Sip of tea reshapes young Russian's life trajectory

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In a laboratory at Yunnan Agricultural University, Filonenko Rodion bends over a microscope, adjusting its focus as he studies the fermentation of Pu'er tea. Nearby, water is boiled and poured over tea leaves.

A mellow aroma rises in the air, carrying him back to Sergiyev Posad, a small town encircled by forests, about 70 kilometers northeast of Moscow. Born in 1999 in the town, Rodion once believed he would spend his entire life there. What changed everything was a Pu'er tea cake — tea leaves compressed into the shape of a cake — a gift from China his mother brought home.

"From the moment I drank my first cup of ripe Pu'er as a child, these leaves have been guiding my life," Rodion said. From then on, a ritual took root at the family breakfast table: before every meal, each family member would drink a cup of Pu'er brewed "as dark as oil", he said.

Winters in Sergiyev Posad were freezing. A mouthful of warm tea would spread heat slowly from his stomach through entire body. Rodion did not know what tea polyphenols (antioxidants that fight free radicals and support wellness) were. He was simply drawn to its comforting warmth.

"It was this flavor that sparked my curiosity about China," he said.

In 2018, Rodion traveled to China. He quit his commerce studies to enroll in a tea culture undergraduate program at Zhejiang A&F University in Hangzhou.

"A fresh leaf has to go through many procedures before it becomes finished tea. Each step hides endless mysteries. It fascinated me," he said."I made tea myself! Even if the final brew tasted extremely bitter and I stuck out my tongue after sipping it, I felt a deep sense of achievement."

From then on, every tea season he followed his teachers to major tea-producing regions, refining his craft in mountains and factories.

People often ask why a Russian would travel so far to study tea in China.

"The answer lies in the first cup of Pu'er my mother brewed for me," he said. "When you are truly conquered by a flavor, you can't help but seek its source."

As he explores tea in China, Pu'er has quietly gained followers in Russia. In the early years, misunderstandings were rife. Some believed the earthy flavor of ripe Pu'er meant it had to be buried in soil to ferment. In recent years, as information has flowed more freely and awareness of Chinese tea culture has grown, such misconceptions have gradually faded away, Rodion said.

Pu'er has grown popular among Russian tea lovers, spawning a unique subculture. Several well-known rap artists have mentioned Pu'er in their lyrics, he added, helping the drink gain unexpected popularity among young people.

Before graduation, he traveled to Yunnan in search of Pu'er's origins. Following the scent of tea, he visited Jianshui, Pu'er, and Menghai in Southwest China's Yunnan province, with its final stop at Jingmai Mountain.

"The ancient tea trees are taller than people, intertwined with the forest. The air carries the scent of tea leaves mixed with soil. Walking there, one feels completely at ease," he said.

Yunnan's natural conditions, tea tree resources and cultural diversity gave him the sense that he could study them for a lifetime.

Delving deeper

Rodion wishes to delve deeper into tea production in the future. In 2025, he joined a graduate program in tea science at Yunnan Agricultural University, focusing on Pu'er processing technology. As Rodion puts it, tea science is a multidisciplinary field: cultivating tea requires knowledge of agronomy; breeding tea plants requires genetics; processing demands technical skills; and molecular analysis and microbiology are also essential.

Now he spends his days in the laboratory, observing the subtle microbial changes through a microscope during pile fermentation, a crucial process for developing the characteristic mellow taste and aroma of dark tea. In his eyes, these invisible forms of life are the key to Pu'er's distinctive flavor.

"Most other types of tea have reached a stage of saturation in processing techniques, research and innovation," he said. "But ripe Pu'er still has significant room for study and innovation." The process is complex, requiring years of experience to produce good tea.

"Coming to Yunnan is just my first step," he said. "It may be a long journey, but I'm in no rush."

Contact the writers at houchenchen@chinadaily.com.cn