Sochi is one of the most beautiful resort cities located near the Black Sea. This city is located on the territory of the Russian Federation and is its unspoken southern capital.
The climate of Sochi - humid subtropical - is very favorable for growing various subtropical crops, including tea.
And in this wonderful resort town there is a village with an unusual name - Uch-Dere, which is translated from the Turkic language as “three gorges”. It is there that the raw materials for this delicious and delicious drink are grown!
A little about the village itself
Located Uch-Dere to a greater extent in the mountainous terrain. It is still necessary to get to the sea. But here it is unusually clean and fresh air and a pleasant climate for the human body.
It is no coincidence that more than a hundred years ago, the Russian emperor Nicholas II donated this place to his mother, Maria Fedorovna, so that she could improve her health ... Later, a sanatorium was built here, which exists today.
And here is what is remarkable for the Uch-Dere district: its territory is closed by mountains from the northern cold winds, it has a huge wide space, which is perfectly illuminated by the sun, where there are practically no rainy days. What is not a paradise on Earth?
The most northern tea
It is in this village, on the slopes of its magnificent and majestic mountains, that the northernmost tea in the world grows! But not many people know about it ...
Since childhood, local residents learn to collect tea. Women - by hand, men - using a special device. But mastery in this matter is passed down from generation to generation. This is a tradition, this is the philosophy of their life!
And only in Uch-Dere they serve the most delicious Krasnodar tea with fragrant buns right in special cafes - tea houses (Sochi).
Tea house tour
Arriving in Sochi to the sea, you should also visit this amazing place in order to better feel the spirit of the city.
An excursion to Sochi's tea houses is an opportunity to be in a cafe-museum, where, in addition to tea and refreshments, there will certainly be a historical reference about the village of Uch-Dere and its tea plantations.
And these houses look like real fabulous wooden towers of the XIX century, the architecture of which very clearly reflects the rich culture of the Russian people.
Tea Growing History
In fact, these structures were built in the 70s of the XX century by one Hutsul and his sons. And they were built without a single nail.
And the story of tea growing in this area began like that.
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, I. A. Koshman came to this area. And he was already a man of considerable age (62 years old), had a lot of knowledge about how to grow tea. He received his first experience and skills in this matter at the time on Georgian tea plantations.
Then he first began to plant tea in the territory of the current city of Sochi. Local residents did not believe that in these parts this could even grow. But, contrary to all doubts and prejudices, tea began to grow very well and turn green.
And now Koshman sells it in the market ...
There were people who bought, but there were those who envied the owner of the local tea plantation and saw him as a competitor. In general, the story ended with the fact that tea was still recognized, and over time, rumors about this area and the taste of northern tea began to spread further.
And now foreign guests, dignitaries of various states, as well as cultural and sports figures are coming to tea houses (Sochi) to see beautiful places and get in touch with the culture of Russian tea drinking.
What's inside
What exactly amazes and surprises the guests entering the room is beautiful antique furniture painted with Khokhloma painting and gzhel, small varnished miniature figurines, Vologda lace on the walls, Zhostovo trays of magnificent painting, and so on. All this is a unique work of art by Russian craftswomen and is very interesting for guests of tea houses (Sochi).
The guide of these establishments is happy to tell tourists about the traditions of Russian tea drinking, and how Krasnodar tea is grown. And the guests, meanwhile, are tasting a fragrant drink, pouring it from a real samovar, eating delicious cakes, honey, feijoa and fig jam.
And all this (at the additional request of the guests!) To the sounds of a real Russian folklore ensemble!
Tea House Information
The opening hours of tea houses in Uch-Dere are from 10:00 to 18:00 every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And they are located at an altitude of about 300 meters above sea level, in the gorge - between Loo and Dagomys. This is the Lazarevsky district of the city of Sochi, the village of Uch-Dere.