One of my tea friends has a Russian samovar. Do you know what that is? Do you know how tea is enjoyed in Russia? When four of us gathered together recently at the beach to celebrate a couple birthdays we enjoyed celebrating with a Russian tea time. What an amazing treat.
As you can see it is rather colorful. It just feels full of JOY.
We didn't have scones and tiny sandwiches, but there was cheeses, cold cuts, pickles, salad, and Russian sweets.
I had brought my birthday bouquet, which decorated the kitchen table.
Another glimpse of the tea table.
And here is the samovar. The chain hanging from the handle was edible, crispy cookie from Russia. There was charcoal inside the main chamber and a really strong black tea in the pot at the top. You pour part of the black tea in your cup, then can pour hot water from the lower spigot to make it the strength you prefer.
Chocolates and candied fruit.
And finally, the tea! Most often it is a sweet tea, either sweetened by crystalized sugar, sugar cube, or jam. It is funny, but I don't really like sweet tea. Served this way, I quite enjoy it. Sometimes a splash of milk is added too. It is like a decadent dessert, which pairs quite nicely with the food.
A very special way to continue the celebration.
After all, don't they say to celebrate your birthday the full month?
Have a great weekend, dear friends!
Celebrate each day!
3 comments:
My grandfathers came from Ukraine and they talked about samovars for tea in their homes. Hot water was always ready for a bracing cup. What a fun time to enjoy such a tea time with friends. Keep on celebrating!
Wow! Now, that's a tea! The samovar sounds beautiful. My friend has one and she and her sister were having such a fight over it that they decided to split it six months of the year! It's lovely having your tea with like-minded friends and yes -- birthdays are for celebrating and I say why stop at one month?
This looks interesting with so many beautiful colors. You know, that candied fruit looks just like the goodies that I get every Christmas. They are so good. That long chain that is edible is neat. So many good foods displayed on here today. And I love those little Russian dolls. What a wonderful gathering you had, Marilyn. I'd love to try that tea too.
~Sheri
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