Postcard from Bishkek

Since 2005, December 15th has been marked in several Tea producing countries as International Tea Day.

The idea of holding such a day came out of the World Social Forum held in Mumbai in 2004, and the idea was taken up and developed by Trade Union organizations.

Although one of the aims of the day was to promote the beverage, the main thrust was to draw attention to the problems of the tea industry, especially those facing the workers in the industry and small scale producers.

Tea is a beverage. made by pouring hot water over dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis shrub, which originally comes from Asia – from South West China.  There is evidence to suggest that it has been drunk since about the tenth century BC – but at that time it was imbibed for medicinal purposes.  Despite its naturally bitter taste, it was known as a refreshing stimulant and had many curative properties attributed to it.

By the third century BC, it had already become a popular drink in China … and both the plant’s cultivation and its consumption had spread throughout South East Asia.  It made its way to Europe by way of Portuguese priests and merchants who had been introduced to the drink in Asia, and British merchants who had also come across it in Asia.  It Catherine of Braganza, the wife of Charles II, who popularized the beverage in Britain.

It was still an expensive drink, (some say it commanded a price similar to that of Gold), and was made accessible to the pockets of the general population as the result of smuggling.   The Portuguese had bushes planted on the Azores, (which still provides tea to the country), and the British, (in great secrecy and supposedly to challenge the monopoly of the Chinese), in their colonies – at first in India, and then later, elsewhere.

As more and more supplies arrived in Europe, prices fell and drink’s popularity grew – to the extent that it has become the world’s second most frequently consumed drink – after Water.

Despite this, the modern day producers experience considerable difficulties, dependent on the crop for their livelihoods but at the mercy of the vagaries of the market – whilst receiving low prices, (possibly, according to some, as a result of overproduction), especially when compared to the prices paid by the final consumers.

It also became popular in Russia and the Muslim World … and not forgetting here in Central Asia.

The nomadic Kyrgyz, pasturing their livestock on lands that straddled ancient trading routes, assimilated people and aspects of many different cultures. Although there seems to be some evidence of it being consumed in the Tien Shan in the seventh century, it doesn’t grow in the region and so had to be transported here and traded.

It seems that tea arrived in the region during the period of Oriat rule – in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, in the form of “bricks” of dried tea from China. As in Europe, it was expensive … but became popular, at first among feudal lords and later the wider populace.

When Russian and Ukrainian settlers began to arrive in the region, they brought with them among their belongings a utensil for the preparation of the beverage – the Samovar. Some were manufactured but others were produced in private workshops.

The Samovar is basically a “kettle” for boiling water’ – the word is a portmanteau word which literally mean self boiler.

A traditional samovar consists of a large metal container for the water, with a tap at the base for drawing off the hot water.  This is arranged around a central chamber into which charcoal or wood chippings are placed and then set alight to provide the heat source.  This central chamber can be topped with a metal tube which acts as a chimney to draw away the smoke from the fire in the central chamber.  Often there is also a ring which can act as a stand to place a teapot to keep it warm.

The teapot contains a very strong brew … a little of which is poured into the cup – and then needs to be topped up, diluted, with hot water poured from the samovar before being handed to the drinker to consume.

Modern samovars are electric and work as “Tea Urns”.

Tea has since come to hold a central role in everyday life. Almost all celebrations will begin and end with tea being served.

As with other cultures, (such as Chinese and Japanese), there are a number of traditions and customs associated with serving tea.

In the North of Kyrgyzstan, for example, tea is usually made strong.  A small amount of this strong concentrate is poured into a cup and then and then topped up, (or diluted), with hot water.  (This seems to be a hang over of the samovar.)

In the South of the country, however, tea is poured direct from the pot as in Western tradition.  The hostess will usually pour the first few cups back into the pot – this is normal and aids the tea in “mixing” and drawing out the flavour. It may well be served in a small bowl, (a pialka), rather than a cup.  Usually the pialka is offered only half full and is constantly being refreshed.

(It is sometimes said that, in the South, if you are handed a full pialka, then it is time to go.)

It was only when I came here to Kyrgyzstan that I really came across Black Tea and Green Tea.  I had heard of them, and Orange Tea, and more recently I have also come across Red Tea, but the choice back in Britain was always “India or China”, here the choice is “Black or Green”.  Each has their fans.  There are lots of claims made for the therapeutic value of both – tealeaves apparently contain over 600 different chemical, vitamins, amino acids etc., each with their usefulness and value.  Not all of these claims are supported by scientific research, but I can support one claim for green tea in particular.

 

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