Indian tea is known all over the world, just like Chinese tea. Why We Have Been Drinking "Fake" Tea for Decades

Many people still remember the famous tea “with an elephant” with nostalgia, assuring that it was much tastier than modern tea.

Among the product symbols of the USSR, Indian tea "with an elephant" has a special place. It was so popular that boxes with a similar design can still be found today. But how tasty and “real” it was is a moot point.

tea country

The inhabitants of many countries could only envy the Soviet tea plantations, which were a legacy of the tsarist regime. And the pre-revolutionary stocks of tea were so great that in the first years of the existence of the young Country of Soviets, the army and many workers were supplied with tea for free, there was no talk of any purchases abroad. By the 70s, tea plantations covered an area of ​​​​100 thousand hectares, and about 80 enterprises were engaged in its production.

Georgian, Azerbaijani and Krasnodar teas were exported to friendly countries of Eastern Europe, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria. Mongolia and other Asian countries were supplied with tile and brick tea. Weighty tiles made of pressed tea "shavings" were decorated with relief inscriptions "USSR", the names of the republic and the factory, as well as images of a sickle and a hammer.

They also drank it in the Union, especially in the Asian republics. Hammered sickle tea had no aroma and was the most tasteless - which is not surprising, because it was made from leftovers. For example, brick tea was made from the oldest leaves and even branches. It was pressed so tightly that it was impossible to break it - they stratified it with a knife.

However, other types of Soviet tea did not differ in particular richness of taste and aroma. But the unspoiled citizens didn’t know anything else, cheap Chinese was imported into the country in small quantities, but the taste of “real” tea (including Georgian, which had nothing to do with that sold in stores) was known only to diplomats and other elites.

The ambitions of the USSR in this area were so great that in the late 60s, at the government level, the option of converting most of the farmland in the southern regions of the country to tea was considered. However, for some reason, the idea was hacked to death, but they began to actively introduce machine-picking, which made the quality of tea even worse.

The same elephant

“Firewood”, “hay”, “sawdust”, “broom” - as soon as they did not call Georgian or Krasnodar tea (they were most often found in stores, they were also drunk in canteens). Interestingly, many experts disparagingly call machine-picked tea "broom" - too many branches and impurities get into it.

If teas of the highest and first grade were still nothing, then tea of ​​the second grade consisted of about half of the tea "dust" and pieces of branches. Some claimed that it smelled of tobacco - in the absence of the latter, it was sometimes used for rolling cigarettes. But convicts adored second-class tea - it was cheaper, chifir was made from it, the more tea caffeine - the better, well, and the taste and aroma were not at all important.

In the late 70s, against the backdrop of worsening relations with a recent friend - China - active purchases of tea in India began. And in the early 70s, the famous elephant tea began to appear on store shelves. Indian, Madagascar and Ceylon teas have been purchased before, but in small quantities. And the elephant that glorified this drink throughout the country has not yet been observed - the design was developed only in 1967.

Tea was packaged at Soviet factories (the most famous was the Lenin Moscow tea-packing factory) in recognizable cardboard boxes with the image of an elephant - depending on the design, it was of different colors, with the trunk up or down, going right or left, with or without a driver on the back . By all these signs, citizens tried to determine which box contents would be tastier. There was an opinion that the most delicious is where the elephant is against the backdrop of some Indian temple. Although the taste qualities of the highest grade tea (it was usually decorated with an elephant with a green head) and the first (the head of the animal was blue) did not differ much.

Don't believe your eyes

A 125-gram pack of premium Indian tea cost 95 kopecks, despite the fact that the average salary in the early 70s in the national economy was about 130 rubles. In many cities, “real Indian tea” was in short supply - when it was “thrown out” for sale, queues immediately lined up. They also appreciated him in the zones - the authorities chifir only the “elephant”. The main catch was that, despite the inscription "Indian", there was nothing really Indian tea in the contents.

In modern terms, it was a blend. So, "Indian tea of ​​the first grade" was a mixture of 5% Ceylon tea, 15% Indian, 25% Madagascar and 55% Georgian. All this was regulated by GOSTs and TUs. The composition was not indicated on the packs - only knowledgeable people knew how much Georgian and other things were in the mixture. So the majority of the inhabitants of the Land of the Soviets failed to recognize the taste of real Indian tea.

By the way: Many Soviet housewives, accustomed to the fact that tea is full of garbage, removed white “sticks” from tea “with an elephant”, which were actually tea buds. And thus deprived the drink of a significant part of the taste.

As a businessman, whose company supplied tea to the USSR in the late 70s, later said, in the famous packs with an elephant of Indian tea there were from 5 to 15% - no more.

In the 80s, when store shelves began to empty, tea with an elephant became a terrible shortage. And Indian tea in beautiful tins turned into a valuable gift (as it is now clear, it was also a blend). With the collapse of the USSR, Turkish fakes began to appear in stores - in these packs, outwardly very similar, there was no trace of Indian tea. The counterfeiting business, alas, is still thriving today - as experts say, even in India itself, tea sold as elite tea is often replaced before being sold with bad or cheaper ones - for example, Indonesian or Vietnamese.

In India, tea began to grow only in the 19th century, although tea trees in the northeast of the country have always grown. Tea leaves were collected and brewed by the locals, but the plant began to be cultivated with the advent of the English colonialists. They brought tea bushes from China in the 1930s to set up plantations in India. From these few bushes, the great tea history of India began. Currently, this country ranks second among the countries where tea is grown and produced.

Areas of tea production in India

Indian tea, known throughout the world, is grown on plantations that are concentrated in the following areas of the country:

• Assam,
• Sikkim,
• Nilgiri.

The best varieties of Indian tea are Darjeeling and Assam.

Tea Assam

The state of Assam is located in the foothills of the Himalayas, in the northern part of India. The tea trees from which this type of tea is obtained differ from Chinese tea trees in larger leaves. These trees give a good harvest, even if the weather conditions were unfavorable. The unpretentiousness of the tea species makes it attractive for cultivation and cultivation.

Tea Indian Assam - black. It is harvested twice a year: in spring and late summer or early autumn. The second fee is valued higher. Sometimes the collection lasts until December. Assam tea has a spicy floral honey aroma. It is better to drink this drink without additives to enjoy the pure taste. This variety is often used during the traditional morning tea in England.

Darjeeling tea

This tea variety is grown on the plantations of the state of the same name. The unique climatic conditions and soil features make it possible to obtain high-quality Indian tea with an exquisite taste and a refined aroma of nutmeg and flowers. The tea belongs to the group of black teas, but it is not fully fermented. Because of this, some consider it to be an oolong. This tea differs from the Assam variety in that it represents the Chinese subspecies of the plant.

The first harvest of the Darjeeling variety is carried out in the spring, it gives the lightest infusion when brewed. Then tea is harvested in June, it is valued above others. More tea leaves are collected in autumn and during the rainy season. But their value is not too high. Tea is very picky about storage conditions. It is better to store it in a cool place like oolong tea. This is what a refrigerator is for.

Elephant packaging: tea from India

Elephant tea - black tea, which was considered the best product of the Soviet era. In the USSR, they usually drank Georgian tea. In the 70s of the last century, Indian tea appeared on the shelves. On its packaging was an elephant with its trunk raised up. It cannot be said that the tea was 100% Indian. Rather, it was a blend - a mixture of Ceylon, Madagascar, Georgian teas. Such tea was divided into the first and highest grade, they differed in composition. The package of the first grade contained 15% Indian tea, 25% Madagascar, 5% Ceylon. Most of it was tea leaves from Georgia.

The highest grade of tea was better, it consisted of a third of real Indian tea, the rest was Georgian tea. Only the Darjeeling variety was used as Indian tea. The production strictly adhered to the requirements of GOST. The famous yellow packages with the image of an elephant were produced at factories in Ufa, Irkutsk, Moscow, Odessa and Ryazan. Special tasters worked at each factory, who made the necessary blending mixture, checking that all varieties met the requirements for smell, taste, color.

Tea packaging design

Indian tea was produced in two varieties, in addition to the information on the packages, the pattern was also changed. The blue color of the elephant's head denoted the first grade of tea, the green color - the highest. The design has changed a little over the years, it differed in different factories. But the elephant itself, as well as the cardboard packaging of tea, remained unchanged. The cost of such tea in Soviet times was: 48 kopecks for 50 g, 95 kopecks for 125 grams. The presence of Indian tea with an elephant at that time spoke of prosperity in the house. But the USSR collapsed, perestroika began, inflation, shortages. Along with other products, the favorite tea also disappeared from the store shelves.

Tea brewing rules

At that time, many housewives did not even realize that by throwing white sticks out of a pack with an elephant, they were depriving the drink of the most useful and valuable components. The white sticks, mistaken for garbage, were tips (tea buds), without them it was impossible to taste the real taste of Indian tea. Raw materials with tips are considered the most valuable. Indian tea was brewed simply, the tea leaves were poured into a heated teapot, boiling water was added and insisted. Most often, tea was diluted with boiling water or boiled water before drinking. In many families, it was customary to drink tea with milk.

Tea with an elephant: our days

Nostalgic for a past life, many are trying to find products with an elephant on store shelves. Indeed, you can see similar packs of tea, more often they have “The Same Tea” written on them, an elephant is drawn. Is it true that this is the tea that was in the distant 70-80s? As those who have already tried the drink say, it has no resemblance to Soviet tea. Neither the aroma nor the taste are similar. It is possible that this is our pampering with numerous tea varieties, or maybe tea was simply better in Soviet times?

Green Indian tea

In the north of India, besides black, green tea is grown. It is not in demand among the locals. It is produced by the following plantations:

• Dehra Dun, Almor, Garhwal. Tea leaves are distinguished by their small size, rigid structure. It turns out a low quality product. It is mainly exported to Nepal and Tibet.
• Valley of Kagra. Quite tasty tea grows on the tea plantation of the valley. It is similar to good Chinese varieties and is exported to Pakistan and Afghanistan.
• Darjeeling. Green tea is also harvested on plantations, but its volume is very small, but it is valued above the rest.
• Ranchi. This plantation produces tea of ​​Chinese varieties. It cannot be compared with real Chinese mountain tea, but it is quite tasty and strong.

White Indian tea

A valuable and very rare white tea grows in the state of Darjeeling. It is harvested on a spring day when there is no rain and the sun is too hot. Tea upper leaves and buds are collected only by hand. There are very few young shoots, so the amount of tea collected is small. White tea has a delicate taste with hints of flowers and fruits. It leaves a sweet aftertaste. Most appreciated by connoisseurs of Indian tea.

Even though China surpasses India in terms of quality and quantity of tea produced, Indian tea has a lot of fans all over the world. Tea is available, bright, has a rich color, taste and aroma. And those who think about tea with an elephant should try other varieties of Indian tea, their discovery can be a pleasant surprise for many.

The shelves of modern stores are literally bursting with boxes, jars, bottles of tea. Drinks for every taste, color, smell and wallet. However, people of the older generation still remember tea “with an elephant”, arguing that it is better not to find it. The CDI studied the tea assortment of Pskov stores, asked for the opinion of experts and found out whether high-quality tea is sold in our city.

Anecdote on the topic

Family tea conversation:
- Same taste!
- That tea!
- The same pack that fell behind the gas stove in the 89th!

Unpretentious Soviet citizens savored Indian tea "with an elephant" - and he really, they remember, was good! A scarce box was taken out by the arrival of guests, and for every day they were content with Georgian - although the second grade resembled sawdust both in appearance and taste.

Today, in any commercial break, we are shown a beautiful large kitchen and the whole family over a cup of tea. Steam rises from the cups that line the table of connoisseurs of the country's most popular intellectual show. And in any, even the smallest shop, tea is, as they say, in stock. What can we say about hypermarkets, where long racks are reserved for this product. In addition to the standard black and green, there are always drinks with a variety of additives on sale. If just a few years ago the choice of such flavors was small - strawberry, wild berries, lemon, blackcurrant and some others, now the offer is literally going wild. Tiramisu, muffins, creme brulee… It seems that you don’t need to buy a dessert for a drink. It seems that a little more, and tea with the taste of borscht or roast will appear on the shelves.

As a rule, tea bags are placed on the most prominent shelves. By the way, earlier tea bags were made exclusively from paper, which does not have the best effect on the taste, so some manufacturers switched to transparent nylon - it practically does not affect the taste of the drink.

As for the price of tea, in most cases it is a reflection of the quality of the product. Good tea a priori cannot be cheap. Another thing is when you have to overpay for a promoted brand. In large stores, the cheapest tea is, as a rule, at the very bottom - whoever needs it will find it.

professional look

Tea is a luxury item, Denis Shumakov, a Pskov tea expert with 20 years of experience, is sure. “You can feel love or affection for this drink, develop a habit for it or, God forbid, get psychologically dependent on it. But in the overwhelming majority of cases, we drink tea not because it is vital for us, but for some other reason. Most often - for pleasure, ”says the expert ..

At the same time, he is sure that tea is an affordable luxury. Indeed, in terms of liters of the finished product, tea is a very cheap drink. This means only one thing - tea should be treated lightly, as an idle fun.

“Any strain on the quality of tea, as well as categorical statements like “I only drink this tea”, “I don’t suck at drinking tea with Russian letters on the label”, “My friends in China drink only this tea”, “This shop has tea directly from the plantations, and in supermarkets there is only junk”, “Tea cannot be brewed with boiling water” and others are a bit unnatural,” says Denis Shumakov. - Tea is most often cheap, if you don’t like it, you can simply put it in the far corner (you don’t need to drink tea you don’t like, we are not mice, and tea is not a cactus) and buy a new pack. Well, that is, the purchase of bad tea - even if this tea was bought in Kathmandu and brought home as a rare specialty - is not a reason for frustration.

Besides, everyone has different tastes. And despite the fact that there are objective criteria for the quality of tea, very different teas can have these qualities.

“The quality of tea depends not only on what kind of tea is purchased in the store, but also on how this tea is brewed,” says Denis Shumakov. — Of course, it is quite difficult to make candy out of obviously bad tea with various brewing tricks. As well as accidentally spoiling very good tea. But here you can noticeably influence the quality of the drink by choosing water, brewing mode, quality of dishes and all sorts of other ways. Therefore, when buying in a store or ordering good tea in a restaurant, you need to be prepared for man-made surprises of varying degrees of pleasantness. Especially tough surprises can happen in catering, where the crooked hands of the staff can work wonders with tea. That is why the vast majority of restaurants choose not to mess with really good tea, preferring teas that are simple, pushy and well-marketed.”

Raid on Pskov shops

Imperial

Perhaps, the "Imperial" presents the widest selection of tea - from the cheapest to expensive varieties and gift packages. One gets the feeling that the entire range of the hypermarket in a year is definitely not to be tried. Especially if you take into account the fact that from time to time new varieties and types of drink are put on the court of Pskov.

The first thing that catches your eye is the large selection of Ahmad. One hundred gram gift tubes cost significantly more than 100 rubles, but London is declared as the manufacturer on the packaging. You will have to pay about 200 rubles for "Ahmad" in an elegant tin 100-gram package. "Ahmad" in ordinary cardboard boxes - and cheaper, and the address of the "assembly" already indicates Mytishchi near Moscow. Tea connoisseurs say that before the appearance of “Ahmad” in the geography of Mytishchi, tea was much better.

For "Ahmad" in a beautiful 100-gram package, you will have to pay about 200 rubles.

Another clear leader in terms of occupied tea rack space in Imperial is the Lipton trademark. Pyramids from Lipton look at least stylish and presentable - the appearance of the box clearly contributes to just such a perception. But this is if you do not read the composition - a flavor identical to natural is found in almost every type of tea. High-quality tea does not need taste adjustment - the truth is clear to everyone.

Tea not produced in Russia is marked in Imperial with special inscriptions, for example, “grown and packed in Sri Lanka”, “tea from Italy”, “packed in the UAE” and others.

Especially for gourmets - pointers to where the tea is packaged

In Sri Lanka, in particular, some types of Heilis tea were packaged. A 100-gram tube of such tea will cost 120-130 rubles.

As for the composition, it turned out to be very concise and correct for Greenfield tea (Russian-made, despite the foreign name). And the tea bags of this brand are made correctly, as experts advise - each bag is packed in individual foil.

The packaging of Dilma tea is outwardly very indicative - it says in large letters that the large-leaf tea is grown and packaged in Ceylon. And as proof - a small window in the pack, through which you can estimate the size of the tea leaf. Everything would be fine, only the light has a detrimental effect on tea, so such a demonstration is most likely superfluous.

The lowest shelves in the "Imperial" are occupied by tea brands "Conversation", all "princess", "Akbar" and other budget teas. They are produced in most cases at factories in the Moscow or Leningrad regions from small long leaf tea.

Also in the "Imperial" there is a special tea department of the Russian Tea Company. The choice of tea here is also large, you can buy any one by weight. The price depends on the type of tea and starts from 65 rubles. I will say right away that it is very difficult for an inexperienced tea drinker to navigate here. “I want” wakes up at a glance at the very first jar, and the number of these same “I want” increases with each next package. It's simple - tin cans are very colorful, and the names of teas are unusually tasty.

"Cart"

There are three segments of a long rack for tea. At eye level, in the most advantageous positions - mainly tea bags - an impressive assortment, dozens of flavor variations, pleasant names, bright packaging. The choice of brewed tea seemed not so impressive. Of course, for women's holidays, gift options were put on the top places, that is, in the neighborhood with tea bags. The picture of teas with foreign names, but packaged in native Russia, is diluted with an elegant “doll” collection of Riston teas made and packaged in Sri Lanka - “Camilla”, “Charlotte”, “Margaret” and others will cost 275 rubles per 125 grams.

Basilur (Sri Lanka) is available in different variations - from packed in a cardboard bag (“Seasons”, 100 g, 121.70 rubles) to enclosed in a beautiful tin box, however, with a winter landscape (100 g, about 300 rubles)

A good discount - on Burnley - on the card 100 g will cost 33.18 rubles. Green "Burnley" costs about 60 rubles. Beneficial offer - three teas "Ahmad" "English tradition" in one package - 91.90 for card holders. Well, the cheapest tea - "Ceylon" - in the "Cart" costs only 19.60 rubles.

"Magnet"

In "Magnit" tea is not very good - better than in supermarkets, but worse than in other Pskov hypermarkets. Two compartments of the rack, a lot of budget "Princess Noori", "Conversations", "May" and other most inexpensive teas.

Of course, all decent places are occupied by tea bags, and to find, say, custard "Greenfield" (47-58 rubles 100 g), you have to bend over.

Teas packaged outside of Russia are an exception here. So this very exception is the Newby “English Breakfast” packaged in India - 241.10 rubles. for 100 g, Heilis (Sri Lanka) in a tube (melissa, mint 124 rubles per 100 g). There was also Zhen Shen tea, harvested and packaged in China, "in the high-tech zone", at least that's what it says on the packaging.

The most expensive tea in Magnit was the gift Hilltop English Box with different types of tea and a strainer. Beauty manufacturer - "Mozhaisk Tea Company".

Supermarkets "Pyaterochka", "Free Merchant", "Good", "Dixie"

The choice of tea in supermarkets is banal - if only there was. Moreover, the dependence is the most direct - the smaller the store, the poorer the choice. As a rule, the most budgetary teas are in favor - "May", "Princess", "Conversation" and others. For a change - "Burnley", "Greenfield", "Tess" and "Akbar".

"Tea house"

There is everything that a tea and coffee lover needs - that is, a variety of brands and varieties of tea and coffee, in factory packaging and by weight (tea), as well as accessories for making drinks.

Tea is on display, limited from the buyer by the counter. The absence of the principle of self-service for the buyer is unusual. Beginners will have to be guided by the advice of sellers, and tea gourmets, as far as I understand, are well versed in the offer even without it. And praise the choice.

Prices for loose tea start at an average of 120-150 rubles per 100 g.

"Puer"

Atmospheric shop with black and green tea, both pure and with natural flavors in the composition. The choice seemed simpler than in the Tea House. There is a nice area for tea drinking. Teapots, mugs, bowls can be bought here. Tea prices also start at 70-80 rubles per 100 g.

professional look

Specialized tea shops have recently become increasingly popular among Pskov residents. How attractive these stores are for tea gourmets, we asked Denis Shumakov.

“There are several places in Pskov where you can buy tea quite safely,” the tea expert is sure. - This does not mean that all the tea in these places is good, there is also enough nonsense. But you can buy quite decent tea there.”

According to Denis Shumakov, on the shelves of the Imperial hypermarket, among an incredible number of jars and boxes, you can find good tea, “even with some terroir features.” It is also convenient to choose tea gifts there, provided that the packaging of these gifts is more important than their contents. “First of all, it makes sense to pay attention to Ahmad, Greenfield, Basilur teas, especially unflavored ones,” the expert advises.

Denis Shumakov considers the shop at the crossroads of M. Gorky and R. Luxemburg streets to be the most tea shop in Pskov. “New interesting positions are constantly appearing there. The last time I was there, there was a very interesting collection of Kenyan tea,” said Denis Shumakov. “The tea shop on the second floor of the Maximus, as far as I know, belongs to the same owners as the tea shop in the Imperial. And, as in the "Imperial", it first of all makes sense to pay attention to pressed pu-erh. The tea department in the House of Trade on Fabricius Street presents a traditional Chinese assortment for modern tea boutique trade with small Indian-Ceylon splashes.

Denis Shumakov spoke very reservedly about the assortment of tea in the Puer store at Four Corners. “The choice of tea in the store is very modest, but it is cozy there, there are meadows for drinking tea and very friendly staff. Despite the fact that the pseudo-Chinese tea-club aesthetics have lost their appeal for me for a long time, sometimes I want to sit on all fours and drink tea, ”the expert noted.

Denis Shumakov is sure that there are enough tea shops in Pskov to regularly provide yourself with good tea. Especially if you follow three simple rules:

- give preference to tea in factory packaging and be sure to ensure that it has labels in Russian;
- Ignore flavored teas as much as possible, especially those that are sold by weight. Tea with perverse names ("The Emperor's Mistress", "A Thousand and One Nights" and so on) should alert you right away.
Always keep a few teas at home so you can drink and compare.

By the way, Pskov public catering is not very concerned about the quality of tea. “I know only two establishments where they pay worthy attention to tea,” said Denis Shumakov. - These are "Velvet" and "At Pokrovka". Velvet has a weak basic tea range, but they are willing to experiment with local herbs, which makes up for any problems with the rest of the tea list. I myself had a little hand in the U Pokrovka tea list and, of course, I am biased in its assessments. But the card is still very strong.”

At the same time, Denis Shumakov noted that he almost never buys tea in Pskov. “This is not due to snobbery, but only to the fact that I almost always have a lot of good tea at home,” the tea expert shared with the CCA.

Happy tea!
Tatyana Bogacheva
13.03.2014 CCA, Pskov

India is a mysterious country, the historical center of trade routes, the birthplace of ancient civilizations, a unique culture and different religions. It attracts historians, archaeologists and scientists like a magnet, makes one admire its dissimilarity to other countries of Europe and the whole world. One of the main steps in the history of India is occupied by a magnificent, fragrant, invigorating tea. Indian tea is known all over the world, it is drunk in Russia, America, and Ukraine. Today, most countries of the world have become developed and independent, but now you will not meet long queues near store shelves, you will not see a lot of the same things and you will not even remember about the shortage. But quite recently, about 20-25 years ago, this chaos was happening on every street in the country. People stood in line for days, bought clothes and food, sweeping away on the spot. It's still about the deficit was not out of the question. In the early 70s of the last century, the USSR was just that.

Many people remember and sometimes miss Soviet times and products. After all, they were really high quality. Imported products were no exception. Very often people talk about Indian tea with an elephant on a yellow pack. It was the first Indian tea brought to the USSR. Until that time, Georgian tea of ​​the highest grade was the domestic brand. In the 1970s, the tea industry began to move from manual to machine work. The quality of Georgian tea has dropped catastrophically. The Soviet tea industry suffered losses. In addition, the country quarreled with the only importer - China, but established ties with other countries in which the tea industry was ideally developed. In addition, India, Tanzania, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Kenya were friendly to our system and policy. At first, imported tea was mixed with low-quality Georgian tea and passed off as domestic. For some time, such a scam worked well and brought good profits. And then the same Indian tea came to the fore, which eventually became a symbol of the Soviet system.

Tea was imported to the territory of the USSR in bulk, and only then it was packaged in packs. Colorful, bright packs attracted citizens to try a wonderful Indian drink. The color of the pack depended on the type of packaged tea. The highest grade of tea was packed in a yellow box, while the first grade was packaged in green and red boxes. Despite the regime of the country, it was often possible to buy a fake on the counter of the store, which included Indian, Georgian, Madagascar and Ceylon teas. Therefore, tea with an elephant was bought only in those cases when the elephant's trunk was raised up. Tea in this package was considered real. Soon both the trunk and the tea itself disappeared. They began to import it less often, and where it appeared, it was immediately taken apart. Then Turkish tea came to replace the beloved Indian tea. Today, tea with an elephant is called “the same tea”, but has little in common with the tea of ​​the Soviet era.

Everyone whose childhood fell on the time of the existence of the USSR undoubtedly remembers Indian tea with an elephant. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, this tea disappeared from sight for a long time, but later began to appear, along with other "nostalgic" products of that period.

After a long break, I first saw him in GUM at Gastronome No1, where I often look for my favorite pistachio tartlet with raspberries and strawberries.

The familiar yellow pack with an elephant immediately caught my eye, but upon closer examination, doubts arose because "those same" packs were of course made from cheaper cardboard, and as far as I remembered, the elephant was not red, but gray (or blue) . By the way, there were two types of packaging on sale: square, smaller and rectangular, larger. The price, respectively, also differed 75 kopecks and 95 kopecks.

This tea was in short supply and just like that, it didn’t lie on the shelves in every store. Perhaps this is why it seemed so tasty, against the background of absolutely ugly teas "from a broom" and "hay", which were sold more freely and, of course, were inferior to it in taste. But I think that for us today, that tea from childhood would no longer seem so ideal. After all, we have the opportunity to buy really good tea.

But of course I bought a pack. Paid about 90 rubles, I think. In other places, it may be sold cheaper, but I met him in GUM.

I really like the packaging design. There is something attractive and familiar in it. The same longing for childhood, perhaps. I even like the very presence of this pack in my kitchen. You open the locker, and there is a familiar pack of tea with an elephant....

But I was haunted by the memory that the elephant in my childhood was gray (blue). I got on the Internet and realized that I was not mistaken. I already wanted to express my "fi" to the manufacturer, but when I looked at their website, I realized that with today's variety of teas, they simply could not produce only one type of tea, so they already have 5 elephants of different colors:

Red, blue, gray is Indian tea; as well as purple and brown are complex - this is Ceylon tea.

There are also picketed tea and tea in soft packs. Neither one nor the other interested me because they simply did not exist in my childhood. And the main motivator for the purchase was precisely the nostalgic moment.

The packaging is simply sealed, inside the tea is additionally packed in parchment. Now, this is somehow unusual, because most teas are packaged additionally in foil paper or something shiny. And here is a pleasantly rustling parchment paper, which, by the way, is not sealed in any way. You just need to unfold it and you can get to the tea.

Tea looks very ordinary, no frills. The tea leaves are black, medium in size, closer to small ones. Extraneous inclusions, debris and sticks, I did not find. Tea aroma, but not strong.

There is a brewing method on the package, but everyone already knows what’s what and everyone doesn’t care, I think, they do it in their own way. I brewed in a spoon with a mesh, as well as in a BODUM glass teapot.

Tea is brewed much faster than indicated, but for a brighter taste, it is better to let it brew a little though. Otherwise, only the color will turn out, not the taste.

Well, the tea is brewed and you can try it. Of course, I was waiting for some kind of explosion of memories, but it did not follow. Tea is like tea. Nothing special. My attitude towards him is completely neutral. Its color, aroma and taste are not bad, but do not cause me any special enthusiasm. The taste is slightly tart, moderately saturated, the aroma is ordinary tea. The tea is not bad, but if it were not for the box, I would not have singled it out and would not remember it.

Output:
Indian tea The one is not bad and I can recommend it, but I have no enthusiasm. Ordinary tea in an interesting, nostalgic box. I want to try all the other elephants produced by this company, suddenly the very one lurks in one of them ...