Ancient culinary books indicate that our ancestors called drinks only those liquids that were nutritious, nutritious, and also did not contain alcohol. It would seem that tea should be the first on this list. However, in our country the tradition of drinking it did not appear immediately.
If you ask today the citizens of our country: “What did they drink in Russia before tea appeared?” - few will answer. So what drinks did the Slavs prefer? Of course, these were jelly, kvass, sbiten, fruit drinks.
So, let's try to figure out what they drank in Russia before tea.
Our ancestors really liked kvass. There is a version that the Greeks shared the recipe for its preparation with the Slavs. The chronicle of Nestor confirms the fact that people treated the “bread” drink at the time when Russia was baptized.
Considering the question of what they drank in Russia before the appearance of tea, it is necessary to mention that kvass was considered a drink for commoners, but, despite this, many people used it. Representatives of the upper classes preferred "overseas" wines. Only one ruble could buy a barrel of kvass. It perfectly quenches thirst, invigorates, and also has a beneficial effect on the activity of the gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system. Moreover, kvass was considered a prophylactic against scurvy and consumption.
Performing field work, the peasants stocked up in advance with this amazingly tasty and aromatic drink. It must also be emphasized that there are a huge number of recipes for its preparation.
However, the list of what they drank in Russia before tea appeared is not limited to kvass.
Fruit drink among the Slavs was no less popular. For the first time it is mentioned in the monument of writing "Domostroy". The above drink was made by mixing various types of jam with water. Our ancestors were especially valued cranberry and cranberry juice. Culinary experts identify seven types of jam that are optimally suitable for making fruit drinks.
What else did you drink before tea? Of course, compote. It was considered a "northern" drink. In Russia, everywhere began to use compote only in the 18th century. There is a whole arsenal of recipes for making the above drink. Compotes are made from almost all edible berries and fruits.
Well, how can one not mention the favorite old Russian drink - kissel? The name comes from a classic rustic dish made from oats. Later, when potatoes were brought into our country, berry-fruit drinks, which were prepared with the addition of starch, became popular.
Despite the fact that the history of tea in Russia is quite curious and entertaining, nevertheless, representatives of the nobility, ruling in the Moscow Principality, did not immediately try the “overseas” drink presented as a gift. And such a present was made in 1638 by the boyar son Vasily Starkov, who, upon arrival from Altyn Khan, presented the offering directly to the Russian Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. However, the “tea ceremony” came into fashion somewhat later, when the “invigorating” drink in 1665 healed another “tsar’s disease” from another tsar - Alexei Mikhailovich.
Fourteen years later, an agreement was signed with China on regular deliveries of tea to the capital of Russia.
Despite the fact that in our country there were very few territories suitable for tea growing, attempts to grow their own crops were successful only in the middle of the 19th century. In the next century, the cultivation of the above plants reached such a level that our country took a leading position in the list of leading tea producing countries on the planet.