"Russian Caravan" teas
Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 1:26 pm
This is a fun category of teas, because like "English Breakfast" teas weren't called that in England, "Russian Caravan" teas weren't called that in Russia. I think maybe there is even a good argument that "Russian Caravan" was what "English Breakfast" would have been called in England! Plus now that things have settled down, they have a more standard definition as tea blends that contain a smoked Chinese black tea, either Lapsang Souchong or a copy, that are not blends purely of smoked tea.
Before the Russian Revolution, wealthy European Russia had a reputation as being Europe's tea connoisseurs. So "Russian" tea was often a shorthand way to say good Chinese black tea. The advertising pitch with Russian Caravan tea was that these were teas so fine that the importers did not want to risk exposing them to a sea voyage, so shipped them using an overland route. The completion of the Trans-Siberian railroad and the fleeing of the wealthy tea-loving Czarists from Russia lead to the end of this style of advertisement.
However, the Russian Caravan name was also popular with Russian immigrants to various countries -- during the late 1800s it was a popular tea blend among Russian Jews living in New York, for example. I think it is from these blends that the use of Lapsang Souchong became associated with Russian Caravan.
Before the Russian Revolution, wealthy European Russia had a reputation as being Europe's tea connoisseurs. So "Russian" tea was often a shorthand way to say good Chinese black tea. The advertising pitch with Russian Caravan tea was that these were teas so fine that the importers did not want to risk exposing them to a sea voyage, so shipped them using an overland route. The completion of the Trans-Siberian railroad and the fleeing of the wealthy tea-loving Czarists from Russia lead to the end of this style of advertisement.
However, the Russian Caravan name was also popular with Russian immigrants to various countries -- during the late 1800s it was a popular tea blend among Russian Jews living in New York, for example. I think it is from these blends that the use of Lapsang Souchong became associated with Russian Caravan.