Tea with bagels

The border town of Kyakhta, now part of Buryatia, historically straddled the major caravan way from Russia to China. The most prominent among imported goods was tea. Much of it went to Central Russia, but a significant portion would end up in Siberia. As a result, by the late 19th century, Siberians had become the Russian Empire's foremost tea drinkers with some downing 40 cups a day, according to personal accounts.