Samovars originated in Russia, but are also very popular in the Middle East and Europe. Assyrian homemade sugar cubes, known as Shakar De Shlama, are usually served with samovar tea. Learn how to make delicious Samovar tea in this informative post.
What is a Samovar?
Assyrians pronounce "samovar" as "see-maw-war." A samovar can be described as a metal container or urn that is used to boil water for tea. A tea pot containing loose tea is placed on top of the samovar (known as the crown).
When the water comes to a boil, some of it is used to fill the tea-pot, which is then placed back on the crown.
The tea is allowed to steep for fifteen minutes or more. When the samovar tea is ready to serve, each person can customize their tea with a ratio of tea concentrate and hot water, based on how strong or weak they like their tea.
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☕️ How to Make Samovar Tea
- Fill the body of the samovar with water. Plug the cord in, and turn on the knob, if your samovar has one. Bring water to a boil. This can take approximately 30 minutes.
- Fill the teapot with the tea, and the cardamom, if using.
- Add boiling water to the teapot.
- Place the filled teapot on top of the samovar. Allow the tea to simmer for at least 15 to 30 minutes.
- Place a strainer over a teacup and pour some of the tea into the cup. The amount will depend on how strong you prefer your tea.
- Finish by filling the cup with enough hot water to achieve the desired tea strength.
🔌 Charcoal Samovars vs. Electric
The original Samovars had a barrel running vertically down the center. Coal was placed inside the barrel to heat the water surrounding the barrel. This made them portable, which made them perfect for serving tea at outdoor gatherings and picnics. Charcoal Samovars also have a long tube that is used to vent the charcoal
The newer models are heated electrically and have a coil inside that heats up the water instead of charcoal.
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My brother, Joseph, (AKA Freddy Mercury) with my brother-in-law, Francis enjoying their Samovar-brewed tea.
🤷🏻♀️ FAQs
Samovar tea is a delicious loose leaf tea brewed using a samovar. The original samovars resembled an urn and usually made with brass. The inside of the urn contained a metal tube which was filled with hot coals.
Surrounding the tube is a chamber that is filled with water. A teapot filled with loose tea is placed on top of the samovar crown. Once the water boils, it is poured from the samovar spout into the tea pot then allowed to steep until the tea is ready to be served.
Since the samovar was heated with charcoal, it made it portable and was often taken to picnics and other outdoor activities.
Samovar tea originate in Russia but soon became popular in the Middle East as well!
There is something about samovar tea that makes it unique. It could be due to the length of time the tea is brewed, making it richer in flavor. Or maybe it's the smokiness of the charcoal?
More likely, it's the ambiance and flare that comes with enjoying a cup of samovar tea while reminiscing about times gone by with family and friends.
Although not as popular as they once were, samovars are still used in Russia, Eastern Europe, and throughout the Middle East. Samovars are mostly used during large gatherings and still enjoyed in countries where Russians and Middle Easterners have migrated to.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- Because they are usually manufactured overseas, a lot of the electric samovars need a converter in order to be used in America.
- Samovars are saved for special occasions. They are usually brought out when entertaining a large group.
- For daily use, Assyrians follow the same concept as making samovar tea, but on a smaller scale. A tea kettle is topped with a tea pot, with is usually brewing all day Long (see picture below). When unexpected guests arrive, and they always do, tea is ready to be served.
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📖 Recipe
Samovar Tea (Chai it Simawar)
Equipment
- Samovar
Ingredients
- ¼ cup loose earl grey tea
- 3 to 5 cardamom pods (optional)
- water
- Assyrian sugar cubes
Instructions
- Fill the body of the samovar with water. Plug the cord in, and turn on the knob, if your samovar has one. Bring water to a boil. This can take approximately 30 minutes.
- Fill the teapot with the tea, and the cardamom, if using.
- Add boiling water to the tea pot.
- Place the filled teapot on top of the samovar. Allow to simmer for at least 15 to 30 minutes.
- Place a strainer over a tea cup and pour some of the tea into the cup. The amount will depend on how strong you prefer your tea.
- Finish by filling the cup with enough hot water to achieve the desired tea strength.
Notes
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- Because they are usually manufactured overseas, a lot of the electric samovars need a converter in order to be used in America.
- Samovars are saved for special occasions. They are usually brought out when entertaining a large group.
- For daily use, Assyrians follow the same concept as making samovar tea, but on a smaller scale. A tea kettle is topped with a tea pot, with is usually brewing all day Long (see picture below). When unexpected guests arrive, and they always do, tea is ready to be served.
anastaciast says
Shlama!
Thanks for the wonderful history lesson and the great photos!
Sugar cubes were invented in Bohemia after a man's wife cut open her hand using the knife to break up the sugar loaf. Cool, eh?
HildaSterner says
Shlama Anastaciast,
I'm glad you enjoyed the post. As always, I appreciate your comment. Also, thanks for the sugar cube history lesson. I could've used that cool info when I was writing that post. 😉