RUSSIAN TEA
At Christmas Momma always made a big batch, or maybe two or three of them, of this seasonal delight. It was served at family gatherings, to visitors who just happened to drop by, at church functions, and just as a refreshing hot drink on a cold winter’s day.
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 gallon water
- 1 tall can orange juice concentrate
- Extra sugar if desired
Bring these ingredients to a boil and continue for five minutes. Then add:
- 4 tea bags steeped in a pint of boiling water for five minutes.
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tall can pineapple juice
- 1 quarter apple cider (optional)
- 1 ½ cup fresh orange juice
The quantities of juice can be varied if you prefer one taste to another. This recipe will make 20 generous helpings, and leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated as desired. Grandpa Joe would sasser a piping hot cup of this (he called it “Rooshian” tea), slurp with obvious delight, and declare, “My, that’s some kind of fine.”
JC
—Celebrating Southern Appalachian Food written by Jim Casada and Tipper Pressley
We always have Russian Tea at Christmas, but somehow this year I’ve failed to make any. Seems like Christmas has come faster than ever before.
I never even tasted Russian Tea until I met Miss Cindy. She made it every Christmas. It really hits the spot on a cold winter day. I aim to make us some even if it’s after Christmas.
You can find our cookbook here.
Last night’s video: Only On Celebrating Appalachia Will The Talk Go From Christmas To Potty Training.
Tipper
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I have never heard of Russian tea, but it sounds like something I would like. I wonder where the name came from? Pineapple and orange juices sure don’t sound like something that would have been found in Russia back in the day. Maybe the name morphed from something else?
Wishing you and all your clan the very best Christmas, Tipper!
Russian tea is the ONLY hot tea I like. Can hardly tolerate ice tea either unless it has a lot of lemon or peach to it. I am almost sure I had it once with TANG orange mix used in it.
I used to make a dry tea mix that called for Tang, ice tea mix, cinnamon and a few other dry ingredients. I’m sorry, but I don’t remember what they are. It was so good to mix some up & put in a mason jar & make a gift tag with directions on how to put some in a mug & add boiling water. I’d tie a red ribbon around the neck of the jar & give out as Christmas presents. Does anyone remember the exact ingredients?
This sounds delicious – I’ve never had it so I’m going to try it after Christmas too! Another sweet memory of Miss Cindy – I’m sure you are all missing her Thanks for sharing!
This drink Sounds delish. A lot of ingredients. I’m a shortcut type of person. Ha-Ha. I’m sure it’s really a belly warmer and I love a hot sippy steamy drink on these cold winter days and nights. Everyone have a wonderful Christmas and remember “ Jesus, the reason for the season. “ Miss Louzine, you are in my thoughts and prayers. May God be with you always and get you through all your bad days and lift you up to better ones. Always, Jennifer, South Mississippi.
Tipper. This isn’t about the tea. But wanted to let you know Iv been making Ms Cindy’s ham for a while. Everybody loves it. So Iv been asked to supply the ham for our Christmas Eve dinner with our family. Do wish me luck thst I don’t mess it up. Never have but since it’s such a special occasion I hope I don’t try too hard
This might be just what I need! I made it last year, and the whole family loved it. We are expecting a baby any day now, and my appetite has gone away. Maybe I just need some Russian tea to give me a little energy. Thank you for the reminder of this good hot drink!
Merry Christmas to everyone!
Meg-praying for a safe delivery!!
I have made the Wassail dry mix many years but had forgotten it this year til you mentioned yours. I may make a batch yet this year.
I agree with Shirl and Cheryl, too many ingredients and the only hot drinks I will drink is hot chocolate and plain coffee-none of this flavored stuff. The only tea I drink is sweet ice tea and I think I can drink it by the gallon one quart mason jar at a time. I also do not drink egg nog. I don’t want raw eggs to drink or half raw eggs to eat.
Goodness, my mom made this drink-the instant kind-when I was growing up!! Such a delicious treat for the holidays. I made it a few times after I married but haven’t made it since. I didn’t know if Tang was still available. Fond memories of Christmas past. Thank you so much
Mama made Russian tea, and the recipe sounds just like Gaylia’s. I was young but I remember she kept it in a glass jar in the cabinet and she never made it except at Christmas. She was the only one in our family that liked it but it sure did smell good when she was drinking it.
Tipper, I made your Russian Tea last Christmas and it was a huge hit with my family. I will be making it again this year when we all get together. Merry Christmas to you and Matt and all your family!
This is also a tradition in my family, but we call it Wassail. I used to make
what I called Russian Tea with instant tea, Tang, and spices.
We have a Wassail Fest each year right before Christmas. It is held downtown Columbus, MS & the merchants serve Wassail to the public & compete for the Best Wassail title. Your Russian Tea sounds a lot like Wassail. Unfortunately, I never liked either, but all my friends & family sure do. Guess I am the odd duck because I never liked eggnog either & my family loves it. Merry Christmas to the Pressley family & all Subscribers!
This reminds me of my grandmama Ballard. She made Russian Tea very much like Jim’s recipe at Christmas. She also made the instant version with Tang to enjoy throughout the year.
I love Russian tea. We always made it in powdered form using instant tea, powdered lemonade and Tang. The spices are pretty much the same as the recipe you shared. It’s is perfect on a cold day!
I have heard of Russian Tea and thought it was an alcoholic drink. I have never had it and probably never will unless I drink it somewhere besides home. The recipe has too many ingredients to buy for a drink I might not like. Sweet iced tea is my favorite drink but I have never tasted any flavor of hot tea that was worth a second sip. This might be the only recipe posted on the Blind Pig that I haven’t tried.
Mama made Russian tea with Tang, like the astronauts drink, Merry Christmas, I have put Granny Wilson on my prayer list, God bless Granny Wilson with healing and health in Jesus name
Hmmm this makes me think. Wonder how well sassafrass and/or sweet birch/mountain tea (wintergreen) flavors would work instead (or in addition to?) either the spices or the juice? I know “Pappy’s” brand sassafrass extract exists and even where to find some. Don’t know about wintergreen though. I’ve kinda always wanted a mini-still to “cook off” and distill natural extracts. Anyhow, thanks for the hint today. Have some family coming in out of the snow this evening that might really be ready for something like that.
All the grandkids basically only drink water or milk. A couple of them like apple or orange juice sometimes. I have to make sure I have plenty of milk for the kiddos and coffee for the adults on hand for our get togethers. Hubby also likes unsweetened iced tea, so he may like this Russian tea drink. I like hot teas too. I will try a small batch one day and see. Thank you for all the wonderful recipes you provide us here.
My mother was a WWII war bride . When she and dad moved to Green Hill in Canton, the ladies of the church wanted to give her a big welcome. They decided to give her a Tea. They all put on their best Sunday go to meeting dresses and fixed her tea and sandwiches and cake. Mom was pleased with the effort and welcome from the ladies of West Canton Baptist Church. Little did she know, they had made their best Christmas Russian Tea. They were surprised when she asked for cream for her tea. She was surprised to see her tea turn into something she could not describe. Like the proper young British women she was, she kept ” a stiff upper lip and drank it anyway.
Mama would make this at Christmas! I bet a taste of this will spark cozy sweet memories. Thanks for the recipe! Have a happy Christmas to all you folks at Blind Pig! Thankful for EMMANUEL! GOD with us – The Hope of Glory!
Never heard of Russian tea before, but it does sound delicious. Do you have a video for this?
Carolyn-I do 🙂 You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipNC02erwyI
I’ve had variations of this and have heard of Russian tea but never knew that’s what it was. I just put some apple cider in a pot with some sliced apple and orange, and some cinnamon sticks and let it simmer a good while. That’s simple and delicious too. My husband’s favorite Christmas drink is egg nog.
In my memory, Mama’s Russian tea was far simpler than Br’er Jim’s recipe. In fact, I only remember tea and orange juice as the liquid parts of the equation, with sweetening being the third part.
Every morning, spring-summer-fall-winter, and normally before she gets up, I make the girl who’s been my bride for over half a century now a cup of Russian tea which is composed of already brewed tea, orange juice -roughly 40% OJ and 60% tea – and primed with about a tablespoon of honey. It is heated by microwaving in a cup for 90 seconds and put into an insulated, lidded drink container and left on the bathroom sink. She normally drinks a little right when she gets up to let the caffeine get her going and then brings the balance to the breakfast table.
On really cold days, especially if I’ve been working outside for a while, I’ll make my own self a cup. Same if I have a bit of a scratchy throat. And on occasion, when the miseries have set in, the honey content gets doubled or quadrupled …..and there might be a couple table spoonfuls of some pertnin’ juice thrown in for good measure 😉
This sounds delightful for a warm drink in the winter. I will be trying this out for our New Year party. Thank you for sharing!
God bless one and all!
we make Russian tea in my family ever since the sixies when my mom got the recipe from an aunt. However it is a powdered mix–it has tang, lemonade mix, instant tea, sugar (sometimes I leave that out because with the lemonade and tang I think it is sweet enough) cinnamon, and cloves (might be one more spice but without looking at recipe I can not be sure). MIx it all up then when you want some you just heat a cup of water and add a generous couple tablespoons of the mix then more if needed according to your taste. I have some mixed up and in my cabinet now, might have to make a cup lol. One benefit from this tea is it helps heal a sore throat and open up clogged sinuses–it is always good when something so tasty is also beneicial.
I’ve had this version before. It makes nice gifts.
Neither my family of my wife’s family ever made anything like this to drink at Christmas. At my wife’s family Christmas get togethers there would always be a pot of coffee to go along with sweet tea and soft drinks. My father in law would drink hot coffee on a 100 degree day. The was never any alcoholic drinks of any kind at any of our get togethers in either family, none of us ever had a need for alcohol drinks in our lives.