Fabulous Russian Tea Pots

As is its tea, Russian tea pots are distinctive. A strong, dark, sweet tea is usually preferred in this country.

The Samovar, for instance, has been a popular method for brewing tea for many centuries.

Tea Drinking And Tea Pots In Russia

Early tea pots were oval shaped. They had long spouts and thick handles.

They also date from the seventeenth century when tea was first introduced in Russia.

At this time, it was very expensive. Tea gradually became cheaper in the 19th century. Traditional tea pots soon became what we now know as the samovar.

Samovars are heated metal containers that are used to heat the water and to boil the tea.

Traditionally, they were heated with charcoal or coal, but new ones use electricity. They work more like an electric kettle.

Many of these tea pots have an attachment on top of their lids where the actual tea is placed. A tea concentrate is created, which can be mixed with hot water for a drinkable cup.

Different Shapes

There are several shapes of these tea pots. They can be shaped like an urn, a cylinder, a barrel, or even be completely spherical.

The usual samovar has a body, a base and a chimney, a cover, a steam vent, a faucet to dispense hot water, a drip bowl and tea pot sections. They are available in various shapes and sizes.

Traditional samovars are made of bronze, brass, copper, nickel or tin, and fancy examples may be silver or gold. Sitting by the samovar used to be and is still a common social behavior.

The Samovar Today

Now, samovars are associated with Russian nostalgia, though electric ones are still used. This kind of tea pot can be an excellent decorative element.

I love it even if it's not used for tea anymore.

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