with its legs dangling...

From the book The Big Cookbook author Roshchin Ilya

About the fork, the spoon and the Torah

From the book In My Grandmother's Kitchen: A Jewish Cookbook author Lyukimson Petr Efimovich

The spirit of Taoist tea culture

From the book The Chinese Art of Tea Drinking by Lin Wang

The spirit of Taoist tea culture The social sound of Chinese tea culture is mainly reflected in the philosophy of Confucianism, while its aesthetics and practical content were formed under the influence of the philosophy of Taoism. The philosophical school of Taoism and Taoism are two

Napkins for the tea ceremony

From the book DIY Home Decoration. Handmade. Fashionable solutions for interiors, gifts and accessories author Dobrova Elena Vladimirovna

Napkins for the tea ceremony Elegant decorative napkins for the tea ceremony (Fig. 57) are made of red jacquard fabric with a printed pattern in the Chinese style. For two napkins you will need 160 cm of such fabric with a width of 90 cm. The length of the napkin depends on the width

Potatoes in a spoon

From the book Games that are very useful for a child's development! 185 simple games every smart child should play author Shulman Tatyana

Potatoes in a spoon At one end of the room there are two chairs, on each there is a cup with several potatoes. At the opposite end of the room there are two chairs with empty cups. Two teams compete. The teams receive two identical spoons, into which one potato is placed.

Fortune telling on tea leaves

From the book The Golden Book of Fortune Telling author Sudina Natalya

Fortune telling on tea leaves In order to correctly read the sign that is made up of tea leaves, take a simple shaped cup. The liquid should only cover the bottom. Take the cup in your left hand and shake the tea, making three sharp turns with the cup clockwise. Turn over

224. Fortune telling on tea leaves

From book 365. Dreams, fortune telling, signs for every day author Olshevskaya Natalya

224. Fortune telling on tea leaves In order to correctly read the sign that is made up of tea leaves, take a simple-shaped cup. The liquid should only cover the bottom. Take the cup in your left hand and shake the tea, making three sharp turns with the cup clockwise.

Fortune telling with a wooden spoon

From the book The Big Book of Slavic Fortune Telling and Predictions by Dikmar Jan

Fortune telling with a wooden spoon On Trinity Sunday, girls stood under a birch tree and threw up a wooden spoon. If it got stuck in the branches, it means that the girl will get married before the end of the year. If the spoon fell right away, there was no hope of marriage, but if it fell for a while

CHAPTER FIFTY Continuation of the path from Sarai through the Albanian and Lesgian mountains, through the Iron Gate and through other places

From the book Travel to the Eastern Countries by William de Rubruck in the Summer of Grace 1253 author de Rubruck Guillaume

CHAPTER FIFTY Continuing the journey from Sarai through the Albanian and Lesgian mountains, through the Iron Gates and through other places Having thus left Sarai on the feast of All Saints and heading all the way to the south, we reached the Alan mountains on the feast of St. Martin. Between Batu and

One tablespoon after meals

From the book Simoron first hand, or How to achieve what is impossible to achieve author P Burlan

A tablespoon after a meal. It’s nice to walk through the city through the array of alluring, burning shop windows and signs with running letters: “S-I-M-O-R-O-N.” Those who have tasted the Simoron delicacies cannot wait to treat their brothers to them. READER. How to distinguish brothers from non-brothers?Seekers

Takuan about the tea ceremony (cha-no-yu)

From the book Basics of Zen Buddhism author Suzuki Daisetsu Teitaro

Takuan about the tea ceremony (cha-no-yu) “The principle of cha-no-yu lies in the spirit of the harmonious fusion of Heaven and Earth and is a means of establishing universal peace. Nowadays, people have turned the tea ceremony into a simple event associated with meeting friends, talking about worldly

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

How different classes drank tea

Tea gradually descended through the hierarchical levels of society to the very bottom. Each stratum of the population tried to imitate their superiors, but due to limited capabilities, they brought something of their own and adjusted the tea ritual to suit themselves.

Refined aristocrats copied the British in many ways - impeccable table setting, beautiful dishes, a milk jug. Here they drank expensive Chinese tea of rare varieties, which was brought in dry form and brewed at the table.

The nobles initially, before the advent of porcelain teaware, drank it from carved glasses in cup holders. An integral part of tea drinking was communication; in fact, for this purpose the company gathered at the tea table.

Merchants and rich landowners flaunted their wealth and measured their wallets. The tea ceremony was a great opportunity to stand out, so it was furnished with all the pomp and attributes of abundance: a samovar, various jams, honey, a variety of sweet and savory pastries.

The tea party lasted long and thoroughly, the cups were filled many times. They drank tea from a saucer. Considering the amount to drink, the brew was made very strong so that it would last for a long time, and it was diluted in cups with boiling water. The varieties used are those that give a rich dark color.

The burghers - officials, shopkeepers, innkeepers and city dwellers - imitated the rich classes and gathered for tea like aristocrats. Lacking financial resources, they still tried to set an abundant table in a merchant's manner.

Tea was expensive, so they took the cheapest variety and diluted it to a translucent state. The appetizers were simple. Gatherings were accompanied not only by conversations, but also by songs, often performed with a guitar.

It is believed that Russian urban romance with a guitar arose and took shape as a musical genre during the times of petty-bourgeois tea parties. With a simple and small tool it was convenient to sit at the table.

Tsarist Russia developed its own tea drinking culture in public catering. In taverns, tea was served in two teapots, which were placed one on top of the other and represented a prototype of a samovar: boiling water in the lower one, tea leaves in the upper one. The visitor himself prepared a drink of the required strength. They drank tea from glasses that were also used for alcohol.

The teahouse usually consisted of two rooms. In one there were large tables on which a samovar and a teapot were placed. Tea was diluted to taste and drunk with snacks. In another room, business issues were resolved, meetings were held and documents were drawn up.

Characteristic features of Russian tea drinking

For some reason, Russians love black tea more. “Tea drinking” has become synonymous with intimate conversation, a sign of hospitality and an obligatory final stage of the feast. English stiffness and obligation, Japanese and Chinese subtlety of the tea ceremony did not take root in Russia. The formalized order of tea drinking has been completely abandoned here.

The Russian soul requires scope, openness and sincerity. Tea traditions in Russia are inseparable from detailed conversations on any pressing topics. They drink tea as many times as they like, more often in winter than in the warm season. It must be accompanied by sweets - jam, pastries, honey, sweets.

For guests in many houses there are festive services: dining room and tea. In Soviet times, such special dishes were an indicator of well-being and status in society. All housewives, in order to somehow join the elite, dreamed of a mother-of-pearl Madonna service.

Festive table

Two stages of the Russian feast always remain unchanged: main courses with alcoholic drinks and tea with desserts. During the table change, guests, tired from a hearty meal, go out to have a smoke and powder their noses, and settle in for leisurely tea drinking and frank conversations. Strong tea promotes digestion and invigorates.

This continuation of the feast saves you from the consequences of overeating and excessive intoxication. Table setting and the method of brewing tea depend on the hostess. Candy, honey, sugar, jam, lemon slices, pastries or cake, milk/cream in a milk jug are displayed.

Special “sweet table”

This is what is commonly called an economical type of feast, reduced to tea drinking. It is used for various reasons: organizers want to quickly celebrate some event without etiquette formalities, there is little time for communication, circumstances do not allow them to set a full table, and so on. Often in such cases, they take bagged tea and a minimal set of sweets in disposable containers, or they put together a table together.

Homely

Russians drink tea several times a day, at home and at work: as a “third” after the main meal or separately, with or without dessert. Usually, both at home and in the office, everyone has their own favorite cup. They often drink it in front of the TV.

Fans add aromatic herbs or spices to tea leaves. If tea is prepared for the whole family, it is infused in a teapot and diluted with boiling water in cups. Add boiling water to the teapot 1-2 times as it is empty.

Unexpected guests

Treating yourself to tea is a common sign of hospitality, even if a person does not come to visit, but for some purpose. Especially in cold weather, offering a cup of tea to a chilled visitor is a sacred thing. There are no established rules here.

If desired, the owner can keep the guest company or offer some sweets, but he may not do this. This tradition is also followed in offices, depending on how much time the visitor spends there.

Tea drinking in Russian is very democratic - every home has its own traditions and recipes. Tea is brewed in different ways. They are all extremely simple. The main feature was and remains “double-teapot” brewing and good heating.

The happy owners of the samovar placed a large teapot on top in a special nest. As the water in the samovar warmed up, the vessel with tea warmed up. The drink was poured into glasses without diluting, and drank with sweets.
If there is no samovar, then a “tea pair” was made from a teapot and teapot. The tea leaves were poured with boiling water in a teapot and insulated for infusion. They often sewed a beautiful special heating pad for him - a “baba”. This tea was served undiluted, with sweets as an aftertaste.
The third method is perhaps the simplest, most economical and popular in Soviet times: a very strong infusion was made in a teapot, poured a little into cups, and topped up with hot water.

We must give tea its due - it has gained such popularity that it has completely replaced traditional Russian drinks from everyday life. And you didn’t even have to invent dishes. Russian sbiten was always prepared in a samovar, which is similar in composition to non-alcoholic mulled wine.

Sbiten: A very thick dark red decoction is prepared from molasses mixed with spices (St. John’s wort, capsicum, bay leaf, sage, ginger, nutmeg) and poured into jars. The viscous liquid is diluted with water as needed and sugar is added.

Fruit juice and mead were also popular drinks. With the advent of tea, the samovar was “re-qualified” for “tea making”.

Popular types

Tea gourmets appeared in Russia right away. Very rare elite varieties of Chinese tea came into the country, including imperial yellow and expensive representatives of black “flower” tea.

In Moscow there were several hundred Chinese shops, where the choice of green and black was very rich. Muscovites fell in love with the green teas “Imperial Liansin” and “Pearl Selected”, the yellow “Yunfacho with Flowers” and the white “Silver Needles” varieties. The northern capital preferred the delicate taste of flower varieties.

In big cities the choice of tea was easier. Residents of rural areas did not understand elite drinks and were not puzzled by varieties and quality. Firstly, the best and cheapest varieties were not available for sale, and secondly, due to high prices, peasants preferred to prepare harvests instead:

“Koporsky” from dried fireweed herb;
“wooden” from leaves and bark of trees (birch, oak, ash);
herbal preparations;
from leaves and fruits of fruit trees and berry bushes.

Unscrupulous businessmen, ready to use any tricks to play on the popularity of the product and profit, took advantage of such a rich assortment of alternative drinks. This is how adulterated teas appeared.

They had to look like the real thing, so homemade preparations were treated with dyes, often poisonous, mixed with unnatural additives and passed off as a natural product. The worst type of such activity was manipulation of the tea leaves that were collected from tea establishments. The government has developed a suppression scheme and a system of punishment for counterfeit dealers.

Thanks to folk ingenuity, many recipes for alternative drinks have been tried. Some of them were liked so much that they became popular. This is how the concept of “herbal tea” came into Russian use.

Stereotypes

The traditions of Russian tea drinking have developed their own clichés that influence its assessment. Non-existent forms and facts are attributed to him, but:

The samovar is not a Russian invention, but has been used for a very long time, first for whipping, then for tea.
Saucer - drinking from it is considered vulgar. But anyone who has tried it knows that it really tastes better. This was customary among merchants, and later among the bourgeoisie.
A glass with a cup holder is a tea exhibit, a tribute to the time, echoes of which remain on Russian trains. But still, good tea in a glass is great. Especially if you look at the light.
Baba on a teapot - a toy with wide skirts can be replaced by a funny chicken or a multi-colored rooster with wings outstretched on the teapot. In extreme cases, the owner's hat will do. As long as the tea doesn't freeze.
Tea leaves - why not, so as not to bother with endless brews in the middle of a conversation.

Tea is a universal drink that simultaneously nourishes, invigorates and soothes. It is pleasant to be with him in company and alone. And it’s even good to read about it over tea.

photo: depositphotos.com/island, Forewer

A teaspoon per hour. Tea drinking traditions in Russia According to the tea room

See what “a teaspoon in an hour” is in other dictionaries:

"IN AN HOUR, A TEASPOON" in books

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Characteristic features of Russian tea drinking

Festive table

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Homely

Unexpected guests

Popular types

Stereotypes