Drinking tea is a symbol of Russian hospitality and an important part of any gathering of people around a table, be it celebratory or routine. Hence, “What’s for tea?” is no paltry matter. RTG-TV and chef Vladimir Pavlov are confident that tangerine pie with vanilla sauce is a great option to go along with tea drinking on cozy winter evenings in the company of friends! By the way, it’s only in our current day and age that everyone knows that desserts are served at the end of a meal. But it was not always so. Right up until the 19th century, even in France, whose culinary traditions have conquered the world, the sequence of dishes was not very strictly defined. That all changed with one interesting gathering. In the early 18th century, the Russian ambassador, Prince Aleksandr Kurakin, hosted a dinner in his home near Paris. During this feast the dishes were not all set out at once, but rather were served one by one. Also, next to each guest’s plate was a card that listed the names of the dishes, and dessert – vanilla ice cream – was the last course listed. This type of service created a furore among those whose task it was to organize entertaining guests. The system got the name “service à la russe”, and the cards were the forerunners of our modern menus. This is just one of the many stories told by Vladimir Pavlov in the program. After all, interesting conversation should always accompany drinking tea in the company of friends and family. And the tea itself will also be prepared by the chef, using his own special country-style recipe – a mix of black rowanberries, ginger, basil, and honey. A fantastic drink to go with the tangerine pie! Watch The Geography of Taste. Only on Russian Travel Guide.