II. Sit Down to Tea

Tea was introduced to Russia in 1640 when the Russian ambassador boyarin Vasily Starkov returned from
the Mongol horde and brought a gift of 200 tea packages, 500 grammes each, to tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. It was praised for its medicinal powers and ability to refresh and to purify the blood. Starkov himself didn't like the taste of the drink but he feared the tsar's anger and brought it to court. There are different legends about the way Romanov felt about the exotic foreign drink. One of them claims the tsar liked it and exclaimed "More!" But many historians holdthe opposite opinion because tea trade did not start in Moscow until 36 years later.

The next shipment of tea arrived from China. In 1679 Russia and China signed a special tea treaty. In the beginning tea was very expensive and only rich people could afford it. Also very few people knew the secrets of its brewing.

Traditionally, common Russian people drank forest herbal teas - vzvars - made of herbs, dried leaves and fruits. But very soon tea had become very popular, and now Russians could not imagine their lives without it. It was also noted that tea would keep one awake during a long church service.

By the 18th century, tea was part and parcel of Russian life and had become very much a national drink. Family affairs were settled around the tea table. Asking one to sit down to tea became a traditional sign of hospitality. Tradition demanded that the water be boiled in a samovar if possible. Russian tea is served with a lump of sugar and lemon, along with various jams and preserves, honey and Russian cookies or pies. People in the West even call tea served with lemon Russian tea.

III. Think of what is special about we Russians drink tea.

Russian Sweets

In Britain a pasty is a I small pie which J consists of pastry I folded around meat, vegetables or cheese.

A cake is a sweet food made by baking a mixture of flour, eggs, sugar and fat in an oven. Cakes may be large and cut into slices or small and intended for one person only.

A cracker is a thin, crisp biscuit which is often eaten with cheese.

Gingerbread is a sweet biscuit that is flavoured with ginger. It is often made in the shape of a man or an animal.

Pastry is a food made from flour, fat and water that is mixed together, rolled flat and baked in the oven. It is used, for example, for making pies.

Do Russians have a sweet tooth? Of course they do! Just visit any bakery and you will see a huge assortment of cakes which Russians call torts, from the most popular called 'Prague' to ones with unusual names such as ‘Bird’s Milk’. You will also see the famous Tula gingerbreads called pryaniki, various kinds of crackers with raisns or poppy seeds called sukbari as well as tempting small, hard bread rings called baranki.

This is not the end of the story, though. In addition to renowned Russian chocolates you will find elegant and airy •narshmallows which Russians call zefir as well as a huge variety of jellied fruits called marmelad (it is different from British marmelade which is more like jam, usually eaten on bread or toast at breakfast). If you are lucky, the bakery might have a display of nutritious Eskimo ice cream, made with real cream rather than water.

If you happen to be invited to a party at someone's house, the hostess will be offended if you don't try her cooking which will likely include: sizeable kulebyaka pies, small browned pirozhki pasties filled with cabbage, fiat and meat or even homemade sweet berry preserves called vareniye. Without doubt, Russia is not the •bk place for going on a diet or losing weight.