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Russian Caravan | 
 enlarge | Brand: Coffee Anyone ???
Category: Grocery
Buy New: $8.25
Avg. Customer Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 78444
Media: Misc.
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
ASIN: B0006NL1D6
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
 | Very smoky aroma and flavor. This tea is not of Russian origin | | | It is a blend in the tradition of the 19th century Russian tea trade. | | | Caravans spent upwards of 16 months making the round trip to eastern China and back | | | Coffee Anyone's Russian Caravan is our own blend of China's Lapsang Souchong and Keemun Congou. | | | 1/2 lb of loose tea |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Very smoky aroma and flavor. Not of Russian origin, it is a blend in the tradition of the 19th century Russian tea trade. Caravans spent 16 months making the round trip to eastern China. Our own blend of China's Lapsang Souchong and Keemun Congou.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Russia's "Other" National Drink. June 17, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The Russian tea tradition began with the powerful Romanov dynasty -- although not with Mikhail Feodorovich Romanov (1596 - 1645), the dynasty's founder and first czar, but strictly speaking with his ambassador to the court of the Mogul emperor of North India, who was offered tea as a gift to his master ... and declined, concluding that Czar Mikhail would have no use for it anyway. Thus, only after Russia and China had signed a border agreement in 1689 (the treaty of Nerchinsk), which reduced all trade between the two countries to a single trading post essentially in the middle of nowhere, tea was introduced into Russia along with cotton, silk and other Chinese merchandise, and soon acquired substantial popularity. After 1700, over 600 camel loads or 350,000 pounds of tea annually made their way from that remote trading post to St. Petersburg, taking almost a year to cover the distance of 4000 miles. Although due to the hardships involved in its importation tea was originally too expensive for ordinary Russians to afford, Czarina Elizabeth initiated a regular private tea caravan, and by the time of the death of Catherine the Great in 1796 -- roughly a century after the treaty of Nerchinsk -- Russian tea consumption had increased tenfold, rivaling vodka in status as the empire's national drink; and Russian culture had been enriched by the invention of the samovar, a nomad firepot specifically adapted to heat tea. Unlike the brick tea bought for Siberia, the Caravan Tea (loose leaf tea) imported for the Russian aristocracy further continued to grow in popularity during the first half of the 19th century; by 1830, caravans included as many as 10,000 camels.
Traditionally, Caravan Tea is a blend of Chinese (and these days, frequently also Indian and/or Ceylonese) teas with a warm aroma and a note of Assam-style maltiness. Depending on the blend, often it also has a certain toasty flavor derived from the inclusion of Lapsang Souchong, that famous cypress or pine wood-smoked tea from China's Fujian province, which is a perennial favorite with the "single malt and cigars" crowd of English clubs and drawing rooms. This is certainly no tea for the weak-hearted ... but for an early morning kick-start, or after an all too short night, there's hardly anything better. Enjoy!
Evening Solution February 16, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I used to drink chamomile during the last tv show of the night before settling in for bed, but I would get very sleepy very fast and fall asleep in the middle of the broadcast.
I switched to Russian Caravan which is not as stimulating at Earl Grey or Engish Breakfast an it is just perfect and I am awake until after the program, drifting off on schedule.
I strongly encourage people that find it too strong to pay close attention to seep time. 1 - 3 minutes is perfect, and while I seep for 3 minutes, it does not hold up much in the cup after 30 minutes, and then it starts to get bitter.
Not for Everyone - very unique! December 23, 2005
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
We picked this up randomly in the loose tea section, and found it to be a very strong yet enjoyable tea. This would be best served as a breakfast tea in colder weather. To sweeten, use honey (sugars or substitutes won't taste right) and add some lemon for a very nice touch (we used lemon flavored honey which was perfect).
The aroma and flavor are reminiscent of aged pipe tobacco. This isn't something that appeals to everyone, but I haven't ever found another tea like it. It has a thickness to it that is filling.
 not for the general audience December 22, 2005
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
I love tea. I have at least 10 different types of tea at home at any time. I rarely try a tea I don't like. But this one (Russian Caravan) defies all rules - it's so strong (not as in "strong tea" but as in "strong flavor"), it's impossible to drink without some preparation. One friend of mine calls it "camel feet" tea, and I'm afraid in this case, I have to agree.
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