Chifir'

Chifir' (Russian: Чифи́рь čifir' or alternatively, чифи́р čifir, without the soft sign) is a type of strong tea strongly associated with and brewed in Russian prisons.

Etymology

The etymology is uncertain but is thought to come from the word "chikhir'" (чихирь) meaning a strong Caucasian wine, or a Siberian word for wine that has gone off and become sour and acidic. The tea used to make chifir' is said to be spoiled and contain "a dangerous alkaloid – guanine".^[1]

Preparation

Chifir' is typically prepared with 5-8 tablespoons of loose tea (or tea bags) per person poured on top of the boiled water. It is brewed for 10–15 minutes without stirring – until the leaves drop to the bottom of the cup. Chifir' is often drunk by pouring a small amount of Chifir into a mug, and adding boiling water to soothe and dilute the strong tea, or it can be consumed without sugar by those that seek a caffeine high. Those that prefer to simply enjoy the chifir' drink it with milk. To avoid bitterness, sweets can also be held in the mouth before or with the tea. Sugar is sometimes added, however, the nature of the tea tends to have it retain a bitter flavor. ^[2] Milk is often used to make the tea less bitter or to make it less acidic. It is to be drunk slowly, otherwise it may cause vomiting. Ultimately, making chifir' involves brewing a great deal of black tea and for a long time. It may be left to brew overnight and drunk either hot or cold.

In popular culture

• Irina Ratushinskaya describes the brewing of narcotically-strong chifir' as a banned activity sometimes undertaken by prisoners, in her memoir of her years as a political prisoner, Grey Is The Colour Of Hope.
• In Vasily Aksyonov's novel Ozhog ('The Burn'), the convict Shilo make chifir' in a tushonka tin and gives it to Tolya von Steinbock. Tolya falls into a blissful, dreamlike state, but is awake enough to overhear an escape plan being hatched.
• In the Gabriele Salvatores-directed film Deadly Code, the character played by John Malkovich prepares and describes chifir' to the young Kolyma as he outlines the responsibilities of protecting what he calls "the gifts of god," a term he uses to refer to people having a possible intellectual disability.

See also

• Sa'idi tea, a somewhat similar beverage (essentially a 1/9-strength recipe, but consumed in larger quantities) drunk in Upper Egypt and among Sa'idi people elsewhere
• Zavarka, concentrated tea used in brewing tea from a Samovar

References

1. ↑ Чифирь (Russian)
2. ↑ Чай, чифирь, купец (Russian)