Scott Dorsey wrote:
> David M. Harris > wrote:
>
>>My father was the first of his family born in the U.S. (he was the
>>youngest of six siblings) and he explained to me once that the sugar
>>cube used in drinking tea was what we would call rock candy. Much more
>>solid. Some Asian markets will have the old-style sugar cones, which
>>are also similar to what they used in Russia.
>
>
> Yes. Ask your local Hispanic market for "pilloncillo" which is fairly
> close although probably not quite as hard.
>
> However, MY question is about pouring tea into your saucer to cool it,
> then drinking out of the saucer. Gogol and Tolstoy both describe the
> process, but modern Russians laugh at me when I ask them about it.
>
> On the other hand, these same modern Russians put marmalade and jam in
> their tea.
> --scott
>
>
My father didn't do either of these, but he described seeing it at home.
And my grandmother (other side, but still from Russia) sometimes put
strawberry jam or preserves in her tea.

dmh