So far as I have observed, “Russian Tea” as it is known may not even really be Russian at all, but I’m not going to spoil the illusion. We, as Americans, have a way of making our strange American pastimes and traditions seem more special by foreignizing them in some way; take for instance, French fries. Just because they’re not really French doesn’t make me enjoy them any less. Similarly, even though I hear Trans Siberian Orchestra (and cringe) roughly playing music that used to resemble Tchaikovsky’s at Christmastime, I don’t enjoy the Nutcracker any less. So, even though this Russian Christmas Tea is more than likely a product of American imagination than anything that hints at Russian, I enjoy it all the more every Christmas (and my entire family begs me to make it every year!).
Russian Tea has become colloquialized in the modern gift giving culture of Southeastern America (apparently), as a dry mix for use as an instant hot beverage consisting of instant tea, tang, lemonade powder, cinnamon, sugar, and cloves. While I do cherish the idea of a homemade gift to share with those you appreciate, I feel this particular combination sort of falls short of its potential.
When you think of Christmas and everything you love about it, some of the things that come to mind are probably tastes and scents remembered from years long past. That’s likely because the olefactory is one of the strongest sensory details in terms of memory. When you smell something familiar, the mental image of the first time you smelled it is likely to follow. When you recall the happy times of Christmas past, you may think of turkey. Maybe cranberry, douglas fir, sugar cookies, gingerbread, orange clove with cinnamon, hot chocolate. So think about it. With all of these wonderfully aromatic scents and flavors, why would you choose to annihilate your potential of creating a delicious seasonal beverage by making it out of Tang and NesTea?
My solution? Instead of making a big jar full of “fake tea,” make some big boy tea. That’s the kind where you actually use some tea bags and hot water and make some tea. Don’t use instant powders, because first off, they’re not good for you. They’re loaded with “fake” stuff that was probably made in a factory (and not the olefactory, either). My Russian Christmas Tea is made with black tea and mulling spices, then honey, brown sugar, oranges, and cranberry juice. Mulling spices, by the way, are often used around Christmas for various reasons– especially in the making of Wassail or hot mulled wine. They consist of cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Did I mention mulling any kind of liquid makes your house smell amazing? Well, it does. Especially when you combine the spices with orange and cranberry. So, might I suggest, rather than giving a dry mix away as a gift, make a big ol’ pot of the good stuff. Then, I guarantee people will want to come to your place on Christmas Eve just to get their mitts on a big ass mug of your tea. Here’s what I use.
- 12 C. water
- 8 Tea Bags (Lipton or Luzianne)
- 1 can frozen cranberry juice concentrate
- Juice from 1 orange (navel are good in the winter, as well as seedless and sweet)
- Peel from 1/2 an orange
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 palm-full whole allspice
- 1 palm-full whole cloves
- 1/2 C. honey
- 1 C. white sugar
First, you’re going to want to bring the water almost to a boil in a rather large pot with the tea bags dangling in. Medium-high heat should get you where you want to be. Then, bring it down to an even simmer (low to medium-low), adding in the cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and orange peel. Speaking of which, I was at Williams Sonoma the other day and ran across this little doodad… It’s a mulling ball. I am sincerely considering picking one up so I don’t have to strain the bits out of my mulled cider and Christmas Tea anymore. Anyway, allow this to steep for about 20-30 minutes. My recommendation, though, is to only leave the orange peel in the mix for about 15-20 minutes, as the pith (white part) from the orange peel can tend to give off a somewhat sour or bitter flavor. You also don’t have to keep the tea bags in for this entire time– once the tea reaches a decent darkness (use your best judgement) you can remove the bags. Add in the remaining ingredients and allow it to simmer for another 15 minutes. Grab a large pitcher or carafe, and pour it from the pot, through a fine sieve, and into the carafe. Serve hot.
Merry Christmas!
The Un-Snooty Foodie 