Tea plantations in Georgia. What tea was produced and drunk in the Soviet Union

Tea No. 36 Georgian black long tea - In the early years of Soviet power, apparently, there were no problems with tea - tea (Indian) was bought in Torgsins and shops of colonial goods. Tea was packed in special tin boxes.

In the 20s of the twentieth century, a state program for the development of tea business in Georgia was adopted. The breeding work was put on a scientific basis, for this the Anaseul Research Institute of Tea, Tea Industry and Subtropical Crops was established.

Several dozen tea factories were built in different regions of Western Georgia. To replace the manual collection of tea, special tea harvesters have been developed. In 1986, production finished products reached 150 thousand tons, slab black and green - 8 thousand tons, green brick - 9 thousand tons.

Today we offer you real Georgian tea No. 36 so familiar to the older generation. In terms of quality, modern tea is in no way inferior to the rarity produced in the 20th century !!!

The history of Georgian tea has more than one millennium. And although this story had many difficult stages, a short period of flourishing, but it is interesting, and worth remembering. When did Georgian tea appear?

By the 19th century, tea had become very popular in Russia. It was imported into the country in tens of thousands of tons. Such popularity gave rise to the idea that tea should be cultivated in their own country. The most promising area was considered the Caucasian coast. It is worth noting that Georgia at that time was part of the Russian Empire.

For the first time, tea bushes were planted in Russia after the end of the war with Napoleon. Duke E.O. Richelieu ordered to deliver them to the Imperial Botanical Garden near Yalta. Unfortunately, the first bushes died. After 16 years, the attempt was repeated, this time the experiment was a success. Saplings brought from China gave seeds. Nikolay Gartvis, director of the museum, having studied the properties of the plant, recommended further cultivation on the Caucasian coast. And the seedlings were sent to the Sukhumi Botanical Garden and Ozurgeti.

In Ozurgeti, 200 tea bushes were planted in the state garden, another batch of seedlings was planted in the garden of the Mingrelian prince David Dadiani. The exotic plant successfully took root, gave seeds, but government funding for a large plantation was not easy to obtain. It was only at the end of the 19th century that it became possible to continue the commercial cultivation of tea in the Caucasus. The company "K. and S. Popovs ”, land was purchased for tea plantations in Kapreshumi, Salibauri, Chakve for tea plantations. More than a million rubles were invested in the event.

The company was headed by the merchant Popov K.S., for patronage he invited Liu Jun Zhou, a specialist from China. The work in Chakva was organized like a typical village factory. Frying pans, bamboo baskets, and winnowing machines for tea production were brought from China. The plantations were planted with imported tea. By 1897, they managed to get about 500 kg of leaf per year. Chakwe tea received a gold medal at the Paris exhibition. This marked the beginning of the development of tea growing in Georgia.

Before the revolution, there were already three tea factories in the Caucasus. They were big enough, equipped with English cars. There were also handicraft enterprises. They processed raw materials that were collected on their own plantations. By 1917, tea plantations occupied about 1000 hectares of land. Despite the fact that the gross volume was 140 tons, they did not make up even one percent of tea imports to Russia. The varieties "Kara-Dere", "Bogatyr", "Ozurgetskiy", "Zedoban" were recognized as very high-quality. Georgian tea KS Popov's factories were valued above the rest.

History of Georgian tea 1917-1940

With the outbreak of the First World War, the development of tea growing in the Caucasus stopped. The tea districts were occupied by the Turks in April 1918, then the British came. Tea farms were abandoned, and in some places destroyed. After the revolution, private tea companies were nationalized and transferred under the control of the Tsentrochai organization.

In 1921, at the congress of tea growers, a set of measures was developed to revive the tea industry in Chakva. And four years later, 10 wagons of Georgian tea were sent to the Nizhny Novgorod fair. At the same time, the leadership was transferred to the JSC "Tea-Georgia". The government viewed the development of tea business in this region as a program of great importance. An experimental station was opened in Chakva, and the All-Union Scientific Research Institute in the Ozergutsky District.

If in 1921 Georgia produced 550 tons of tea, then by 1940 there were already 51,300 varietal tea leaves. In the 30s, all equipment for the production of tea began to be made directly in Georgia. In 1932, artificial leaf wilting was introduced using special cameras by Sh. Mardeleishvili. This reduced the duration of the process.

The tea leaf was picked by hand. Tea Stakhanovites began to appear. In 1936, tea picker Patsia Dolidze set a world record, she collected 120.7 kg of leaf in one day. Girls did 250% each daily value, becoming participants in socialist competitions. In 1957, Tatiana Chaidze's link (in the third photo) harvested almost 9 kilograms of leaves from one hectare. In 1959, the world record of Ceylon tea growers was broken, Tatiana Chaidze harvested 16450 kg of tea leaves from one hectare.

The development of tea growing 1940-2000

By 1959, 65 factories were successfully operating in the Caucasus, of which eight produced only green tea, demanded by the peoples of Central Asia. During the year, "Tea-Georgia" produced more than 28 tons of black long tea, almost 6,000 tons of green tea, about 9,000 tons of brick green tea. Tea was delivered to Odessa, Moscow, Irkutsk, Samarkand to tea-packing factories. Georgian tea was packed in paper or cardboard packaging, gift metal boxes.

Georgian black was produced in several varieties. "Bouquet" and "Extra" contained tips and top leaves. Black leaf cut tea of ​​the first collection was produced under the highest grade. Tea of ​​the second grade contained many foreign inclusions, it was produced from tea twigs collected by machines. Tea "Vigor" and "Tea No. 36" were blended teas. They were composed of a mixture of Indian, Georgian and Ceylon teas.

Georgian green tea was produced more widely, it contained commercial varieties under numbers from 10 to 125. Teas of the highest quality (above No. 125) were considered "Extra" and "Bouquet of Georgia". The first grade included teas №110, 100, 95, 85. The third - №40, 35, 25, 20, 15, 10. The second grade - №65, 60, 55, 45. Top grade- No. 125 and 111 for all indicators passed the world level of green tea quality.

Prosperity and decline

In the 60s and 70s, there was a heyday Georgian tea growing... But then there was a rapid decline. The quality of tea was also affected by the transition from manual picking to mechanical picking, and the violation of processing cycles in order to speed up the process. Moreover, people were not interested in the production of tea, believing that they can earn faster and more money on fruits. In the 80s, the production of tea in Georgia decreased by 2 times, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, production was abandoned.

Only 3 tea factories remained operational, the rest were redesigned. The tea plantations are overgrown with weeds. Even the local population prefers to drink imported tea, the share of Georgian tea in the domestic market is less than 10%.

Today, tea production in Georgia is practically not developing. The factory in Chakva produces only brick green tea for the peoples of Central Asia. The production of elite teas, required by laborious processes, has been abandoned. Now in Georgia, like many years ago, tea is produced in an artisanal way by people who are passionate about tea culture. I would like to believe that someday tea production in this country will revive again, and we will still be able to pamper ourselves with a mug of aromatic Georgian tea.

The Georgian SSR as part of the Soviet Union was on a special account. This was due to objective factors. First, Joseph Stalin was born in Georgia. In addition, other Georgians, such as Grigory Ordzhonikidze and Lavrenty Beria, were in the composition of the supreme power in the USSR. Political activity in the Georgian SSR has always been very high, and the cult of Stalin, for obvious reasons, was especially strong.

Special provision

In the Georgian SSR, a favorable economic regime was created. The republic annually received substantial subsidies from the union budget. The level of consumption per capita in Georgia was 4 times higher than the same indicator of production. In the RSFSR, the consumption rate was only 75% of the production level.

After Nikita Khrushchev's famous report on the exposure of the personality cult on February 14, 1956, mass uprisings began in Tbilisi. Already on March 4, people began to gather at the monument to Stalin in the Georgian capital, the communist Parastishvili climbed onto the pedestal of the monument, drank wine from a bottle and, breaking it, said: "Let Stalin's enemies die just like this bottle!"

Peaceful rallies lasted for five days. On the night of March 10, wanting to send a telegram to Moscow, a crowd of thousands went to the telegraph office. Fire was opened on it. According to the Georgian Interior Ministry, 15 people were killed and 54 injured during the suppression of the riots, 7 died in hospitals, 200 people were arrested.

The dismantling of monuments to Stalin began throughout the Union, only in Gori, in the homeland of the "leader of the peoples", with the special permission of Khrushchev, the monument was left. For a long time it remained the most famous monument to Stalin, but it was also dismantled in our time, on the night of June 25, 2010. By order of Mikhail Saakashvili.

Guilt

Georgia cannot but be associated with wines, and the Georgian in the cultural field of the Soviet Union invariably played the role of toastmaster and connoisseur of long beautiful toasts. The Georgian SSR was one of the main and oldest wine-growing regions of the Soviet Union, and Georgian wines have become an internationally recognized brand. It is known that at the Yalta Conference, Stalin treated Winston Churchill to the Georgian wine Khvanchkara, after which the British minister became a devoted connoisseur of this brand.

Stalin himself loved the Kindzmarauli, Khvanchkara and Madjari wines.

High quality table and fortified wines were produced in Georgia. The production of grape wines was carried out by Samtrest enterprises, which included exemplary state farms: Tsinandali, Napareuli, Mukuzani, Kvareli in Kakheti and Vartsikhe in the western part of Georgia. The champagne complex produced Soviet champagne and grape wines. By the 1960s, Georgia produced 26 brands of wines: 12 dry table, 7 semi-sweet, 5 strong, sweet dessert 2.

Tourism

Due to the optimal climatic conditions, the Georgian SSR was a real tourist Mecca of the Soviet Union. For Soviet citizens, the resorts of Georgia replaced Turkey, Egypt, and other hot foreign countries. In the resort Abkhazia, which was part of the Georgian SSR, there were the most fashionable resorts of the USSR, Pitsunda and Gagra.

During the Soviet era, Georgia was the best training base for Soviet skiers. Also Georgia in general and Svaneti in particular became the main mountaineering bases of the Soviet Union.

Alpiniads and bit ascents to the peaks of the Caucasus Mountains were periodically held here. Mikhail Vissarionovich Khergiani, 7-time champion of the USSR and Honored Master of Sports of the Soviet Union, made a great contribution to the development of Soviet mountaineering and rock climbing.

Georgian tea

Besides wine, the Georgian SSR was famous for its tea. Its quality, according to William Pokhlebkin, was competitive (at the world level), albeit with reservations.
Despite the fact that attempts to establish and organize tea production have been made in Georgia since the middle of the 19th century, its quality left much to be desired, and the volume of plantations did not even reach 900 hectares.

In the early 1920s, young plantations were planted in Georgia, and active and fruitful breeding work began. In 1948, Ksenia Bakhtadze managed to develop artificial hybrid varieties of tea: "Georgian No. 1" and "Georgian No. 2". For them, she was awarded the Stalin Prize. The variety "Georgian breeding No. 8" obtained later was able to withstand frosts down to -25. This variety has become a real sensation.

During the Soviet era, Georgian tea became a brand known outside the Union. In the late 70s, it was already exported to Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Poland, East Germany, Hungary, Romania, Finland, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, South Yemen and Mongolia.

Flowers, tangerines and the shadow economy

Soviet people did not know much about the specifics of the ethnic diversity of the Caucasian peoples, so the image of a Georgian, resourceful and wealthy businessman, was rather collective. However, in some ways he was correct.

Partly industrial production The Georgian SSR did not give the Soviet Union so much, but the Georgians provided Soviet citizens with everything necessary for the holidays: citrus fruits, wine, tea, tobacco, mineral water.

The Georgian SSR, according to economist Kennan Eric Scott of the Washington Institute, supplied 95% of tea and 97% of tobacco to Soviet counters. The lion's share of citrus fruits (95%) also went to the regions of the USSR from Georgia.

In his speech at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, Eric Smith also noted that Georgians played a significant role in shaping shadow economy Of the Soviet Union, forming the market of the late USSR in the form of “diaspora competition”.

Quite good tea is grown and sold in Georgia.

True, not all Georgian tea is good) I'll tell you how tasty it is and which is not.

Bastian knows which one to steal)

Georgian tea by weight

In the markets you can find great amount loose tea. It is so cheap that it is even suspicious to buy it)

It is large-leaved, but not at all fragrant. And with an unusual taste for us.

In general, I cannot recommend it. We tried it once - and I don't feel like it anymore.

For sale different types such as blueberry leaf. There is plenty to choose from, but I cannot guarantee that you will be satisfied with the result.

Maradidi tea

Georgian Maradidi tea can be bought in stores. I met only in mini-markets, those on the first floors of houses.

It is very similar to the weighed one. It is also cheap - 3 GEL per 200 grams. And also not very tasty.

The rest of the teas, which I will tell you about, are also not expensive - the price is around 3-4 GEL per 100 grams.

This instance is already more interesting.

Remember Indian Elephant Tea? That tastes exactly like that.

Just a rich taste of black tea.

And with what love it is described by the manufacturer!

Gurieli

Gurieli is a very popular Georgian tea. It can be bought in almost any store, both in the form of sheets and in sachets. It is also often served in a cafe.

This tea is an order of magnitude better than the above. Tastier, more aromatic.

Nice black tea with bergamot.

And just black with no additives.

But I can't advise green with jasmine. There is a lot of flavoring, even chemistry.

Don't be fooled by the word export on the packaging)

Rcheuli tea is also very popular. I personally like him a lot less than Gurieli.

There are many different flavors, including fruit flavors. But he's kind of weird.

Berga

Berga tea is not Georgian, but is sold in almost all stores and is delicious.

This is Azerbaijani tea, black (and as the name implies) with bergamot.

Delicious, aromatic, full-bodied.

Azercaj

The name seems to hint that tea is also not Georgian, but you can buy it on almost every corner.

Enjoy your tea! Ciao!

Previously, Georgian tea was quite recognizable. During the years of the USSR, it was realized in very convenient cans, which could then be used for various purposes. And what do we really know about this drink? When did the tea culture of Georgia originate, and what varieties is it famous for?

Tea culture of Georgia

For the first time, tea began to be grown on the territory of Georgia during the Crimean War. According to legend, an English officer fell in love with a Georgian girl, and it was she who contributed to the fact that Georgia became his home. After a while, this officer decided to take up the cultivation of tea plantations.

Another version says that tea came to Georgia from China. But be that as it may, it all started small, but, nevertheless, at the end of the 18th century, Caucasian tea took part in the exhibition. However, the quality of the drink was rather poor at the time.
Around the beginning of the twentieth century, Georgian tea changed somewhat - it became clear how to improve its quality. The whole secret was the number of tea buds. However, despite the fact that the secret of quality was revealed, the raw materials of Georgian origin still could not compete with the raw materials of Chinese origin.

On a note! Production volumes at that time were insignificant, the process itself developed extremely slowly and, accordingly, it did not pay for itself!

It was only during the Soviet era that tea production in Georgia began to gain momentum. Plantations expanded rapidly, several factories were built, and breeders were actively developing new hybrids.

On a note! Soviet breeders were able to create a hybrid that tolerated quite low temperatures and severe frosts - about -20 ° C!

The most extensive plantations were located on the Black Sea coast of Georgia. Under such conditions, the tea bush actively developed, grew, and its leaf acquired special quality characteristics. Thus, the main goal was achieved - Georgian tea was exported and the whole world learned about it.

Main types of tea

Two types of tea are produced in Georgia: black and green.

Black

The origin of Georgian black tea is closely related to Chinese Kimmen. Its highest grades contain a large number of tips - unblown buds, on which the quality of the drink depends.

Georgian black tea does not give as intense color to the infusion as raw materials from India or the island of Sri Lanka. For this reason, to obtain the required strength, at least 1.5 spoons of tea leaves are placed in one cup. This drink has a very bright aroma and a rather pleasant taste.

On a note! Soviet-era Georgian tea and modern drink differ somewhat in their quality. For example, if earlier a tea leaf had many different inclusions (dust, fragments of shoots, etc.), which became the reason for its notoriety, today the manufacturing technology has changed and does not allow the presence of such impurities!

Georgian black tea was not distinguished by a variety of varieties - there were only five of them.

• Among the highest quality are "Extra" and "Bouquet". They included tips and delicate apical leaves.
• The highest grade already contained a cut leaf.
• The first grade was even lower in quality, as it consisted not only of a broken leaf, but also of shoots.
• And the second grade had the lowest characteristics. There were many foreign impurities in him, which ruined his reputation.

However, despite this characteristic, it was the second-rate drink that won the love of Soviet citizens - it was "Tea No. 20". And the secret of its popularity was that it contained about a fifth of the raw materials from India or Ceylon.

Green

Georgian green tea had a wider range of varieties - there were several dozen of them. And for convenience, its varieties were marked quite simply - with numbers. And the higher the number on the package, the higher the quality of the drink.

On a note! Georgian tea has numbers from 10 to 125. Accordingly, the number 10 indicates the lowest quality, and 125 - the highest!

But at the same time, there were varieties that were outside the number scale. These are "Bouquet of Georgia" and "Extra". Others have the following nomenclature:

• the highest grade - numbers 125 and 111;
• the first - from 85 to 110;
• the second - from 45 to 65;
• the third - from 10 to 40.

Georgian teas, which were not included in this nomenclature and were of the highest quality, won worldwide recognition. But at the same time, even the representatives of the first, second and third grade were pretty good. For example, in the countries of Central Asia, drink number 95 was especially popular. It had a beautiful strong infusion and a characteristic tart taste.

Enjoy your tea!

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