Tea houses in Sochi: Uch-Dere village, history and culture of Russian tea drinking

Sochi is one of the most beautiful resort towns in the Black Sea. This city is located on the territory of the Russian Federation and is the secret of its southern capital.

The climate of Sochi is humid subtropical - very favorable for the cultivation of different subtropical crops, including tea.

And in this wonderful resort town there is a village with an unusual name - Uch-Dere, which in translation from Turkic means "three gorges". That's where the raw materials for this fragrant and delicious drink are grown!

A bit about the village itself

Uch-Dere is located more in mountainous terrain. It is still necessary to get to the sea. But there is an unusually clean and fresh air and a pleasant climate for the human body.

It is no accident more than a hundred years ago the Russian Emperor Nicholas II presented this place to his mother - Maria Feodorovna, so that she could improve her health ... Later, a sanatorium was built here, which still exists today.

But what is remarkable about the Uch-Dere region: its territory is closed by mountains from the northern cold winds, it has a huge wide space, which is perfectly illuminated by the sun, where there are practically no rainy days. Is not it a paradise on Earth?

The most northern tea

It is in this village, on the slopes of its magnificent and majestic mountains, the most northerly tea in the world grows! But not many people know about this ...

Since childhood, local residents are learning to collect tea. Women - manually, men - with a special device. But the skill itself in this matter is transmitted from generation to generation. This is a tradition, this is the philosophy of their life!

And only in Uch-Dere the most delicious Krasnodar tea with aromatic rolls is served right in special cafes - tea houses (Sochi).

Excursion to tea houses

Arriving in Sochi to the sea, it is worth to visit also in this amazing place, in order to better feel the spirit of the city.

An excursion to the tea houses of Sochi is an opportunity to be in a café-museum, where besides tea and treats there will be a historical reference about the village of Uch-Dere and its tea plantations.

And these houses look like the real fairy tale wooden towers of the XIX century, the architecture of which very clearly reflects the rich culture of the Russian people.

The history of growing tea

In fact, these buildings were built in the 70s of the XX century by one Hutsul and his sons. And they were built without a single nail.

And the history of growing tea on this territory began like this.

At the turn of the XIX and XX centuries IA Košman arrived in this locality. And he was a man of a respectable age (62 years old), had a lot of knowledge about how to grow tea. His first experience and skills in this business he received at one time on the Georgian tea plantations.

Then he first began to plant tea on the territory of the present city of Sochi. Local residents did not believe that in these parts, this can generally grow. But, contrary to all doubts and prejudices, tea has grown very good and green.

And now Koshman sells it on the market ...

There were people who bought, but there were also those who envied the owner of the local tea plantation and saw him as a competitor. In general, the story ended with the fact that tea was recognized after all, and eventually rumors of this area and the taste of northern tea began to spread further.

And now foreign guests, high-ranking officials of different countries, as well as cultural and sport figures come to tea houses (Sochi) to see the places beautifully and to get deeper into the tea culture of the Russians.

What is inside

What exactly amazes and surprises the guests entering the room is the beautiful antique furniture painted with Khokhloma painting and gzhel, small lacquer miniatures-figurines, Vologda lace on the walls, Jost trays of the most beautiful painting and so on. All this is the most unique works of art of Russian craftsmen and very interesting for guests of tea houses (Sochi).

The guide of these institutions with pleasure tells tourists about the traditions of Russian tea drinking, about how Krasnodar tea is grown. Meanwhile, the guests taste the fragrant drink, pouring it from the real samovar, eating delicious pies, honey, jam from feijoa and figs.

And all this (at the additional desire of the guests!) To the sounds of a real Russian folklore ensemble!

Information about tea houses

Opening hours of tea houses in Uch-Dere - from 10:00 to 18:00 every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And they are at an altitude of about 300 meters above sea level, in the gorge - between Loo and Dagomys. This is the Lazarevsky district of the city of Sochi, the village of Uch-Dere.