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Tea drinkers looking for a change from the ordinary should make sure to try Kusmi Tea. P.M. Kousmichoff & Sons, or Kusmi, dates to 1867 in St. Petersburg, Russia. It is the only ancient tea firm still making the original Russian blends of the last century.

Kusmi teas still come in the original pre-Bolshevik Russian Revolution packaging and are available as bags or loose. All products come in English and French packaging. Kusmi offers 3 categories of teas: Russian blends, flavored and green.

Russian blends add hints of natural scents to black tea. Fans of English or Irish Breakfast may want to start with Kusmi Russian Morning to help start the day. Then, try Russian Evening, low in caffeine and perfect for relaxing just before bed.

Among the most popular Russian blends are Kusmi Anastasia as well as Prince Vladimir. Kusmi Anastasia includes orange, lemon and lime while Prince Vladimir is scented with vanilla, grapefruit, cinnamon and cloves.

A unique Russian blend is Kusmi Bouquet of Flowers, which is scented with 8 different aromas. Kusmi Samovar is lightly smoky while Troika is scented with citrus. Kusmi Petrushka is flavored with cardamom, cloves, almonds and rose. St. Petersburg is scented with citrus, red fruits, vanilla and caramel. Kusmi Zoubrovka is flavored with buffalo grass, which imparts a vanilla scent.

The second category are black teas flavored with natural ingredients. Kusmi Earl Grey is a Russian twist on an English favorite. Adventurous drinkers may want to try Earl Grey Smoky.

For dessert, try Kusmi Chocolate, Chocolate Mint or Spicy Chocolate teas. Kusmi also offers Kashmir Tchai, a traditional chai. Kashmir Tchai is based on a traditional Nepalese recipe and is a blend of black tea and spices, including cardamom, ginger, laurel, cinnamon, anis seed and cloves.

If you want green tea, Kusmi offers 3 varieties. All Kusmi green teas come from China. Kusmi Gunpowder Green offers leaves rolled into tight little pellets. For a flavored green tea, try Green with Spearmint which includes Nana mint from Morocco or Green Bouquet which includes natural essences of bergamot, citrus and flowers.

The teas can be sweetened with sugar or honey. Milk can be added at your preference. Recommended steeping time is 3 to 5 minutes.

Pavel Michailovitch Kousmichoff (1840-1908) was the eldest son of a humble Russian peasant family. At age 14, he was taken on as a delivery boy in a tea store. Here, he learned the tea trade and the secrets of Russian blends. When Pavel got married, his boss gave him a small shop as a wedding present, which started the P. M. Kousmichoff tea firm in 1867.

Kusmi prospered and expanded to ten shops by 1901. In 1917, the company had over 50 shops in all the major Russian cities, such as Kiev, Moscow, St. Petersburg. When the Russian Revolution began the company moved to London and eventually Paris, where the offices are still found. Today, all Kusmi teas are produced in France.

In a world of English tea, Kusmi Teas are unique.