In most cases, brewing the perfect cup of tea is as simple as adding boiling water to a couple tablespoons of tea and steeping for 15-45 seconds. While Russian tea needs a little more finesse, we’ve distilled the process to the essentials and the result is a superb black tea recipe that will dramatically improve your tea brewing vocabulary.
Ingredients
- 3 tbs. Samovar Tolstoy’s Sip Organic Black Tea
- 2 tbs. Organic Strawberry Jam
- Milk to taste, optional
- Organic Samovar Sweet Crystals to taste, optional
The Process
Russian tea combines zavarka, concentrated black tea, with kipyatok, hot water served (when possible!) from a samovar, a traditional Russian tea kettle.
1. Prepare the Kipyatok
- This is just a fancy way of saying, bring water to a boil. Be sure to prepare enough for your whole party.
2. Prepare the Zavarka
- Rinse the inside of your teapot with boiling water, then while the teapot is still hot add 3 tbs. Tolstoy’s Sip Black Tea. Immediately cover and allow the steam to condition the leaves.
- After 5-10 seconds, add kipyatok, your boiling water.
- Stir in 2 tbs. of the best strawberry jam you can find.
3. Be Patient
- As Tolstoy wrote, “In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.” You are making a black tea concentrate so steep for at least 15 minutes. If using the Vivid Brewpot, you should see all the leaves sink.
4. Serve
- Add equal parts zavarka and kipyatok to your teacup.
- Add milk and sweetener to taste.
5. Expert Tip
- Create an endless pot of tea by keeping at least half the tea concentrate in your teapot, and simply adding more boiling water–and jam–to keep the tea going for up to 3 hours.
Congratulations! You’re halfway to a steaming cup of traditional Russian tea. Let us help you take the next steps. Order this week and save 20% on all sizes of Tolstoy’s Sip, plus Samovar Sweet Crystals with coupon code Tolstoy20 (good through Sunday, 11/4/12).
3.5 Ounce Tea Box: $19 – $13.30, save $5.70
1 Pound Bag: $74 – $51.80, save $22.20
4 Pound Bag: $278 – $194.60, save $83.40
Samovar Sweet Crystals: $14 – $9.80, save $4.20
FREE Episode: How To Taste Tea The Samovar Way
Engage all your senses as you learn the art and practice of tasting tea. Enter your email and we’ll send you details to unlock this episode of The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide To Tea, for FREE.
Learn More & Order Samovar Tolstoy’s Sip Black Tea
Learn More & Order Samovar Sweet Crystals
How Did You Like It?
We’d love to hear how you like it! Please, share your comments below.
What sacrilege!! a true Russian drinks her black Caravan tea with lemon, from her garden, plus, rarely organic berry jam from her garden, also.NEVER MILK!!! NEVER WITH JAM,TOO. In London, order a Russian tea, and of course you get black tea & lemon, served, only in a glass. No clumsy western cup…..
Hi Dunya,
At Samovar, we believe that tea is personal. Everyone is unique and tastes vary. Our recipe is based on research and experimentation at our Lounges and it’s working great for us and our customers. But we understand that it won’t suit everyone.
I’m curious, what are you favorite food pairings for your cup of tea?
Great timing! I just received a podstakanniki (Russian tea glass) as a gift, and I look forward to trying it out with my favorite teapot.
Glad we could help! Please send a picture of your glass and let us know how you like the tea.
We never add jam into zavarka, only as a side serving to eat with a teaspoon while drinking your tea.
Some people also pour tea from the hot cup into a saucer and drink right out of it, to make it cool down faster. As a kid, I used to do it all the time!
Love Samovar Tea Lounge, a must visit for me whenever I visit San Francisco.