Thursday, October 15, 2009

Kalmyk Tea


Several weeks ago I visited the city of Elista, capital of the semi-autonomous Kalmyk Republic in south-western Russia. The Kalmyks are a Mongolic people and were historically Buddhist. They have a fascinating and sometimes tragic history (including deportation under Stalin's rule) that is far too long for me to elaborate on here, but I highly recommend reading more about the Kalmyks.

Although today most Kalmyks speak Russian and have adopted many Russian traditions, they have also retained many of their own. Traditional Kalmyk food is one arena where this can be seen. In Elista, I tried several Kalmyk dishes, but the one that intrigued me most was Kalmyk tea (Kalmytskiy chay). This is a black tea made with milk, butter, and salt. It was clearly developed for a nomadic people -- the salt was probably used to keep the tea from freezing in cold temperatures (and maybe for preservation?), and the butter and milk make it nourishing.

I found Kalmyk tea to be a real "comfort food." I can best describe it with the words warmth and nourishment. It's great when you feel tired, hungry, and cold. After I drank it, I felt like a had a stomach full of rich, warm calories that stuck with me for hours! I have to admit, however, that the predominate taste for me was butter, so it was a little like drinking a cup of butter.
Today I decided to try to make my own Kalmyk tea. I found a few recipes online. This is a good one for English speakers, and this one and this one are in Russian. They suggest that you might add nutmeg or bay leaves, which might give the tea a deeper flavor, but the version I have tried had neither of these, so I made mine without it.
The recipes give directions for making a large amount of tea, and I only wanted one cup, so I modified them a little, and my version turned out very close to the original. It is remarkably easy to make, and I highly recommend giving it a try.

Kalmyk Tea
Makes one teacup
1 cup water
1/4 cup milk (I recommend not using skim milk)
1 black tea bag (or loose tea -- this is the more authenitc way to make it)
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
1. Pour the water into a tea kettle or saucepan and bring to a boil. When the water comes to a boil, add the tea bag or tea leaves. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove leaves or bag and turn heat down to low.
2. Add milk, butter, and salt. Heat until butter has melted. (If you want to try it with nutmeg, add some here.)
3. Pour into a cup and enjoy!
I think I added closer to 3/4 tablespoon of butter when I made it, and the taste was a little overwhelming. Aim for 1/2, and if even that seems like too much for your Western obsession with low-fat, start with 1/4 tablespoon and then taste the tea with a spoon while it's over the heat and add more to taste. Enjoy!









16 comments:

  1. OK - So, I tried the 1/4 butter version, and without a doubt; well, I'll restate - with absolute certainty, that was disgusting!

    Now I have this unending, vile and waxy glaze on my tung of smokey butter. That tea and butter mix, you know?

    That ranks right up there with Mongolian hot milk and salt, or horse's milk. I thought it might compare with Indian chai, but OH NO - no it didn't!

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  2. Hi Katherine,

    Just wanted to point out that the Buryats, an ethnic group living in Eastern Siberia (who are also Buddhist, like the Kalmyks) have traditionally enjoyed a similar drink, except it was usually made with green tea. I am guessing that the tea/milk/butter/salt combination originated in Mongolia or Tibet/Himalayas.

    I look forward to reading more about your Russian food adventures!

    Irina

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    1. Yeah, in the Indian Himalayan region of ladakh bordering Tibet there's a similar tea prepared from yak milk, butter, tea & salt. I wonder whether it's a mongolic influence because in Mongolia there's milk noodles too.

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    2. They drink it in the Adyghe area

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  3. Thanks, Irina! I also hear that the Kazakhs have a milk tea, but I don't think there is butter in it.

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  4. We have a Kalmyk friend in western, Massachusetts. He sent me back to Seattle with a tea packet mix of Kalmykian tea...I made an entire tea pot of it and felt the same thing: while I studied its warmth sustained me in my cold basement for hours. I think I'll point him in the direction of your site.

    --Natalia!

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  5. Andrey likes your site. He told me it's all about the portion sizes & you don't essentially need the butter. He says many people think Kalmyk tea is the same as Tibetan tea, but it's simply not true :).

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  6. You forgot the main ingredient which is called Kalmyk Tea or Mongolian Tea. The key ingredient of the tea is a plant ‘Bergenia crassifolia’ which is not a tea bush. Without that it’s like Canadian Maple Syrup made of American corn.

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  7. people, who try to make kalmyk tea can do this: just make a regular cup of tea, then add little bit of milk, and then add salt for your own taste. butter is not necessary. it is best when hot.

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  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. dear ser
    can i ask you about kalmyk tea
    price
    min order

    best regards
    omar

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  10. Dear Katherine,
    In case you were interested in some additional information: I am from the Caucus region of Russia, not far from Kalmykia. I grew up drinking Kamlytzkiy chai (my great grandmother was part Kalmychka) and her mother passed down these traditions. I will say that authentic Kalmytzkiy chai is a specific type of tea blend. Referring to what Oleg said regarding "Bergenia crassifolia," I am not sure if this is the type of plant used, but I know that it is found in Siberia, so I am not sure if this is the same tea used in Kalmytzkiy chai. I do know that the tea the Caucus area refers to as Kalmytzkiy chai is grown in Georgia. When Russia ceased to participate in partial economic exchanges with Georgia in 1996 (due to long standing tensions), this tea was no longer being imported to Russia. We visited in 1997 and bought large quantities of what was left. We still have some left and make it on special occasions! The two ways of drinking it are with salt (traditional) or with sugar. We also make either salty or sweet piroshki (fried dough) to accompany the tea. It is truly the best drink/meal! Now I am craving some :)

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  11. Sorry Andre not Oleg. Also, yes we make it with milk not butter but we use lots of butter on the fried dough mmm

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  12. does anyone know where I can buy this type of tea? I live in the United States.

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    1. MoyChay.com sells it. It's not even remotely like black tea. It's more comparable to raw pu-erh, though there are more sticks (and what seem like roots) than leaves. Here is the link: https://moychay.com/catalog/gruzinskij_chaj/plitochnyj-chaj-kalmytskij They do ship to the U.S., I purchased this tea from them, myself.

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  13. I'm editing the ms of a novel written by a deceased but famous Russian. He mentions Bash Busa (or something like that, he say), a Kalmyk drink, but I can't find any source to check the spelling. Do you know what he was referring to? Thanks!

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