​Tea was first introduced to Russia in 1638 when Russian Tsar Michael Fedorovich received tea as a diplomatic gift from Altyun-Khan, the ruler of Mongolia.   Since then tea drinking has become a favorite drink in Russian culture, second only to vodka. 
 
While it is not considered appropriate to drink tea with a meal, Russians frequently consume tea after meals and during mid-afternoon breaks.  Drinking tea is considered a social activity and was historically was served during intimate conversations, business discussions, and even marriage arrangements.  Tea is still considered a social activity to this day and people often visit each other’s’ homes for “cup of tea”.
 
Russian tea is almost exclusively black tea, although most do not add anything to their tea, alcohol is the most frequent addition.  In Russian culture it is considered rude to serve tea without any food to go with it; sweets such as cookies, pies, biscuits and candy are often served with tea.

Afternoon Tea:
Afternoon tea is a social event that originated in the 1840s when a duchess grew hungry between lunch and dinner.  The duchess invited her friends for tea and a light snack to carry them through the afternoon.  As this was not a formal meal, the women would sit in the parlor in low slung armchairs, hence earning afternoon tea it’s other common name, “Low Tea”.
 
Afternoon Tea is typically served around 4pm and features finger foods such as small sandwiches, scones, macaroons, and other treats.  This social gathering is commonly mistakenly referred to as “High Tea” and was traditionally reserved for the upper class.
 
Cream Tea:
Originating in Devon and Cornwall, England, Cream Tea is a paired down version of Afternoon Tea and features the traditional last course of Afternoon Tea.   At a Cream Tea the tea is served with scones, clotted cream, and jam.

​High Tea:
High Tea first began when the lower class could not take lunch breaks during work.  Instead they would come home and serve tea and a hearty meal of cold cuts, cheese and meat pies for their family.  This service would characteristically be enjoyed at dinner table, hence the name “High Tea”.
 
High Tea is more relaxed and informal than Afternoon Tea and is traditionally enjoyed with one’s family rather than in a social setting.  To this day, many in England still refer to their dinner as “Tea”.

Check out our event calendar​​ to find the perfect tea service for you and your friends!

This is how ancient Chinese poets described white tea during the Imperial Dynasty.  Throughout this time period tea drinking was its own culture; a significant part of this culture was Chinese citizens paying a yearly tribute to the emperor known as the imperial tea.
 
White tea gets its name from the little white hairs still on the young tea leaves that are harvested before they have fully opened.  Theses young leaves are then dried quickly to keep oxidation at a minimum, which results in delicate, fresh, tea.  White tea tends to be more expensive than other teas and has a delicate, floral or fruity, aroma.  It is also lower in caffeine than green and black teas.

The most popular varieties of white tea are:

• Silver Needle: Comes from the Fujian province, the original white tea plant, and has less caffeine than other varieties
• White Peony: A new variety, from China and other countries, and can be cultivated from any variety of white tea plant
• Monkey Picked: Is legend to be picked by monkeys trained by Buddhist monks, it comes from wild tea tree tops in mountainous regions of China, and has the highest quality of white tea
• Darjeeling: From the Darjeeling region of India, its flavor profile is different than Chinese white teas

The earliest recordings of herbal tea date back as far as ancient Egypt, where mint was found in pyramids, and ancient Chinese texts list using it for medicinal purposes.

Journals belonging to the ancient Greek physician Droscorides, listed over 600 medicinal plants that could be steeped in hot water and drank for their healing properties.
Although most of the world assumes herbal tea is a tea like any other variety, is not officially tea; herbal tea does not come from Camellia sinensis, the plant black, white, oolong, and green teas are all made from.  Instead herbal tea is a blend of leaves, fruits, bark, roots, and flowers.  While this form of tea was invented to be enjoyed as a drink, for centuries herbal teas were primarily used for their healing abilities.  It is only within the last few centuries, that it has become more and more common for people to drink herbal tea simply for enjoyment.  However it is still used to invoke calmness and support a healthy mind and body
Herbal tea is perfect for those are sensitive to caffeine as it is naturally caffeine-free.  The most common herbal teas are rooibos, mint, chamomile, hibiscus, and rose, below is a chart with each of their health benefits.

             With origins from China black tea is most commonly
                     grown in India, Sri Lanka, Africa, and China.

Black tea was born in the mid-17th century, when a passing army entered the Fujian province of China and decided to take shelter at a local tea factory.  Halting production, the leaves were left out in the sun, oxidizing, longer than normal.  This longer oxidation created a new type of tea, black.
Due to the lengthy oxidation process, black tea is able to retain flavor and freshness longer than most other teas.  Longer oxidation time also makes the leaves darker, thus leading to the name “black” tea.  Black teas’ flavors range from savory to sweet and are known to have stronger, bolder, and richer flavors than green tea.
There is also more caffeine in black tea than green tea.  However, black tea contains less caffeine than coffee which means it provides more focus as it does not over stimulate your brain.
Black tea truly rose to popularity in the 1700s, in the American colonies.  It is the most common tea drank in Western Culture, the most frequently served as English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Sweet Tea, and Iced tea.  Black tea makes up over 90% of the tea sold in the US!
 
No matter your flavor preference, with over 35 black teas and black tea blends to choose from, Elden Street Tea Shop has the perfect black tea for you!

​**To make the chai spice blend use equal
parts cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground
​cloves, and peppercorn.

To access the original recipe, click here.