February 03, 2021

Russia's Cup of Tea


Russia's Cup of Tea
The perfect drink for a cold winter day.  Daria-Yakovleva, pixabay.com

While Great Britain usually gets a reputation for being the greatest country for tea snobs, anyone who has been to Russia can attest to the country's deep love for the beverage. Now, that love can go even deeper.

Whether sipped from a classic glass teacup holder aboard the Trans-Siberian Railway or straight from the samovar, people all over the country adore the beverage. One might even go so far as to say that it is the country's national drink, second perhaps only to vodka

The only trouble is that, while vodka can be easily brewed in less-than-ideal temperatures, most tea leaves must either be grown exclusively in the country's southern regions or purchased from abroad. Of course, herbal teas such as Ivan Chai have filled this agricultural void for centuries, but most people will agree that nothing quite hits the spot like a strong cup of black tea. 

The good news is that researchers of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the Krasnodar region have been working to isolate specific gene variants within tea plants that make them more tolerant of cold temperatures. During the course of their three-year-long study, they have been able to identify 15 genes in particular that are strongly expressed in tea plants that feature this trait.

With this information, they plan on soon being able to introduce a tea plant that can survive through frost and could potentially be grown in other parts of Russia. We're hoping they'll start working on a cold-resistant coffee plant next!

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Some of our Books

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Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Fearful Majesty
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Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

A Taste of Russia
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A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
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Jews in Service to the Tsar

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Life Stories
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The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

Moscow and Muscovites
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Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

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