How to Use the Russian Samovar for Tea Making?

Do you know how tea is prepared in Russia?

Every culture has its particularities when it comes to the preparation of tea and the Russian culture is no exception.

What distinguishes the Russians when it comes to making tea is the use of the samovar. Find out what this utensil is and how to use it.

Russian Teapot (Samovar)

The samovar is associated with the preparation of tea in Russia. However, this utensil is not specifically a teapot.

So, you may be wondering what exactly is a samovar.

It is a utensil that the Russians invented to heat and keep water at a constant temperature.

Back in the 19th century, when its use became widespread, it was common to congregate around samovars to chat and drink tea.

Just as you might do today when you meet your friends for a drink and a chat.

They must have caused such a sensation with their usefulness that it didn’t take long for other countries to adopt them as well. This is how variants of the primitive samovars came about.

In any case, a samovar – as you can see in the picture – is a kind of container with a tap for the water outlet. In order to heat the water inside, it has a central firebox that ends in a chimney.

The samovars generally have a handle and legs. You will find them made of different materials such as brass, bronze, iron, copper, even silver, and even gold.

But… do samovars still exist today or are they just collector’s or museum pieces?

Today, samovars are still in use and have not fallen into disuse at all. On the contrary, you can find them in different types:

wood-burning, electric, and even gas. One characteristic of their use is that the teapot is placed on top, where tea is prepared in a very particular way.

The Russians are used to preparing a very concentrated tea, known as zavarka, which is diluted when drinking with water from the samovar.

However, in its origin, the samovar was not used to make tea, as you know it today, but to prepare an infusion with fermented honey.

Would you like to prepare tea in a samovar as the Russians do? Well, it’s very easy!

• Simply put water in the samovar and heat it.
• Wait for the water to boil.
• Rinse the teapot with hot water to warm it up.
• Add 2 teaspoons of black tea threads for each cup of water to be added to prepare the zavarka.
• Add the cups of hot water that you have filled by turning on the samovar tap.
• Place the covered teapot on top of the samovar to maintain the temperature.
• Let infuse for 5 minutes.
• Pour half or a little less than a cup with zavarka and top up with water from the samovar.
• Sweeten to taste or as the Russians do with jam instead of sugar.

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