Wandering Lizard
Russia

A Trip to Russia - A Russian Tea Party - Spring

It is said that tea was introduced into Russia in the first half of the seventeenth century when a Mongol Khan presented the strange herb to a Romanov as a gift of state. Whenever it was introduced, tea quickly became a national favorite and today Russians still take it very seriously - preferring loose black tea to whatever it is that is packaged in tea bags. In 1996 the Russian samovar celebrated its 250th anniversary as the center piece to the modern Russian tea ceremony. The crew of our ship initiated us into the tea tradition while cruising one of the huge lakes in the center of that vast country. We learned how to use and care for the samovar and were instructed as to the etiquette of slurping the enchanted brew from our saucer. Our chief guide was master of ceremonies and an enthusiastic tutor - a man who obviously enjoys food and is reputed to be an excellent chef.

I am frank to admit that I enjoy people. These are some of the delightful folks that we interacted with every day. They worked long shifts and provided polite, patient, and efficient hospitality service throughout our trip. During this tea ceremony they donned traditional dress and served traditional delicacies. My only regret is that, with the exception of our talented chief guide, we did not have a common language. There were so many questions that I wanted to ask...

Previous | Continue...