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A lawless ritual or an ingenious prison innovation? Details about Chifir and the real recipe

“Chifir” is something special in the world of prisoners, a drink that many people drink often and with pleasure.

In the seemingly gloomy world of Russian prisons, an unusual tradition has taken root among male prisoners – brewing and drinking a drink known as Chifir tea.

This quirky tea ritual has become an integral part of prison culture, offering a glimpse into the ingenuity and creativity that can shine through even in the most challenging environments. Let’s find out what’s behind this intriguing practice.

Prisoners’ ingenuity

Chifir tea is not an ordinary tea ceremony, but a homemade creation born out of necessity. In Russian prisons, inmates often do not have access to traditional tea bags or loose leaves. Instead, they use whatever ingredients they can find, including leftover old tea bags, sugar, used tea leaves.

Cost-effective welding

Chifir is famous for his thrift. In an environment where resources are limited, inmates have come up with a way to make the most of tea bags. After the first brew, the same tea bag can be used several times, resulting in an increasingly weaker, but still caffeinated, Chifir drink.

Social Currency

Within prison walls, the chifir became a form of social currency. Prisoners often share their tea with others, and the process of brewing and offering chifir helps to strengthen camaraderie and alliances between prisoners. It serves as a means of bonding in environments where bonds can be crucial to survival.

Energy Charge

Thanks to the caffeine content of Chifir tea, prisoners get a much-needed boost of energy. In a challenging and often physically demanding environment, the stimulating effect of brewing is highly appreciated, helping inmates cope with the harsh conditions of daily life behind bars.

Cultural symbolism

Chifir tea has gone beyond its utilitarian origins and has become a symbolic element of Russian prison culture. It represents adaptability, resilience, and the ability to find solace in the midst of adversity. The joint experience of preparing and consuming “Chifir” creates a unique bond between prisoners.

Unauthorized Ritual

Although Chifir tea is a common practice among prisoners, it should be noted that its brewing and consumption may be against prison rules. In some cases, prisoners face disciplinary action for participating in this unauthorized ritual. The very act of brewing chifir becomes a statement of independence and resistance.

Chifir tea in Russian prisons is not just a beverage, it is a testament to the human spirit’s ability to innovate and adapt in the face of difficult circumstances. While the circumstances that led to the creation of Chifir are far from ideal, the ritual surrounding this unconventional beverage sheds light on the resilience and resourcefulness of those in the prison system.

How To Cook Real Prison Chifir

The process of making it is not that difficult, but it does require a kind of skill. There is no exact recipe for making the drink. The most important condition is the correct observance of the proportions of all the ingredients used.

Important: use only black tea to make chifir, red will not give the desired effect, and green will give a terrible bitterness to the drink.

Recipe:

Since chifir is actively used in prisons, you can use tea that is not expensive, the main thing is that it was small-leaved. Avoid tea with additives and flavorings. If you can’t find small tea leaves, use large-leaved tea, but wipe it thoroughly before use so that the leaves have become small (in a pinch, you can use tea bags)

Proportions

For cooking, use 5-6 tablespoons of tea per 0’25 ml. This is the minimum amount that can be used. Otherwise, you won’t be able to feel the real effect of chifir.
Or take 5-6 tea bags and pour boiling water (0.25 liters).

Some beginners are sure that if you add more spoons of tea, the effect will be more “wow”, but they are deeply mistaken. If you increase the dosage of an ingredient, the drink will have the consistency of resin, which means it will no longer be suitable for drinking. Many “chifirshchiks” already know by eye how many ingredients are needed.

Cooking Instructions

Boil water.
After the water has boiled, add the required amount of black tea. Important: Do not interfere with it in any way.
Reduce the gas by 2/3 and boil the tea until all the leaves have settled to the bottom of the pot.
Usually, the whole process takes about fifteen minutes, of which the “brewing” of tea lasts about eight minutes.
After that, the drink should stand (and the longer, the better), followed by “kalishing” – thorough mixing from one mug to another so that everything settles and the drink cools slightly.
The chifir is carefully filtered through a sieve into another mug and passed around in a circle.
If there are a lot of tea lovers, add another mug, and if necessary, more and more.
The very process of drinking “chief” becomes a special ritual, where the mug is passed to each other, taking two sips. Those who feel that they have “had enough” are out of the circle. Sometimes “chifir” is drunk in combination with candies or chocolate.

There are legends among the prisoners about the “chief” – it is said that it helps with all diseases, including intestinal infections, and contains many vitamins. However, despite all sorts of myths, not everyone likes this unusual drink.

Some claim that it is just an ordinary brew, devoid of any expressive taste or pleasant sensations. There are those who like regular tea more. However, some “chifir” drinkers do it to support society by drinking too small sips.

In the context of the shortage of tea in prison, “chifir” becomes a valuable source of “vitamins” for those who are accustomed to tea drinking. Those who refuse the “chief” often have headaches, highlighting its importance in the closed world behind bars.

How to Drink Chifir

You won’t be able to drink this drink right away due to its high strength. Before drinking chifir, it is necessary to cool it, and then consume it slowly, several sips at a time. It is important to avoid consuming chifir on a full stomach, as it can cause nausea.

In prisons, inmates practice a special way of consuming chifir. They pass the mug of the drink around the circle, with each participant drinking two or three sips, passing it on. As a rule, this process is accompanied by a snack with lollipops. This unique ritual is popular in prisons.

Precautions

Chifir is a beverage that should be consumed with extreme caution, especially for people in poor health. When consuming it, you need to be vigilant and know how to react in case of problems:

It is important to listen carefully to your body and determine if it is taking a strong drink. In case it is not perceived, it is recommended to stop using it immediately to avoid worsening the situation. If there is increased pain, discomfort or nausea, it is recommended to wash the stomach.
It is also important to monitor the amount of chifir consumed. Large portions can cause headaches, high blood pressure, and tachycardia.
Re-brewing the chifir is not recommended, nor should you add sugar, as this can enhance its effect. The use of chifir on a regular basis should be avoided, as it can be addictive, confusing the mind, increase aggression and negatively affect health.

Contraindications

Given the composition of chifir, its tendency to cause rapid addiction and effects on the human body, this drink is considered more harmful than beneficial. It is not recommended for those who face the following issues:

Diseases related to the cardiovascular system, such as arrhythmias, tachycardia, and others.
Peptic ulcers, gastritis and other disorders of the digestive system.
Kidney and liver problems, including hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and other diseases.
Complete or partial damage to the central nervous system.

In order to avoid negative consequences, people facing the above diseases should refrain from consuming chifir.

Even a healthy person should use chifir with caution.