Russian Zavarka

The Russian samovar tea: a small pot of intensely strong black tea concentrate brewed beside a gleaming copper urn of boiling water, diluted glass by glass at the table, served with a spoonful of jam dissolved into the steaming glass

Origin: Moscow, Tsarist Russia

From the journey of Tea.

Zavarka (заварка) is the Russian word for a concentrate of very strongly brewed tea: the essence, not the finished cup. It is prepared in a small teapot and placed on top of the samovar (самовар, 'self-boiler'), the large heated urn that maintains water at near-boiling temperature for hours. Each person at the table pours a quantity of zavarka into their glass (traditionally a stakan, a faceted glass tumbler held in a decorative metal podstakannik, or glass-holder), then dilutes it from the samovar spigot to their own preferred strength. This two-vessel system produces a cup of exceptional quality: the tea is brewed at the correct temperature and strength in the small pot, then diluted with fresh hot water at the moment of serving, meaning the tea never over-steeps in the glass. The custom of drinking tea with varenje (варенье, Russian fruit preserves or jam) originated in part from the high cost of sugar in Tsarist-era Russia: the jam was not stirred into the tea but held between the teeth (v prikosku, 'with a bite') so that each sip of tea passed through sweetness, or dissolved in the hot tea as a small luxury. The samovar arrived in Russian households between the 1730s and 1770s, first in the Ural metalworking regions where the technique was developed, and became so central to Russian domestic life that Leo Tolstoy called the samovar 'the centre of family life'. This recipe describes the home preparation of zavarka using a standard teapot in the absence of a samovar, with the samovar effect approximated by keeping a kettle hot throughout.

Ingredients

Zavarka

3 tbsp loose-leaf black tea, preferably a Georgian black tea (such as Rioni or Bakhvi), a Ceylon blend, or a robust Indian Assam; the Russian tradition favours a full-bodied, slightly tannic tea that can withstand strong brewing
200 ml freshly boiled water, for the zavarka concentrate

Dilution

600 ml additional freshly boiled water, kept in a kettle at near-boiling, for diluting at the glass

To Serve

varenje (Russian fruit jam: cherry, raspberry, blackcurrant, or rose petal are classic), 1–2 tsp per glass, to serve alongside
white sugar, to taste (optional)
a thin slice of lemon, for each glass (optional, common in the older urban tradition)

Method

Warm a small teapot by rinsing it with boiling water. Discard the rinse water.
Place the loose-leaf tea in the warmed pot. Pour 200ml of freshly boiled water over the tea, filling the pot no more than one-third full. Cover with the lid and allow to steep for 4–5 minutes.
Pour approximately 2–3 tablespoons of zavarka into each glass (a faceted glass tumbler or any glass of 200–250ml capacity). The proportion of zavarka to diluting water is entirely a matter of personal preference; begin at roughly 1:4 zavarka to water.
Fill each glass with freshly boiled water from the kettle. Stir briefly. The tea will immediately fill the room with a deep, malty fragrance.
Serve with a small dish of varenje alongside each glass. The traditional method is to place a small spoonful of jam on the saucer or spoon it into the tea and allow it to dissolve. The ritual manner is to hold a small amount between the teeth and sip the tea through it.

Notes

Georgian tea, produced in the Guria and Adjara regions of the Caucasus, was the standard Russian household tea throughout the Soviet period, when Chinese and Indian imports were difficult to obtain. The Soviet Georgian tea industry was enormous but produced tea of inconsistent quality; the fall of the Soviet Union saw Russian households shift to imported Indian and Sri Lankan blends. Georgian tea production has revived in the post-Soviet period, and small-batch Georgian teas are now attracting international attention. For the most authentic zavarka, seek out a Georgian black or green tea from the Gali or Ozurgeti regions.

The Gastrographer

Name: Russian Zavarka
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Tsarist Russia
Ingredients: 3 tbsp loose-leaf black tea, preferably a Georgian black tea (such as Rioni or Bakhvi), a Ceylon blend, or a robust Indian Assam; the Russian tradition favours a full-bodied, slightly tannic tea that can withstand strong brewing; 200 ml freshly boiled water, for the zavarka concentrate; 600 ml additional freshly boiled water, kept in a kettle at near-boiling, for diluting at the glass; varenje (Russian fruit jam: cherry, raspberry, blackcurrant, or rose petal are classic), 1–2 tsp per glass, to serve alongside; white sugar, to taste (optional); a thin slice of lemon, for each glass (optional, common in the older urban tradition)

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Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control