In Russia there were a lot of drinks that were consumed before the appearance of the well-known tea. Great-grandfathers were very fond of infusions and decoctions of fragrant herbs, drank berry fruit drinks, brewed kvass, compotes and from the bark of trees. For a beautiful color, dried fruits of carrots and beets were added to such decoctions, which were pre-fried. From fermented milk products they used yogurt and whey.

But truly Russian drinks have always been:
- sbiten,
- boozer,
- mead,
- kvass,
- full or full.

Sbiten is a hot drink that is obtained after infusing honey on water. Honey dissolved in water with the addition of spices was boiled for half an hour. They drank this drink and, and cold.

Tea was first brought to Russia in 1638 by the Russian boyar and ambassador Vasily Starkov as a gift from the Mongol ruler. It was not the usual drink of today, but the famous Altyn-Khaan: tea with milk and lard.

Boozer and mead

The booze was a thick (jelly-like) broth - hence the name. Most often, raspberries and beaks were used for cooking. The cooking process was, one pot could be simmered in the oven for up to a day, after which it was filtered and left to stand overnight.

Mead, like sbiten, was prepared on the basis of honey. By the way, sugar Rus not so long ago - a couple of centuries ago, and therefore honey was added to all drinks until the 18th century. Honey drink was brewed in a Russian oven with the addition of hops, after which it was taken out and left in a warm place for three days, at which time the fermentation process.

Mead was considered ready only when air bubbles stopped walking through the liquid. The drink was poured into bottles and stored underground. It is worth noting that mead is considered a low-alcohol drink, it was served on holidays, it was taken to the peasants in the field during the mowing.

Kvass

For the first time in Russia, kvass was made and consumed as a drink in 996. It was prepared on the basis of oats, rye flour and rye sourdough. Any of these components was poured with warm water with the addition of honey. The drink was infused for several days.

Thanks to Domostroi, more than 500 types of kvass are known today, which were prepared in Russia. Contrary to popular belief, this drink was drunk not only by peasants, but by boyars and even tsars.

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And, finally, being full or full in Russia in ancient times replaced tea in its properties and characteristics. This drink was prepared simply: the honey was diluted and drunk hot or chilled. For flavor, it was often added.

It is also known that in Russia they drank Ivan-tea or Koporsky tea, which was prepared from the leaves of the fireweed plant. This drink tasted like modern tea. Interestingly, this drink is still very popular today due to its healing properties.

Tea is a traditional drink in Russia, and it has become such a long time ago. However, everyone should understand that tea was not always in our country. A couple of hundred years ago, no one had heard of such a drink. Therefore, you will most likely be interested in learning about how tea appeared in Russia. And, of course, you should find out what they drank in Russia before the appearance of tea. The territory of modern Russia has always been rather cold), so there has always been a need for warming drinks. How did the ancestors save themselves from the cold? They had their own set of drinks, which will now be discussed. You will find out what they drank in Russia before the appearance of tea, and also, of course, when exactly tea came here, how its culture developed and when it became the most widespread drink.

Mead

If we talk about what they drank in Russia before the appearance of tea, then first of all, of course, it is worth mentioning mead. In general, in those days, honey was cheaper than sugar, so a lot was prepared using this product, and it is not surprising that mead gained such popularity. It was originally prepared by pure fermentation of honey in a barrel of berry juice. Unfortunately, this process lasted for an incredibly long time, the drink could be waited up to twenty years. That all changed when yeast came along, however, as it dramatically accelerated the process of making mead, which could now be done in just two months. But this is not the only thing that was drunk in Russia before the appearance of tea.

Sbiten

You already know that honey was the most popular product in Russia in ancient times, so do not be surprised that another drink that served as a substitute for tea before it came to the territory of modern Russia was also made from honey. Only this time the cooking process did not include fermentation, the recipe was completely different. Many people today call sbiten the Russian analogue of mulled wine, and now you will understand why. The fact is that in the preparation of this drink, water was used, which was boiled with various seasonings such as ginger, pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and so on. Then honey was added to this broth and was actively mixed until the resulting mixture again reached a boil. Then the "digest" was considered ready, and it was served at the table. It is worth noting that it has existed for perhaps more than a thousand years. The first official mention of this drink in the annals falls on 1128. As you can see, the predecessors of tea have done an excellent job of their duties for more than one year.

Kvass

Naturally, one cannot fail to mention one more drink, which was very popular in Russia and, by the way, is very popular today. We are talking about kvass, which is known to absolutely everyone. When summer comes, this drink can be found everywhere, and the process of its preparation is no secret to anyone. Kvass is a fermentation product, most often based on bread. It would seem that something like this cannot be tasty in any way, but many centuries of practice have shown that this drink is a favorite among many residents of Russia (and earlier - and Russia).

Russia without tea

Well, now you know what drinks were popular in Russia until the moment tea appeared there. But when was it? It turns out that no one even heard about tea for an impressive amount of time on the territory of modern Russia. Russia was a state without tea until the middle of the seventeenth century. Yes, your distant ancestors did not know what tea is, a drink without which it is difficult to imagine modern life.

Well, now you know the answer to the question of in what century tea appeared in Russia. However, its history is so interesting that you definitely shouldn't be limited to just one number. Read on to find out where tea came from in Russia, what obstacles were in the way of its distribution, and when it took its important and irreplaceable position in the life of the Russian people.

When did tea first appear?

The history of tea in Russia is very interesting. Of course, people tried to brew some semblance of teas even earlier, when they prepared healing potions from various herbs. However, there was no analogy between the modern drink and those infusions, so one cannot consider them as the ancestors of tea in Russia. When and under what circumstances did tea come to where it is now one of the key drinks? This happened, as mentioned above, in the seventeenth century. To be more precise, 1638 is considered to be the year of the appearance of this drink in Russia. It was then that Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich received from one of the Mongol khans in exchange for sable skins a strange herb, the origin and use of which was not clear to anyone.

Experiment time

So, now you know when the first tea appeared in Russia, however, one incredible story is connected with this. The fact is that the resulting herb was unknown neither to the tsar himself, nor to his boyars. The boyars received a decree from the tsar: to find out what it is, and in practice. Naturally, the boyars rushed to fulfill the instructions of their king, but faced an insurmountable obstacle. They tried to chew, smell and do many other things with the leaves received from the khan, but this did not work. They tasted just as unpleasant and bitter. Of course, the king was offended by the khan and wanted to start to sort things out, since he considered such a gift in exchange for a sable a full-fledged insult, but he thought in time that it was worth consulting with the ambassador, who brought him this gift. The ambassador shed light on the riddle, saying that the khan himself boiled these leaves, and then drank the resulting broth. Having tried this method, the king came to the conclusion that the gift was really worthwhile, so he did not quarrel with the khan. And tea began its journey to the pinnacle of success in Russia.

Small supply period

Of course, the demand for tea was very high, but the supply did not match the demand at all. The fact is that the leaves were imported from distant countries for a very long time, so the price for them was very high. Almost until the very end of the eighteenth century, only the wealthiest inhabitants could afford this drink. Tea drinking was a festive tradition; distinguished guests were invited to it.

The first Russian tea

When did the fracture occur? This happened at the beginning of the nineteenth century, when Russian scientists managed to grow their own tea in the warm climate of the Crimean peninsula, in the local botanical garden. This was a real breakthrough, which allowed tea to become more than just a drink for the nobility. From that moment, the popularity of tea began to grow, more and more broad layers of residents could afford it, but today, as you already know, everyone has access to this aromatic drink.

But, most importantly, the new that came from the East along with tea as a brew is a special ritual action, a kind of holiday. The reason for the popularity of tea was partly in the ceremony itself, however, adapted to the psychology of the Russian person.
What is the real Russian tea drinking?
The eastern tea ceremony is basically aimed at the very deepening of a person, communication with his inner world. She kind of pulls him out of the everyday hustle and bustle. The methods of brewing tea itself and serving it on the table are to prepare the ground for removing from everything vain.
The Russian tea-drinking ceremony is aimed at obtaining an absolutely opposite effect - uniting the spiritual world of people gathered at the table, revealing each individual soul to society, family, friends, and gaining new knowledge. Tea drinking creates the conditions for an intimate conversation.
Over a cup of tea, all family matters were resolved, trade deals were concluded, friendly conversations were conducted, new acquaintances arose. Warmth and simplicity are a characteristic feature of Russian tea drinking. The atmosphere of the Russian tea event was sincere and pleasant.
It has been noticed through long life experience that tea brings a person into a peaceful, complacent mood. After tea, a person becomes somehow softer, kinder. Over tea, with the soothing hiss of a samovar, various life adversities seemed less aggravated, in a softer light, many quarrels sometimes stopped altogether after a few glasses of tea.
Tea, or rather the method of its preparation, fits perfectly into our mentality: kindness, warmth and closeness - all this has created its own national tradition of tea drinking.
Fragrant healthy tea with honey, milk, sweets mixed with the tart aromas of a spring evening and disposed to long intimate conversations and solving - including business - issues.
Unlike the traditions of China and Japan, in Russia, not only the quality of the prepared drink was appreciated, but also the pastries and sweets served with tea. Sponge cake, "aglitsky" crackers, brioches, buns, rolls and strawberry, strawberry or raspberry jam to them. Honey, crushed sugar, cheesecakes, bagels, gingerbread, pies, fruits and berries were indispensable attributes of Russian tea drinking.
Tea drinking has become a special national tradition in Russia. They drank tea several times a day. It was with him that the day began, be it a palace in Tsarskoe Selo or a provincial estate with its measured and unhurried life.
Moscow soon became the "tea capital" of Russia, where teas were served from morning till night. Tea has become a truly Moscow drink. In the opinion of Muscovites, real tea should be very hot, of good grade and always strong, thick, it should "run over the cup in a dark stream." And it is better to drink tea not overlapping, but with a bite, so as not to interrupt its real taste with sugar.
By order of Peter the Great, austeria was established in Moscow in a Western manner - restaurants, where tea and pretzels were treated for free. But only those visitors who read the first Russian newspaper "Vedomosti" brought here. Tea houses are being opened in the country, tea etiquette is being developed, a special type of invitation to visit "for tea" appears.
For a long time, tea remained a "city drink", moreover, mainly from Moscow. Even in St. Petersburg, where only one specialized store was opened, tea was brought from Moscow, where there were already about a hundred of them.
A.S. Pushkin, F.M. Dostoevsky, L.N. Tolstoy were connoisseurs and lovers of tea and considered it a drink not only for the body, but also for the soul.
Tea is widely used on Russian national holidays; tea consumption remains a distinctive Russian feature. IG Kohl writes that "tea is the morning and evening drink of Russians, just like" Lord, have mercy on their morning and evening prayers. " K. von Schenckenberg mentions tea in his guidebook as "a widely used and welcome drink."

Ancient cookery books show that our ancestors only called drinks those liquids that were satisfying, nutritious, and also did not contain alcohol. It would seem that the first on this list should be tea. However, in our country, the tradition of drinking it did not appear immediately.

If we ask the citizens of our country today: "What did they drink in Russia before the appearance of tea?" - few will answer. So what kind of drinks did the Slavs prefer? Of course, these were jelly, kvass, sbiten, fruit drink.

So, let's try to figure out what they drank in Russia before the appearance of tea.

Our ancestors really liked kvass. There is a version that the Greeks shared the recipe for its preparation with the Slavs. confirms the fact that the people were treated to the "bread" drink at the time when Russia was baptized.

Considering the question of what they drank in Russia before the appearance of tea, it should be mentioned that kvass was considered a drink for commoners, but despite this, many people used it. The upper class preferred overseas wines. Only one ruble could buy a barrel of kvass. It perfectly quenches thirst, invigorates, and also has a beneficial effect on the activity of the gastrointestinal tract and the cardiovascular system. Moreover, kvass was considered a prophylactic against scurvy and consumption.

Performing field work, the peasants stocked up in advance with this amazingly tasty and aromatic drink. It should also be emphasized that there are a huge number of recipes for its preparation.

However, the list of what was drunk in Russia before the appearance of tea is not limited to kvass.

Morse was no less popular among the Slavs. For the first time it is mentioned in the Domostroy writing monument. The above drink was made by mixing various types of preserves with water. Lingonberry and cranberry fruit drinks were especially appreciated by our ancestors. Culinary experts identify seven types of jam that are best suited for making fruit drinks.

What else did you drink before the appearance of tea? Compote, of course. It was considered a "northern" drink. In Russia, compote began to be used everywhere only in the 18th century. There is a whole arsenal of recipes for the above drink. Compotes are made from almost all edible berries and fruits.

Well, how can you not mention the favorite ancient Russian drink - jelly? The name comes from the classic village dish made from oats. Later, when potatoes were brought to our country, they became popular which were prepared with the addition of starch.

Despite the fact that the history of the emergence of tea in Russia is quite curious and entertaining, nevertheless, representatives of the nobility, ruling in Russia, did not immediately taste the "overseas" drink presented as a gift. And made such a present in 1638 by the boyar son Vasily Starkov, who, upon arrival from Altyn Khan, presented an offering directly to the Russian Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. However, the tea ceremony came into fashion a little later, when the “invigorating” drink in 1665 healed another tsar, Alexei Mikhailovich, from the “stomach disease”.

Fourteen years later, an agreement was signed with China on regular deliveries of tea to the capital of Russia.

Despite the fact that in our country there were very few territories suitable for tea growing, attempts to grow their own crops were crowned with success only in the middle of the 19th century. In the next century, the cultivation of the above plant reached such a level that our country took a leading position in the list of the world's leading tea-producing states.

Before the appearance of tea and coffee in Russia, they drank sbiten, mead, kvass and jelly. Thick drinks with honey with herbs have not lost their relevance today. They can warm you up after walking along the frosty streets and strengthen your health.

Mead for the participants of the "Heroic Fun" festival. Photo: V. Smirnov / ITAR-TASS

Curious fact:
A couple of centuries ago, honey-based drinks were the most popular. Honey was much cheaper than sugar, so honey and drinks containing it were considered the most affordable remedy for all diseases.

The Slavs believed that mead was the drink of the gods. And therefore they cooked and drank it most often. Even in Russian folk tales, a refrain about feasts appeared: “And I was there. I drank honey beer. It flowed down the mustache, but did not get into the mouth "... The very first recipe for mead was found in the book "Domostroy" of the 16th century.

Mead. Photo: M. Volodko / photo bank "Lori"

Keg with mead. Photo: P. Parmenov / Lori Photo Bank

“All the feasts that we remember are from the time of Prince Igor or Princess Olga. At these feasts they drank mead. We can take the chronicles of Nestor, open them, and in the Tale of Bygone Years we will read that Olga treated her squad with honey. And everyone sat, hummed, sang, ate honey. Thus, for a long time we did not know strong drinks, which, apparently, was a great blessing for the people. "

Elmira Medzhitova, historian of Russian and Soviet cuisine

Originally mead was obtained by fermenting fresh honey in barrels with berry juice, without adding yeast. The process proceeded very slowly, 15–20 years, and sometimes even half a century. Yeast saved from the agonizing expectation of the readiness of the magic drink.

Non-alcoholic mead
Put honey in a large saucepan, cover with cold water (1 to 7) and bring to a boil over low heat. During the boiling process, you need to remove the foam, and when it stops appearing, the pan can be removed from the stove. Then add yeast to warm water with honey and put in a warm place for a month. After a month, put yeast into the mass again and leave the "drinking honey" to infuse for another month. You can then filter and bottle it. Homemade mead lasts six months.

Great-grandfathers secret: honey was treated to newlyweds before their honeymoon, because it strengthens masculine strength.

Sbiten (Russian mulled wine)

This drink appeared on the tables of our ancestors about a thousand years ago. Sbiten was served in teapots. Songs, proverbs and sayings were composed about sbitna, and the image of the sbitn was found in popular prints, old engravings, on the pages of novels and stories. The drink was carried in copper baklags wrapped in a blanket and sold on the streets, in taverns, teahouses, bazaars and fairs. Foreign diplomats who visited Russia during the time of Peter the Great also fell in love with "Russian mulled wine".

Sbiter (sbitnya seller). An old postcard based on lithography from the "Russian types" series. Photo: Anna P. / Lori photo bank

Gorodets Museum of Samovars. Sbiten teapot and sbiten recipe. Photo: P. Shirokov / Lori Photo Bank

Cooking sbitnya, Kolomna. Photo: D. Neumoin / Lori photo bank

Curious fact:
Sbiten was first mentioned in the annals in 1128. Grand Duke Vsevolod at the boyar feast ordered to put a digest (sbiten) on the tables. The first recipe for its preparation can be found in the "Domostroy" of the 16th century. Sbiten replaced tea and coffee for the Russian people until the end of the 19th century.

“But sbiten, here is hot! Who will knock mine down? Everyone eats it: the warrior, and the bachelor, and the footman, and the runner, and all the honest people. Drink hot sbiten and go for it! Sbiten-sbitenek drinks a dandy ", - whiskers (eggplants) called for their goods.

Sbiten Moscow
Ingredients: honey - 200 g, molasses - 150 g, cinnamon, hops, cloves, nutmeg, allspice - 2 g each, water - 1 liter.
Boil honey and molasses with water, add spices and simmer for 5 minutes. Let it brew for 30 minutes and strain before serving.

Sbiten ordinary
Ingredients: water - 1 l, honey - 1 kg, 4% vinegar - 2 tbsp. l., ground ginger - 1 tsp., ground black pepper - 1/2 tsp., grated horseradish root - 1 tsp.
Boil hot water with vinegar, ginger, pepper, horseradish for 15–20 minutes, add honey, stir quickly, bring to a boil.

The aromatic and slightly intoxicated drink was loved by both commoners and the nobility, just some drank it from a bucklag, and the second from a glass. Each housewife had her own recipe for kvass.