Is there tea in Georgia? Georgian tea, history of tea growing in Georgia
In the period 1917-1923, Soviet Russia experienced a "tea" period: the consumption of alcoholic beverages was officially prohibited, while the army and industrial workers were supplied with tea for free. The organization "Centrochai" was created, which was engaged in the distribution of tea from the confiscated warehouses of tea trading companies. The stocks were so great that until 1923 there was no need to purchase tea abroad ...
By the end of the 1970s, the area under tea in the USSR reached 97 thousand hectares, there were 80 modern tea industry enterprises in the country. In Georgia alone, 95 thousand tons of ready-made tea were produced per year. By 1986, the total production of tea in the USSR reached 150 thousand tons, tile black and green - 8 thousand tons, green brick - 9 thousand tons.
In the 1950s - 1970s, the USSR turned into a tea-exporting country - Georgian, Azerbaijani and Krasnodar teas came to Poland, the GDR, Hungary, Romania, Finland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, South Yemen, Mongolia. It was mainly brick and slab tea that went to Asia. The need of the USSR for tea was satisfied by its own production, in different years, by a value from 2/3 to 3/4.
By the 1970s, at the level of the leadership of the USSR, a decision was already ripe to specialize areas suitable for tea production in such production. It was supposed to withdraw land used for other crops and transfer them to tea production.
However, these plans were not implemented. Moreover, under the pretext of getting rid of manual labor, by the beginning of the 1980s, manual tea leaf picking was almost completely stopped in Georgia, switching entirely to machine, which gives an extremely low quality product.
Until 1970, tea imports from China continued. Subsequently, Chinese imports were curtailed, tea purchases began in India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Kenya, and Tanzania. Since the quality of Georgian tea, compared to imported tea, was low (mainly due to attempts to mechanize the collection of tea leaves), it was actively practiced to mix imported teas with Georgian teas, which resulted in a product of acceptable quality and price.
By the beginning of the 1980s, it became almost impossible to buy pure Indian or Ceylon tea in ordinary stores - it was imported extremely rarely and in small batches, it was instantly sold out. Sometimes Indian tea was brought to canteens and canteens of enterprises and institutions. At that time, shops usually sold low-grade Georgian tea with “firewood” and “hay flavor”. The following brands were also sold, but were rare:
- Tea No. 36 (Georgian and 36% Indian) (green packaging)
- Tea No. 20 (Georgian and 20% Indian) (green packaging)
- Krasnodar premium tea
- Georgian tea of the highest grade
- Georgian tea first grade
- Georgian tea second grade
The quality of Georgian tea was disgusting. "Georgian tea of the second grade" looked like sawdust, it periodically came across pieces of branches (they were called "firewood"), it smelled of tobacco and had a disgusting taste.
Krasnodar was considered even worse than Georgian. It was mainly bought for brewing "chifir" - a drink obtained by long-term digestion of highly concentrated brew. For its preparation, neither the smell nor the taste of tea was important - only the amount of theine (tea caffeine) was important ...
More or less normal tea, which could be drunk normally, was considered "Tea No. 36" or, as it was usually called, "thirty-sixth". When it was "thrown out" on the shelves, a queue formed for an hour and a half. And they gave strictly "two packs in one hand."
This usually happens at the end of the month. when the store needed to urgently "get the plan." The pack was one hundred grams, one pack was enough for a maximum of a week. And that at a very economical cost.
Indian tea sold in the USSR was imported in bulk and packaged at tea-packing factories in standard packaging - a cardboard box "with an elephant" of 50 and 100 grams (for premium tea). For Indian tea of the first grade, green-red packaging was used.
Far from always, tea sold as Indian was really such. So, in the 1980s, a mixture was sold as “Indian tea of the first grade”, which included: 55% Georgian, 25% Madagascar, 15% Indian and 5% Ceylon tea.
Own production of tea after 1980 has fallen significantly, the quality has deteriorated. Since the mid-1980s, a progressive trade deficit has affected essential commodities, including sugar and tea.
At the same time, the internal economic processes of the USSR coincided with the death of Indian and Ceylon tea plantations (another period of growth came to an end) and an increase in world prices for tea. As a result, tea, like a number of other food products, almost disappeared from free sale and began to be sold on coupons.
Only low-grade tea in some cases could be bought freely. Subsequently, Turkish tea began to be purchased in large quantities, which was very poorly brewed. It was sold in large packaging without coupons. In the same years, green tea appeared on sale in the middle lane and in the north of the country, which was practically not imported to these regions before. It was also sold freely.
There was also tea served in canteens and on long-distance trains. It cost three kopecks, but it was better not to drink it. especially in canteens. It was done like this - an old, already repeatedly brewed tea was taken, baking soda was added to it and all this was boiled for fifteen to twenty minutes. If the color was not dark enough, burnt sugar was added. Naturally, no claims to quality were accepted - "if you don't like it, don't drink it." I usually didn’t drink, I took compote or jelly instead of tea.
In the first years after the collapse of the USSR, both Russian and Georgian tea production was completely abandoned. Georgia had no reason to keep this production, since its only market was Russia, due to the decline in the quality of Georgian tea, it had already reoriented itself to buying tea in other states.
The tea production of Azerbaijan has been preserved, which currently satisfies part of the country's domestic demand for tea. Part of the Georgian tea plantations is still abandoned. In Russia, several own companies have now been created - tea importers, as well as minor representative offices of foreign ones.
Tea production in the USSR was a clear indicator of the degradation of the entire economy of the country. From one kilogram of tea, five kilograms were falsified, of which two were allowed into trade, and three went to the left. As a result, it turned out on paper, overfulfillment of the plan by 200%, state bonuses to ministries, millions of rubles in the shadow economy and sawdust mixture for Soviet buyers
Pretty good tea is grown and sold in Georgia.
True, not all Georgian tea is good) I'll tell you which is delicious and which is not.
Here Bastian knows which one to steal)
Georgian tea by weight
In the markets you can find a huge amount of loose tea. It is so cheap that it is even suspicious to buy it)
It is large-leaved, but not at all fragrant. And with an unusual aftertaste for us.
All in all, I can't recommend it. We tried it once and don't want to do it again.
Various types are sold, for example, from a blueberry leaf. There are plenty to choose from, but I can’t guarantee that you will be satisfied with the result.
Maradidi tea
Georgian tea Maradidi can be bought in stores. I met only in mini-markets, those on the first floors of houses.
Very similar to loose. It is also cheap - 3 lari per 200 grams. And not very tasty either.
The rest of the teas that I will talk about are also not expensive - the price is around 3-4 GEL per 100 grams.
This instance is already more interesting.
Remember Indian elephant tea? Here's the exact taste.
Just a rich taste of black tea.
And with what love described by the manufacturer!
Gurieli
Gurieli is a very popular Georgian tea. It can be bought in almost any store, both in the form of sheets and in bags. It is also often served in cafes.
This tea is way better than the ones listed above. Tastier, more flavorful.
Good black tea with bergamot.
And just black without additives.
But green with jasmine I can not advise. There is a lot of flavoring, even gives chemistry.
Don't be fooled by the word export on the packaging)
Rcheuli tea is also very popular. I personally like him much less than Gurieli.
There are many different flavors, including fruity ones. But he's kind of weird.
Berga
Berga tea is not Georgian, but it is sold in almost all stores and it is delicious.
This is Azerbaijani tea, black (and as the name implies) with bergamot.
Delicious, flavorful, rich.
Azerbaijan
The name seems to hint that tea is also not Georgian, but you can buy it on almost every corner.
Happy tea! Ciao!
Tea - who doesn't love it? It is difficult to imagine at least one day without drinking a mug of this fragrant and warming drink. The most common types of tea are Chinese and Indian. We fell in love with the product of these countries for its special quality. Less common in Russia are varieties - sunny Georgia.
Growing tea in Georgia
Even during the tsarist reign, they tried to grow their own tea in the empire, because the fashion for tea drinking had taken root in the country for a long time. And many dreamed of having their own plantations. Georgian tea in industrial volumes was the first to be grown by a captive Englishman who got into the territory of Georgia and married a local woman. Prior to this, all attempts to grow were unsuccessful, neither among wealthy landowners, nor among church employees.
At the tea exhibition in 1864, "Caucasian tea" was presented to the general public for the first time, but since its quality was low, it was necessary to add a product from China to it.
Improving the quality of Georgian tea
At the beginning of the twentieth century, they began to seriously work on the technology of growing and collecting tea leaves. High grades of Georgian tea were created. These are "Dyadyushkin's Tea", "Zedoban", "Bogatyr" and "Kara-Dere". More tea buds (tips) were added to their composition. And due to the improvement of technology, they could boldly compete in the battle for quality with the best Chinese varieties.
When the time of Soviet power came, Georgian tea was in the field of special attention. In 1920, plantations were created in almost every territory of Georgia in order to increase production and completely abandon foreign drinks. Entire scientific organizations were created to improve the technology, quality and volume of tea collection. By 1970, the collection of fragrant leaves was at its maximum peak - now it was even possible to send them for export to other countries.
Deterioration in the quality of tea
But, as it happens, with the increase in the collection, the quality was greatly reduced. Georgian tea is no longer picked correctly, chasing quantity, and tea harvesters do not pick fresh leaves, but take everything in a row, not like human hands. Because of this, dry old leaves began to get into the composition, the number of buds also decreased.
The technology of drying the leaf has also changed - instead of drying twice, they began to dry it only once, then the tea underwent heat treatment, due to which the aroma and taste were lost.
The named production in the last years of the life of the USSR fell by half, and even then not all the product got to consumers - half simply went to recycling. Thus, Georgian tea, once famous, received the title of a low-grade product, suitable only in the absence of the best.
Krasnodar tea
People simply stopped buying tea harvested in the territory of a great power. Georgian became the most popular, but continued to gather dust on the shelves of stores and warehouses. It was necessary to urgently come up with an alternative, because entire plantations disappeared, the workers had nothing to pay. There was a tea riot.
But, as it turned out, everything ingenious is simple! With the words: "Oh, where ours did not disappear!" - the factory mixed Indian and Georgian tea. In this way, one of the best products of the USSR, Krasnodar Tea, was created. Its taste favorably differed from pure Georgian, and the price was much lower than that of foreign drinks.
Georgian tea now
None of the varieties of Georgian tea from the era of the USSR has reached our time. During the restructuring, the plantations were abandoned and neglected, the tea bushes died. Those varieties that are being produced now are worse than the first ones grown at the very beginning of production, but much better than those that were produced in the last years of the USSR.
At the moment there are two of the best species, the producers of which are Samaya and Gurieli. These teas have proven themselves well in the modern market, deservedly receiving the title of a product of medium quality or first grade (do not confuse with the highest). It is slightly worse than Indian, Chinese and English varieties in terms of taste, but the price of these teas is more attractive for the present time.
The revival of Georgian tea has just begun, it is worth hoping that soon it will take its former position as a product of the highest quality and will flow into our lives with a golden stream of taste and aroma.
Of all the Union Republics for tea cultivation Georgia and Armenia were ideally suited. The end of the 20s of the last century was marked by the launch of Georgian tea. Tea factories were built, broken tea plantations. And in the 1930s, the same trend engulfed the Azerbaijan SSR. In 1937 the country learned Azerbaijani tea.
The territory of the Krasnodar Territory became the third where they continued to grow and produce tea. Indeed, the climate was warm and humid, that is, optimal for the tea plant. In 1936, the first tea plantations appeared in two districts (Adlerovsky, Lazarevsky). Because of World War II, all developments in this direction had to be curtailed. It became possible to return to work again only by 1949. Later, plantations were added in three more districts of the region (Maikop, Goryache-Klyuchevskoy, Tula).
Planting area expanded. Stavrapol, Ukrainian and Kazakh SSRs have become experimental sites for growing tea. In general, it can be said that tea cultivation efforts in these regions did not fail. Winter did not destroy the plantings, tea quality was relative. However, the country's leadership considered the experiment unprofitable, and tea production in these regions was suspended, and did not have time to start.
Georgia, Azerbaijan and the Krasnodar Territory became the main tea regions. By 1980 in Georgia, tea began to be collected using machinery. No machine can compare to picking tea by hand. The collection began to be carried out during the rain. Georgian tea quality fell sharply. People began to literally sweep off the shelves Ceylon and Indian tea.
By the 80th year good tea became a scarce commodity. Tea of very poor quality remained in free access. This included tea brought to the USSR from Turkey.
In the Soviet Union they drank mainly Black tea. The most elite were teas, which were called "Bouquet" (bouquet of Georgia, for example). The next step was occupied by Extra tea. It contained tea buds. It was slightly inferior to Bouquet in quality and aroma. Further, the grades were arranged as follows: the highest, first and second grade. The second grade was characterized by low quality.
Azerbaijani tea was rather small.
Krasnodar tea was distinguished by a marvelous aroma and sweetish taste. But it was problematic to keep these properties. Packing and delivery destroyed the quality of tea.
Green tea in the USSR was only its own. There was no question of deliveries from abroad. O as green tea judged by numbers. Classes No. 125 and 111 were considered elite.
Brick tea was very popular. These are pressed tea leaves in the shape of a brick.
There were tea varieties from a mixture of Indian and Georgian tea. They wore numbers 20 and 36.
Tea drinking in the USSR
In Soviet Union drinking tea the same as in pre-revolutionary Russia. That is, with sweets, jam, cookies and gingerbread. Added cream and milk.
It is interesting:
Residents of foreign countries have a firm belief that in the USSR they drank tea only with lemon.
Tea was the end of the meal. many loved to drink tea with pieces of refined sugar. And to this day, when they say: “Buy something for tea,” they mean sweets.
The October Revolution, one way or another, made everyone more or less equal. That's why utensils for tea drinking was almost the same in all families. Porcelain sets were used only by representatives of those in power.
in public canteens tea poured into glass glasses.
It is interesting
On the trains, the conductors brought tea in glasses with coasters and with pieces of sugar, miniaturely packed in 4 pieces per package.
Tea was boiled in electric samovars and teapots. Tea with a whistle was considered a special rarity.
Despite the fact that those distant times have long sunk into oblivion, we still remember them with warmth. Many families still keep electric samovars, which the owners sometimes take out, put in the middle of the table and have tea, like their distant ancestors.
Tea №36 Georgian black long leaf — In the early years of Soviet power, there were apparently no problems with tea - tea (Indian) was bought in Torgsins and shops of colonial goods. Tea was packed in special tin boxes.
In the 20s of the 20th century, the state program for the development of tea business in Georgia was adopted. Breeding work was put on a scientific basis, for this the Anaseul Research Institute of Tea, Tea Industry and Subtropical Crops was established.
Several dozen tea factories were built in different regions of Western Georgia. To replace manual tea picking, special tea harvesters have been developed. In 1986, the production of finished products reached 150 thousand tons, black and green tiles - 8 thousand tons, green brick - 9 thousand tons.
Today we offer you real Georgian tea №36 so familiar to the older generation. In terms of quality, modern tea is in no way inferior to the rarity produced in the 20th century!!!
