English merchants imported luxury drinks such as coffee and tea to the Baltic States after 1700. The use of silver cans also imitated British trends and replaced the old pewter dishes. Faience (glazed earthenware) was first imported from Sweden and Germany. At the end of the 18th century a manufactory was also founded in Reval (today Tallinn). From the middle of the 19th century, porcelain manufactories were established in Riga after the new noble material had been imported from Germany and St Petersburg.
From 1800 also Russian table manners were adopted: The "Varenye", a liquid berry jam for sweetening tea, became popular. The samovar was used for making tea, pirogi (dumplings) and rossolje (red herring salad) were eaten. The exemplary culture at the Tsar's court in nearby St Petersburg, which in turn depended on West European models, slowly became noticeable in the 19thcentury.
Illustration:
Mansion Neu-Riesenberg (Uue-Riisipere), dining room with festive table and a servant who enhances the stately ambience. Photo before 1921.
Herder Institute, Marburg, Picture Archive.