SAMOVAR - Tea Maker

My Turkish family uses a kitchen tool, popular in Europe and the Middle East , the Samovar. Samovar (“self” (samo-) “boil” (-var) in Russian) consists of a metal pitcher for boiling water upon which a teapot holds a concentrated tea brew (Online Etymology Dictionary, 2014). Samovars were originally metal and heated with coal or wood; however, however, modern day samovars can be metal and heated on stove tops, or metal or plastic and heated electrically (Akhundov, 2000). The teapot is filled with concentrated tea and is continuously brewed by the boiling water in the bottom container. Almost every house in Turkey has at least one stove top or electrical samovar, and in more remote cities, coal and wood powered samovars prevail.

Historical annotations locate the origins of samovars to Eastern Europe (Akhundov, 2000). The first documented samovar was in 1878 by the Lisitsyn brothers of Tula, Russia, and in the 18th century, Tula became the greatest samovar producer and in 19th century, exporter to Europe and Asia(Brumfield, 2012). However, origins, of heated tea urns are traced back to Asia some 3,600 years ago (McTears Auctioneers, 2012). Samovars in Eastern Europe can be elaborately decorated with floral and landscape designs and etchings (Akhundov, 2000). Whereas in Turkey and other Muslim cultures, samovars are simpler with some floral designs, which I presume this may be because of Islam’s exclusion of figurative art (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014).

Are samovars still popular? “There is no home in Kashmir that does not have a samovar” (Kashmiri Overseas Association, 2014) says one author; yet, another discusses its decreasing popularity in younger generations with the growth of packaged tea (My Persian Kitchen, 2010). Similarly, in Turkish households alongside a samovar; packaged teas and kettles are growing in popularity amongst younger generations, such as my friends. Yet, I also know that it is almost impolite to offer packaged-tea to guests because they are less time consuming and hospitable. The art of drinking tea carries great importance. The tea brew should not be boiled for more than 20 minutes as dark tea can become bitter with time (En Son Haber, 2011).

The samovar symbolizes hospitality in Turkish tea service. Turks drink tea throughout the day, and have long discussions over the importance of their tea. In some cities in Turkey, tea is more commonly offered than is water, and most restaurants in Turkey offer it complimentarily. Turkish samovars feature black tea, while other cultures, such as Morocco, may offer mint and green tea, as it is more popular there (Cérémonie Tea, 2014). While black tea consumption is traditional in Turkey , there is an increase in using more popular teas in the samovar such as green tea, or herbal teas such as linden and sage. Our household has three stove top samovars from local shops in Istanbul, Turkey and one metal electrical samovar, purchased from an online Turkish ceramic store in America (due to voltage difference). Samovars last for about five years, which is common in most families as samovars may break and or become rusted from constant use (at least twice a day).

A guest is always asked how dark or light (meaning how concentrated) they prefer their tea. A guest preferring dark tea, for example, is poured more tea from the top teapot, making it more concentrated . Turkish people also drink their teas in small hourglass tea glasses, usually only take 200 ml of liquid, compared to an average American teacup, taking 500 ml of liquid; therefore more constant monitoring of a guest’s tea exists (around every ten to fifteen minutes). The Turkish tea glasses commonly feature etchings to show the proportion of tea to water. tray service indicates also the hospitality aspect-- tea glasses do not feature handles, instead a bottom saucer on which the tea glass sits is touched when serving guests. Looking at this labor intensive tea process we see the importance of attention to detail and service, mostly by females (Every Culture, 2014).

The samovar thus symbolizes traditional hospitality in Turkish culture while also showing an ability to adapt to modern changes in consumption patterns. It’s versatility means it will be around a long time!

References

Akhundov, T. (2000). Birth of the Samovar? A Puzzling Archeological Find in the Foothills of the Caucasus. Azerbaijan International, pp. 42-44. Retrieved from http://azer.com/aiweb/categories/magazine/83_folder/83_articles/83_samovar.html

Brumfield, W. (2012). Tula: Russia’s Armory. Russia Beyond The Headlines. Retrieved 4 October 2014, from http://rbth.com/articles/2012/08/24/tula_russias_armory_17623.html

Cérémonie Tea,. (2014). Naa-Naa: Origins of Moroccan Mint Green Tea - Cérémonie Tea. Retrieved 4 October 2014, from http://ceremonietea.com/naa-naa-origins-moroccan-mint-green-tea/

En Son Haber,. (2011). Çay nasıl demlenir? Çay demleme usulleri. Retrieved 4 October 2014, from http://www.ensonhaber.com/cay-nasil-demlenir-cay-demleme-usulleri-2011-10-26.html

Every Culture,. (2014). Culture of Turkey. Retrieved 4 October 2014, from http://www.everyculture.com/To-Z/Turkey.html

Kashmiri Overseas Association,. (2014). Kashmiri Samovar. Retrieved 4 October 2014, from http://www.koausa.org/Misc/Samovar.html

McTears Auctioneers,. (2012). Something's brewing for the September Silver Auction... | McTear's Auctioneers, Glasgow. Retrieved 4 October 2014, from http://www.mctears.com/news/view.aspx?id=35426da0-1ad7-423e-b9bc-5faa4e4d77f8

My Persian Kitchen,. (2010). Samovar. Retrieved 4 October 2014, from http://mypersiankitchen.com/samovar/

Online Etymology Dictionary,. (2014). Definition of Samovar. Retrieved 4 October 2014, from http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=samovar

The Metropolitan Museum of Art,. (2014). Figural Representation in Islamic Art | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 4 October 2014, from http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/figs/hd_figs.htm