On the territory of Bashkiria there are many plants that are beneficial for health. Among them, one of the most famous is angustifolia willow tea.
People call it differently: fireweed, miller, breadbox, plakun, dremukha, skrypnik, mother liquor, Koporye tea and many others.
Where to look?
This perennial plant belongs to the fireweed genus and grows from half a meter to two. In Bashkiria, fireweed is found everywhere, in almost all regions. Most often it can be found in wastelands, burnt areas after fires, near forest roads, along forest edges and clearings; it prefers sandy, almost dry soils. A lot of fireweed grows in the Southern Urals and nearby foothills, in the Trans-Ural and Cis-Ural zones, in the northeast of the country.
Therefore, such areas as Beloretsky, Karaidelsky, Salavatsky, Kiginsky, Arkhangelsky, Khaybuldinsky, Baymaksky, Gafuriysky, Burzyansky, Abzelilovsky, Duvansky are quite rich in fireweed. Residents of Bashkiria most often collect it near the villages of Mrakovo and Krasnoulskoye, in the floodplain of the Sakmara River, in Kumertau, in the area of Akyara and Zilair, etc.
Description
Ivan tea has an erect, tall stem, densely leafy. The pointed, straight leaves are most often dark green on one side, and can be pink or dark red on the other.
Large pink, lilac, dark red or purple flowers have spike-shaped inflorescences. The fruit has the shape of an oblong narrow capsule covered with hairs, in which the seeds ripen in August. The inflorescences are racemes, the length of which reaches from 10 to 40 cm. Fireweed blooms from June to July.
The whole plant has high healing properties: roots, shoots, leaves, and flowers. They need to be prepared in Bashkiria at different times. It is better to collect the roots in September, after flowering. They are dried. Flowers, according to the recommendation of experts, are collected at the beginning of flowering, not yet fully bloomed.
But the leaves are suitable for collecting throughout the summer, but those collected during flowering will be most useful. They are dried, fermented, and consumed fresh.
Ivan tea in Bashkiria is used in the form of tinctures, decoctions, infusions, and delicious healing Koporye tea is prepared.
Compound
Ivan tea is unique in its composition. It has a calming, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, sedative, tranquilizing effect, increases the body's defenses, and improves blood. Ivan tea is rich in pectin, fiber, tannins - tannins, mucus, micro and macroelements, bioflavonoids, vitamins, etc.
Tannin is found in large quantities in the roots and young leaves of the plant and acts as an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drug. Tannins bind toxic substances in case of poisoning and remove them from the body.
In addition, tannins have an anti-inflammatory and hemostatic effect.
The leaves contain a high content of fiber and mucus. They normalize and restore intestinal function and have a beneficial effect on the body as a whole, reduce pain, relieve inflammation, soothe and relieve cramps.
Properties
The function of pectin is to normalize metabolic processes, remove toxins and heavy substances, and reduce cholesterol levels.
Flavonoids, present in sufficient quantities in fireweed, are designed to prevent the development of atherosclerosis, premature aging, the risk of cancer and maintain the plasticity of blood vessels. They also have antispasmodic, diuretic and choleretic effects.
Macro and microelements are important for humans.
Fireweed leaves contain microelements of copper, iron, manganese, zinc, molybdenum boron, useful and necessary for living beings, in quantities that are safe but necessary for human life.
Macroelements were also found in this plant, such as calcium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, etc. In addition, fireweed tea contains traces of alkaloids, phenolic compounds, organic acids and carbons, which perform energy, plastic and storage functions.
But the most valuable thing any medicinal plant contains is vitamins. Ivan tea contains ascorbic acid, vitamins A, K, E, P, and B vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B6, B9. The complex of vitamins will strengthen the functioning of the nervous system, improve the condition of the skin, and enhance the internal secretion of the walls of blood vessels.
And most importantly, Ivan tea does not contain oxalic, puric and uric acids, caffeine, which have a detrimental effect on the metabolism in the body.
We can’t help but mention the miraculous drink – Koporye tea, which has a beneficial effect on our health. Koporye tea is not only a wonderful disinfectant, anti-inflammatory, laxative, tranquilizing, anticonvulsant, anti-cancer, anti-ulcer agent, but also an excellent drink that increases immunity and improves health.
Ufa was founded as a Russian fortress, as the most “advanced” outpost of Moscow to the east. A large settlement at the confluence of the Belaya and Ufa rivers has existed since time immemorial. The famous Russian historian of the 18th century Pyotr Rychkov, studying handwritten documents on the history of the Ufa province of the early 16th century that have not reached us and the historical traditions of the Bashkir people, wrote that on the territory of the city of Ufa before the arrival of the Russians there was a large city stretching along Belaya for almost ten versts, and frequent archaeological finds on the territory of modern Ufa confirm this.
Moscow became interested in the South Ural lands, where the Bashkirs had lived since ancient times, after the capture of Kazan by the army of Ivan the Terrible. And soon, as recorded in historical documents, “the Bashkirs began to ask the king to be allowed to build a city on their land to repel raids... and for the convenience of paying yasak.”
The self-name of the Bashkirs is “Bashkort”, and there are still almost dozens of versions of its origin and meaning, and the range of opinions is simply amazing: some translate the ethnonym as “main tribe”, others as “main wolf”, others as “master” bees,” there are also those who derive it from the Khanty word for wolverine... As one famous literary character said, all these theories are both solid and witty.
Bashkir cuisine, with its very unique and memorable face, was formed a long time ago, and its features were determined by the lifestyle of the Bashkirs, who were a typical nomadic people in the summer and turned into sedentary people in the winter. Among the peoples of Russia, the Bashkirs are one of the most zealous meat eaters; a rare Bashkir dish does not include meat - lamb, beef, horse meat (pork, of course, is not welcome). It is in both the first and second courses, in appetizers and baked goods, and if in the morning a Bashkir invites you to “drink tea,” then rest assured that the table will be full of meat, mostly boiled. Also very typical for Bashkirs is the almost complete absence of herbs and spices (with the exception of red and black pepper) - the taste and aroma of Bashkir dishes is formed by a large amount of all kinds of greens.
Here is a typical Bashkir first course
SALMA SOUP WITH KATYK
80 g lamb or beef, half a liter of water, 20 g onion, 10 g butter. For salma: 40-50 g flour, quarter of an egg, 10-15 g water, 100 g katyk
First prepare salma, knead unleavened dough, as for noodles. Roll it into a flagellum up to 1 cm thick, cut into pieces. Pressing your thumb into the middle, shape the ear and dry it. Place the sifted salma into the boiling broth and bring to a boil. When the salma floats to the surface, season the soup to taste with salt and pepper, cook for another 6-7 minutes and add the onion chopped into half rings. Place pieces of meat in a plate with soup and serve katyk separately.
Katyk, which is very common among eastern peoples, is prepared very simply.
KATYK IN BASHKIR
1 liter of milk, 1-2 tbsp. spoons of sour cream
Pour boiled whole milk into a bowl, preferably wooden, and cool to 20-30 degrees. Stir sour cream in milk, cover the dish with a lid and place it in a warm place. Wrap the dishes in a towel. After this, you can neither shake the dishes nor mix its contents. After 5-7 hours, the katyk will be ready and should be placed in a cool place. This katyk is consumed in its natural form as an independent dish, optionally adding sour cream, jam, sugar, honey, and fresh berries. After three days, the katyk will become sour, then spicy. This is the kind of katyk that should be used as a seasoning for soup.
But the real king of Bashkir cuisine is, of course, the famous beshbarmak. It was from Bashkiria that he came, for example, to Tatar cuisine. Translated, this word means “five fingers.” The same five fingers with which the nomads ate this delicious dish - they had neither forks nor spoons.
Bashkir beshbarmak has a number of differences from those prepared by other nations: potatoes and poultry (in this case, goose) are added to the dish, and the noodles are cut into diamonds.
BESHBARMAK BASHKIR
Half a goose (or the same weight of lamb), 10 potatoes the size of a chicken egg, 4-5 large onions, a large bunch of green onions, a full glass of flour, 1 egg, melted butter
Wash the meat, chop into pieces the size of a fist. Put it in a saucepan (but better in a cauldron!), add water so that it covers the meat by two fingers, add a pinch of salt - so that the foam comes off better, put it on the fire. Wait until the foam begins to separate and remove it carefully. Place a couple of unpeeled onions and a bay leaf into the broth, close the lid, reduce the heat and cook the meat at a very low boil for about 1.5-2 hours.
Knead a stiff dough from flour, eggs and very cold water and roll it into a layer 1-1.5 mm thick. When the dough dries a little, cut it into strips about 3 centimeters wide, and then cut these strips into diamonds, sprinkle them with a little flour and leave on the cutting board. When the meat is almost ready, peel the potatoes and put them entirely into the broth where the meat is cooked. Add salt, wait until the potatoes are cooked, but do not allow them to boil. Using a slotted spoon, remove pieces of meat and whole potatoes onto a plate and sprinkle generously with finely chopped onions and green onions. Drop the dough diamonds into the broth that continues to boil, cook until tender (literally a couple of minutes), drain in a colander, let the broth drain and transfer to a separate bowl. And sprinkle them generously with onions and generously drizzle with butter.
In Bashkiria, under beshbarmak they serve special products made from sour milk - sour korot or suzma, which can be quite adequately replaced with ordinary fermented baked milk. Place onions and herbs in large bowls, pour hot broth and serve. Leave the meat with potatoes and boiled dough on a common dish so that everyone can take them for themselves as needed.
Beshbarmak, of course, is a very tasty thing, but it is also very fatty - not to everyone’s stomach. By observing the “meat” tradition, you can prepare a dish more familiar to the European stomach, which, by the way, was born in Ufa.
LANGET IN UFA
210 g beef, 25 g onion, 5 g butter, 15 ml vinegar, black pepper, salt
Cut the beef into pieces and beat. Add vinegar, salt, pepper, onions. Mix everything well and marinate in a cold place for 4 hours. After this, fry the meat in a very hot frying pan. Serve with well-fried potatoes and drizzle with butter.
Of course, regularly eating fatty meats is not good for your health. But it’s not for nothing that in those regions where they eat a lot of meat, tea is held in high esteem, and the Bashkirs are by no means an exception here. And at many tea forums and exhibitions, it is Bashkir tea that is recognized as the most delicious.
BASHKIR TEA
2-3 g of dry tea, 30-50 g of milk or cream, 20-30 g of honey or jam, Bashkir sweets
Warm the empty kettle by rinsing it 3-4 times with boiling water, then add a portion of dry tea and immediately pour boiling water to 2/3 of the volume, close the kettle with a lid and a linen napkin so that it covers the holes in the lid and spout of the kettle. Let the tea brew for 3 to 15 minutes - this depends on the hardness of the water and the type of tea. Top up the kettle with boiling water. Pay attention to the appearance of foam. If there is foam, then the tea is brewed correctly. This foam is not removed, but stirred.
Then the tea can be poured into cups. Tea is served with honey, preferably honeycomb, jam, sweets or other Bashkir sweets. The temperature of hot tea should be approximately 90° C. It is better to add raw pasteurized milk, not boiled milk. You can also add fresh or dry leaves of oregano, currant, raspberry, linden, cherry, strawberry, blackberry, etc. to the brew.
The most famous delicacy that is served with tea, both among the Bashkirs and the Tatars, is considered chak-chak. It is prepared from a soft dough made from premium wheat flour and raw eggs, forming thin short sticks, shaped like vermicelli, or balls the size of a pine nut, which are deep fried and then poured over hot honey.
CHUCK-CHUCK
350 g flour, 7 eggs, 100 g sugar, 350 g honey, 0.5 teaspoon baking soda, 200 g vegetable oil, vinegar, salt
Knead the dough from flour, eggs, soda, slaked with vinegar, and salt, let rest for 20-30 minutes. Then roll it out into a layer approximately 2-3 mm thick and cut into strips 2 cm wide, which must be chopped into thin strips. Fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Boil honey and sugar until a drop does not spread. Place the fried straws in a large bowl, pour in hot honey syrup, and stir. Place on a flat plate in the form of a slide and leave until hardened. If desired, you can sprinkle with powdered sugar.
By the way, it was in Ufa in August of this year that the largest chak-chak in the history of the republic was prepared - its weight exceeded 200 kg!
But perhaps those who claim that there is no better delicacy on the banks of Belaya and Ufa than an ordinary piece of white bread spread with thick village sour cream and the famous Bashkir honey are right.
TATAR TEA
In tea drinking of different nations there are many features that have shaped one or another philosophy and traditions of tea drinking, without which it loses its meaning.
The tea table is the soul of the family, say the Tatars, thereby emphasizing not only their love for tea as a drink, but also its importance in the table ritual. This is a characteristic feature of Tatar cuisine.
Tea is the national drink of the Tatars, and nowadays, with an abundance of different drinks, tea remains the basis of the Tatar national feast.
Sometimes we don’t even think about it, but our folk culinary delights, pastries and sweets are all prepared specifically for tea.
The enchanting, delicate aroma of tea leaves,
Drives you crazy, doesn't let you resist.
And forgetting everything in the bustle of earth,
In everyday worries,
How a bee flies to a linden blossom.
We drink nectar tea,
Forgetting about desires and everything.
Tea... You can hardly find a person in Bashkortostan who is not familiar with this traditional, familiar drink, revered by both adults and children.
At all times of the year - whether in severe cold or unbearable heat - we cannot do without a cup of aromatic tea, which relieves fatigue, strengthens the spirit, awakens thoughts, and refreshes the body.
We offer you a unique “Tatar tea” - health with taste combined with the unforgettable aroma of the most valuable herbal fruits collected in the ecologically clean areas of our native Bashkortostan.
The tea drink contains a whole bunch of biologically active substances necessary for the body.
Oregano herb will help soothe stomach pain, eliminate bloating and normalize digestion. Has antibacterial properties.
Dog-rose fruit
Thyme herb normalizes digestion, especially when eating fatty foods, helps with insomnia and regulates the activity of the nervous system.
The active substances of the herbs that make up the tea ensure ease of digestion and protect against stress, increase performance, endurance and the body's resistance to adverse environmental factors, help with headaches, increase concentration and help to tune in to a positive wave, collect thoughts and take right decisions.
HAVE YOUR TEA PARTY!
BASHKIR TEA
The Bashkirs have a very popular expression - “drink tea.” Don’t let the apparent prostate and straightforwardness of this sentence deceive you: behind this ordinary phrase lies an invitation to a Bashkir tea party with pies, boiled meat, sausage, cheesecakes, sour cream, jam, honey and everything that the hostess of the house has at her disposal.
“Drinking tea” among the Bashkirs means having a light snack - it is quite obvious that such “tea” can replace breakfast or lunch due to its satiety. And if someone in Bashkortostan complains that they only drank tea in the morning, don’t rush to sympathize: it’s unlikely that this person was hungry all day!
We love tea and also willingly serve it to our guests. Bashkirs will definitely offer tea to anyone who comes to their house. This has been the custom for centuries. Not treating a guest to tea means insulting him or showing your hostility. This tradition of hospitality has been preserved to this day even among the urban population.
Indeed, the Bashkirs will always put their best food before the guest, and if he stays overnight, they will put him to bed in the place of honor.
Previously, any feast or treat began with tea, and food was served only after that. Dried fruits (raisins, dried apricots, prunes) were often served with tea. They drank a lot of the drink, not one or two cups, but at least three. Usually, the owners persuaded: “Come on, drink a second cup.” And no matter how many cups the guest drank after the second, that’s how they joked.
We offer you a unique “Bashkir tea” - one of the most beautiful, delicious and healthy teas made from the most valuable herbs and fruits collected in ecologically clean areas of our native Bashkortostan.
Melissa invigorates and strengthens the body, freshens breath.
Currant leaves the best antioxidant, improves the condition of the digestive system, and is a treasure trove of vitamins and minerals.
Dog-rose fruit contain a whole complex of vitamins and minerals, which have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
A unique tea made from the highest quality herbs awakens emotions, protects against the dangerous effects of the outside world, improves metabolic processes in the body, and strengthens the immune system.
RUSSIAN BOUQUET
« We don’t miss drinking tea - we drink seven cups each »
Russian proverb
Since tea firmly entered the life of Russian people, tea drinking has become an integral, very important component of social life. For three centuries in Russia, not a single family celebration or friendly meeting can go without tea. Intimate gatherings take place over tea, the most important news is discussed, people exchange opinions, argue, have fun, make business deals and simply relax.
In Russia, tea is drunk on average six to seven times a day: at breakfast before work, at second breakfast, during light snacks, at the end of lunch, as an afternoon snack with sweets, and also enjoyed in the evening with family. Not to mention tea drinking as a separate form of feast.
The main thing in Russian tea drinking is the atmosphere of sincerity, fun, peace and joy, the opportunity to drink tea in pleasant company. It is not for nothing that in Russia tea has firmly established itself as a drink that warms not only the body, but also the soul.
The following proverbs speak about the special role of tea in the life of a Russian person: “Where there is tea, there is paradise under the spruce tree,” “If you drink tea, you will live to be a hundred years old,” “Drink tea, you will forget the melancholy,” “We don’t get bored with tea.”
At the Russian tea table it is not customary to remain silent, as, for example, in the Japanese tradition, or to put on a “tea performance”, as in England. Silence is a sign of disrespect for hosts and guests. Conversation and communication are a very important part of tea drinking. Tea drinking is a great opportunity to socialize and have a good time in pleasant company. At the tea table there is a unification of people, people of different generations and different interests. Tea drinking in Russia is more than a meal. Tea drinking is an important part of human social life.
Despite the fact that historically tea was a drink of the nobility, the so-called tradition of “drinking tea like a merchant” has taken root in Russia, which means long, drawn-out tea drinking, which is accompanied by eating all kinds of jams, cookies, and other sweets. “The samovar is boiling - he doesn’t tell you to leave” - in Russia it is not customary to “catch” tea on the go, tea drinking should be unhurried, unhurried, a person should enjoy both drinking and eating, and pleasant communication. Due to the length of the tea drinking process, it is assumed that guests should not be hungry. Therefore, the tea table was always rich in food. Gastronomic richness often turns tea drinking into a separate meal. A rich table is also a symbol of the famous Russian hospitality, because even fairy tales say that the first thing a guest needs to do is “feed and drink.”
We offer you a unique “Russian tea” - health with taste combined with the unforgettable aroma of the most valuable herbs and fruits collected in the ecologically clean areas of our native Bashkortostan.
Blooming Sally has a beneficial effect on the general condition of the gastrointestinal tract, has a calming effect on neuroses of various natures, helps with insomnia, headaches and is a powerful antioxidant that can effectively cleanse the body, increases tone, brain function and physical activity.
Mint has sedative, choleretic, analgesic and vasodilating properties.
Dog-rose fruit contain a whole complex of vitamins and minerals, which have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Red rowan fruits contain a whole complex of vitamins and minerals, have a diuretic and choleretic effect.
Try our unique tea - an excellent remedy for supporting the body during the cold season, when the lack of vitamins and minerals is especially severe.
Tea normalizes metabolism, stimulates the body's defenses and resistance to infections. It has a general strengthening effect, protects against loss of strength and decreased performance.
It is a rich source of multivitamins, minerals and bioactive substances.
HAVE YOUR TEA PARTY!
Bashkir tea drinking The most common, everyday drink of the Bashkirs of the 19th century was “family”* (baikhovy) tea, less often brick**. They drank tea lightly seasoned with milk, rich tea - sometimes with lemon. They consumed little sugar; they often drank it with honey. It is noteworthy that the Bashkirs never drank the so-called Kalmyk tea - thickly brewed brick tea, seasoned with milk, salt and lamb fat. In some places, in the absence of real tea, the poor Bashkirs used its surrogates from the leaves and flowers of fireweed (bolan uty) and oregano (mәtrushkә), the infusion of the latter was drunk, however, more often as a medicine. The Bashkirs usually ate three times a day: in the morning at six or seven o'clock - irtange ash, at noon - toshko ash and in the evening - kiske ash. We drank tea at every meal, and drank it long and a lot. Various desserts were served with tea, among which the most common were: Yyuasa, bauyrak - finely chopped pieces of rolled unleavened dough, usually wheat, boiled in boiling oil, lamb or horse fat (tun mai). Yyuasa was prepared for future use and stored in bags; it was always served to guests for tea. Sәk-sәk is a festive dish, wedding, which has become widespread among rich people in the Urals. Unleavened dough was kneaded from coarse flour on eggs; rolled into thin rolls, it was cut into pieces the size of a hazelnut and boiled in oil. Once cooled, these boiled balls were filled with honey, which cemented them. ҡoimaҡ - ordinary pancakes, which were fried in oil in a frying pan; this was not everyday food, but was prepared when receiving guests. Shangi is a type of Siberian cheesecake (shangi). Dairy products, which once occupied such an exceptional position in the diet of the Bashkirs, did not lose their importance by the beginning of the 20th century. The following was served with tea: һөt - ordinary raw cow's or goat's milk - the Bashkirs rarely consumed it as food; boiled milk was always served with tea. Kaimak, which was also served with tea as a condiment, was baked milk with sour cream or thick and dense foam skimmed from boiled milk. The cold, dense foam made from foam was a delicacy. Katyk - a kind of Varents - was prepared from boiled milk, which, after cooling to normal air temperature, was fermented either with old, already acidified Katyk, or ayran. әzhekei was prepared in the following way. Milk was added to the finished Katyk, and this mixture was boiled in a cauldron over low heat until dry; the result was a yellow mass, which, before eating, was seasoned with fresh (not baked) milk and served with tea. Prepared for future use, for the winter. һөҙмә is a delicacy that was also served with tea. It was fresh, well-pressed cottage cheese (eremsek), mixed with honey. The Bashkirs produced sour cream (aҡ may) and melted butter (һary may), the latter was mainly used for sale. For themselves, the Bashkirs churned ordinary sour cream; they churned it in a tall, small-diameter linden butter churn (silәk) using a special mixer (beshkәk). Cake or bread were served with tea along with butter. The Bashkirs collected all kinds of berries: field strawberries (er elәge), wild strawberries (kaiyn elәge), raspberries (ҡuray еәge), red and black currants (ҡyҙыл и ҡara ҡaraғаt), blackberries (tal borҙөgәne), stone fruit (borҙөgәn), field cherries ( seiә ) and especially large quantities of bird cherry (muyil). The berries were consumed both fresh and in the form of a special kind of marshmallow (ҡаҡ). ҡаҡ was prepared from berries that were rubbed through a sieve or squeezed through a rare cloth. The porridge-like juice was poured onto a smooth board, previously greased with butter or sour cream, so that the marshmallow did not stick to the board, and dried in the sun. After two or three days, thin sheets of ready-made marshmallow were removed from the board, rolled into a roll and served in this form for tea. Pies (balesh, bokken) made from dough filled with various berries, whole or ground (cherry, bird cherry), can also be considered dessert. This dish was known everywhere in Bashkiria. * - tea with the name of the planters who vouch for its quality. ** - low grade tea, pressed in the form of bricks
