How to Brew Tea in a Russian Samovar
Traditional Russian samovars are decorative urns of made of porcelain or brass and adorned with elaborate etched or painted designs. The samovar itself is a vessel that heats and stores water, while a teapot that sits on top of the samovar holds the brewed tea. Tradition calls for brewing a very strong tea concentrate called zavakra, which the drinker then dilutes to taste with hot water from the samovar. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Samovar
- Fresh filtered water
- Loose black tea
- Measuring spoon
- Teacups
- Sugar
- Jam
- Apple slices
Instructions
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Add fresh filtered water to the samovar. Plug it in and set the thermostat to high. Let the water come to a boil.
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2
Rinse out the teapot with hot water to warm it. Add one teaspoon loose tea for every half cup of water to the pot. This water-to-tea ration will make zavarka. Fill the teapot with the appropriate amount of hot water from the samovar's spigot. Cover the teapot and place it on top of the samovar. Turn the samovar's thermostat to low.
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Steep the tea for five minutes before serving it. Fill a teacup less than half full with zavarka and add additional hot water to taste. After serving, return the teapot to the top of the samovar to keep the zavarka hot.
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Sweeten your tea Russian style by stirring in a spoonful of sugar or jam. Jam adds a fruity dimension to the tea, and small dishes of jam are common on a traditional Russian tea table. For the most authentic version, use a slice of apple instead of lemon and don't add milk to your tea.
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Tips & Warnings
To brew regular-strength tea instead of zavarka, use a ratio of one teaspoon of tea to one cup of water.
For an authentic Russian teatime, serve tea with small cookies, cakes and sandwiches. Keep servings bite-sized and set out a variety of things to eat.
Drink Russian tea after a meal or in mid-afternoon, but never with a meal.
If you have a traditional coal-fired samovar, use caution. Do not use it inside, and follow safety measures when handling hot coals.
