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Tea in Tbilisi


Coffee is a popular drink in the Caucasus, but tea should not be forgotten, because it has quite a following around the world.

Black and green tea is grown in West Georgia where the climate is subtropical – similar to the regions of China where the first seeds came from and where introduced into the country by Prince Eristavi in the 1830s. The Georgian cultivations have been entered in international exhibitions since its first showing at the Russian International Exhibition in St. Petersburg in 1864. At the 1899 Paris exhibition, it received a gold medal.

Georgia even has a Tea and Subtropical Cultures Research Institute in Anaseuli, West Georgia, where new varieties of the tea are grown. More information is available at http://www.elitist-tea.ge/

For non tea drinkers, there are many other uses for it. The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse (http://www.boulderteahouse.com/) lists some unusual uses for tea:

• A strong footbath of black tea will strengthen the pads of dogs’ feet

• To eliminate food odours on hands, especially fish odours, rinse hands with tea

• To soothe a vaccination jab, beestings, sunburn and insect bites, apply a cool wet green teabag to the site

• Clean oriental carpets by sprinkling nearly dry tea leaves on it and then sweeping them away

• To heal plantar warts, place a hot wet teabag on it for 15 minutes a day

• Cool teabags on the eyes will reduce swelling and redness

• Wash face with tea to cure acne

• Tea can be used to dye fabric, paper, or plastic to give an antiqued look

Other unusual uses include:

• To keep a patio deck clean, put black tea in a bucket of water and wash the deck

• Use teabags in the fridge to keep away odours

• Steep chamomile tea and place it in a facial steamer for great skin

• Use cooled strong tea and place in a spray bottle to clean mirrors.
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