Lapsang souchong, better known in china as zheng shan xiao zhong, has a very unique origin myth. After the lapsang souchong tea was used for producing black tea called min hong meaning black tea produced in fujian, people started to move the tea bush to different places like keemun, india and ceylon. Whereas other teas use the buds and first two leaves the pekoe, this tea is made from the fourth and fifth leaf the souchong. Some call this the origin of red tea, or black as its known in the west. Lapsang souchong is a type of black tea made from the larger leaves of the tea plant, farther away from the bud. Lapsang souchong is the first black tea in history, even earlier than the famous keemun tea. During her yearlong training, linda studied an extensive program of courses, including sensory perception, tea and food pairing, tea regions and terroir, tea history among other tea focused subjects. Twinings always has the best blends of tea and this is no exception. History and recipes on april 27, 2009 august 23, 2011 by william i. Allow the tea to steep while proceeding to the next step. To tea producers, when referring to the lapsang souchong the rest of the world understand, there is always the prefix the smoked type. As terrified villagers of wuyi shan flee for their lives, theyre forced to hide their tea to protect it, unwittingly creating a totally new kind of tea. It is unique large leaf tea distinguished by its smoky aroma and flavour.
A comparable tea would be whispering pines ailaoshan but not as bready and more complex. Lapsang souchong is often referred to as a tarry tea, a texture and taste that is popular and sought after by tea connoisseurs. If you only keep one lapsang souchong in your tea collection, this superior grade offering would be the perfect pick. Lengeman iii in preparing tea and herbals, tea black, tea chinese, tea enjoyment one might argue the point, but china is probably better known for its green teas and puerh than for black tea which the chinese sometimes refer to as red tea.
Especially when paired with a refreshing cucumber salad. Lapsang souchong tea,history,growing area of lapsang souchong. Lapsang souchong is the first black tea in history traded between britain and china back to qin dynasty luxury ingredients. Its name was recorded as early as year 1734 when the name souchong or xiaozhong was referred to as the best quality tea trees grown at the rocky area of wuyi mountain which was used to produce oolong tea. Tongmu lapsang souchong organic black tea seven cups. Lapsang souchong, the original version tea guardian. Its original popularity is part of what makes the demise of lapsang. It is said the name of lapsang souchong came from wuyi rock tea. Ever tried iced lapsang souchong tea made with good dose. The history, preparation and characteristics that make this chinese tea special. Linda studied an extensive program of courses, including sensory perception, tea and food pairing, tea regions and terroir, tea history among other tea focused subjects. In its native china, meanwhile, lapsang souchong tea goes by the name zheng shan xiao zhong. It is not only the harney mission to deliver quality tea products to their customers, but also to educate the world of tea history and taste.
With it, you can easily get barbecuelike results for meats and vegetables, all without breaking. For tea bags, you can just follow the instructions given on the box. The best lapsang souchong tea recipes on yummly lapsang souchong marzipan fruit cake, smoked truffles with strained yogurt and homage to. It has a light body, with a smooth crisp character and a very prominent, heady aroma of a pine wood fire. A battle for territory was behind the creation of lapsang souchong tea also called russian caravan. Some people never get over the pungent, tarry flavor and intense smell of the beverage, but using it as a rub, marinade, or other seasoning is totally smart. Tongmu village, high in the wuyishan mountains in fujian province, is the birthplace of black tea. Lapsang souchong they ship fast and free above a minimum. Souchong, on the other hand, refers to the fourth or fifth leaf used from the camellia sinensis tea plant when making lapsang. Combine the cream and organic lapsang souchong black tea in a small saucepan and heat until tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan. This fair trade certified organic tea from the fujian province of china is smoked during manufacture, giving it a distinctive flavor and aroma, sometimes referred to as tarry.
In fact,most tea experts thought lapsang souchong originated from oolong tea. In many cases, the spirit of the tea is also evaluated. The lapsang souchong china tea blend from english tea store is a smooth crisp character with the remarkable heady aroma of a pine and oak wood fire. It is produced like black tea, but is dried over pine fires, allowing the smoke to impart a unique aroma to the tea. I got so interested in the subject of tea that i started reading books about it, including talking of tea.
Receive a guide to tea, an 88page book on the history and enjoyment of tea free. Lapsang souchong tea guide lapsang souchong leaves brew to a strong, smoky flavor like a campfire lapsang souchong is a chinese black tea that is sometimes also referred to as smoked tea, because the leaves are smokedried over pinewood fires. Lapsang souchong tea is a chinese black tea native to the mountainous wu yi region, in the province of fujian mostly enjoyed at breakfast, this is a tea that is strong, healthy and flavorful. English tea stores china lapsang souchong tea loose leaf.
A must try for a tea drink who wants a notoverthetop smokey lapsang souchong. Like cigars and whiskey, lapsang souchong tea is an acquired taste. The smoky, deep and distinctive lapsang souchong is famous the world over, it originated in china many centuries ago. Our lapsang souchong tea is created in the mountains of china, where the leaves are dried on bamboo over smoking pine wood fires. Traditional lapsang souchong black tea loose tea tea. A battle for territory was behind the creation of lapsang souchong tea also. With it, you can easily get barbecuelike results for meats and vegetables, all without. Jan 19, 2016 lapsan souchong also know as zheng shan xiao zhong has unique smoky taste and aroma. Tasters look for teas that are visually bright, floral, with a round full body that washes over the tongue. Sometime during the qing dynasty 16441912, a group of fujian tea farmers found themselves confronted by bandits. The tea originated through a creative response to a threat to the tea crop one year. Lapsang is the area around the village of tong mu guan, in the fujian province, where this tea was first created. Lapsangs comes from the wuyi mountains wuyishan in the northeastern part of fujian province.
Steep for 45 minutes in boiling water before drinking. Dark, smoky blend can be served with or without milk. It is distinct from other types of tea, as the leaves are traditionally smokedried over pinewood fires, imparting a. A rare lot from the origin of zheng shan xiao zhong, or lapsang souchong, this elegant tea was produced in tongmu village. The organic lapsang souchong china black tea blend from english tea store boasts a smoky aroma and flavor. Lapsang souchong the uk loose leaf tea company ltd. Lapsang souchong originated in the wuyi mountains, in chinas fujian province, but is also produced in taiwan. Its creation is credited to the thick, roughlooking souchong leaves that are withered over burning pine bows. Organic lapsang souchong black tea this fair trade certified organic tea from the fujian province of china is smoked during manufacture, giving it a distinctive flavor and aroma, sometimes referred to as tarry. Our teas and infusions stand on the shoulders of more than a century of teamaking history and passion. You may have heard of lapsang souchong tea, a unique variety of black tea that originated in china.
The strong, crisp taste can be enjoyed any time of day and is the perfect a. After the lapsang souchong tea was used for producing black tea called min hong meaning black tea produced in fujian, people started to move the tea bush to different places, such as keemun, india and ceylon. The story of how lapsang souchong russian caravan tea was created. Additionally, small amounts of this tea may be blended with others to add a soft smokey taste. Whether through their dedicated customer service team, their published guides to tea drinking, or their two tea tasting shops, the harney. According to some sources, lapsang souchong is the first black tea in history, even earlier than keemun.
To make lapsang souchong tea, workers dry the leaves over pinewood fires. The lapsang souchong zhengshan xiaozhong is the worlds oldest black tea. Tarry lapsang souchong superior black tea loose tea tea. Wuyi is the mountain area producing a large family of tea in southeast china. Staff pick this black tea has a bold, unique, smoky taste with a legendary history in its birthplace of chinas fujian province. Buy taylors of harrogate lapsang souchong loose leaf tea caddy 125g at amazon uk. It is lapsang souchong that made this area famous, with its strong smokiness giving rise to a fixation for many people, including sherlock holmes, the very archetype of obsession.
The leaves are smoked over pine fires, giving the tea unique qualities that are anything but subtle. The tea is smoked over a pine wood fire as part of its making, and legend has it that this was originally done to speed up the lengthy process of drying the tea after harvest. At the moment i cant find a better source online, but, if ture, i would have thought this fact would be mentioned in many books on tea which would make for a better reference. Chinathis classic black tea, which is smoked over a fire of pine, has a deep and rich smokey taste. Not sure whether thats where i first learned about lapsang souchong the smoky tea as a taste much different from all the others. Turn off the heat and cover the pan to keep the cream hot. If you like whisky, cigars, and strong coffee, you should enjoy this. Lapsang souchong, in chinese zheng shan xiao zhong. Mar 01, 2017 lapsang souchong is a black tea produced in the rugged wuyi mountains of fujian province, china. Tarry lapsang souchong superior black tea loose tea. Lapsang souchong tea guide how to brew, where to buy and. Name lapsang souchong black tea high quality clean fresh tasty smoked clear notes of smoke with a smooth finish preparation bring water to a boil use 1 tsp per 8oz of water pour boiling water over the tea steep 1 minute use the same leaves 2 times 1oz tea makes approx.
At in pursuit of tea, we never carried it before, because over the years this tea has suffered so many transformations and became so. As with many famous chinese teas, it is hard to know where history ends and legends begin. Lapsang souchong is a black tea produced in the rugged wuyi mountains of fujian province, china. During a time of upheaval in china, warlords and local bandit gangs had free rein to wander the countryside, looting and burning whatever was. Todays lapsang souchong is stronger tasting than the original 19 th century teait is more heavily smoked and the tea leaves are likely to be from a largeleaf cultivar versus the small leaf original. Definitely a must taste tea to develop your own tea palette. I tried it, loved it, and have been drinking it ever since. Our lapsang souchong, or li shan xiao zhong, comes from a fully organic production in the famous tong mu village of the wu yi mountain tea growing region. This tea has a characteristic smoky profile that lapsang souchong teas are famous for.
If you are unsure where to begin, you can check out some of my recommendations below. Its difficult to gain access to this remote, governmentprotected area in fujian province, but we were fortunate to visit a stunning mountaintop farm here in spring 2017. Its one of the oldest tea making methods in the world, and it gives the leaves a uniquely deep, rich, smoky flavour. The popularity of lapsang souchong happened some 60 years later 3. And were completely, utterly devoted to the pursuit of extraordinary flavor. The story and a bit of history behind how this dark, smoky black tea came to be is an interesting one i think youll enjoy. This king grade consists entirely of tea buds and epitomizes the famed longan fruit flavor and slight smokiness. Grown in the fujian province of china at an altitude of 1500ft above sea level, this lapsang souchong evokes memories of campfires in the woods with its deep smokey character. Despite the hazards of the time, many tea farmers still labored to eke out a living. Mediumfull bodied tea with a heady aroma of pine and hardwood smoke, fruit, and spice.
The leaves are first withered over fire and rolled, then lightly smoked in bamboo trays over a. The tarry taste is acquired through drying over pine wood fires. Lapsang souchong loose leaf tea 12 ounces, traditional chinese pinesmoked. When evaluating luxury chinese teas, a number of criteria are considered. Lapsan souchong also know as zheng shan xiao zhong has unique smoky taste and aroma. All sorts of ridiculous sayings populate books, magazines and the websites from different.
An ancient and much loved tea from china, large leaves are dried over smoky pine fires. This tea is known for the smoky flavor that makes it. Its one of the oldest teamaking methods in the world, and it gives the leaves a uniquely deep, rich, smoky flavour. At in pursuit of tea, we never carried it before, because over the years this tea has suffered so many transformations and became so far removed from the original. Available in loose leaf or sachets, this blend is a chinese black tea dried over pine fires for a smoky flavor.
Try lapsang souchong from experience tea experience tea. She graduated from a comprehensive program of study developed by george brown college, with certification by the tea association of canada. Legend has it that lapsang souchong, and indeed black tea as a whole, was the product of an accident. According to some sources, lapsang souchong is the first black tea in history, even earlier than keemun tea. This tea can be found in most specialty tea shops or through many online vendors. Taylors of harrogate lapsang souchong loose leaf tea caddy. These thieves and renegades demanded that the farmers harvest their crop and hand it over. Traditional lapsang souchong black tea loose tea tea store. Lapsang souchong chinese smoked black tea curious tea.
The tea leaves are processed with the heat and smoke of pine fires to give it the characteristic strong scent and flavor. Dec 08, 2014 a comparable tea would be whispering pines ailaoshan but not as bready and more complex. Lapsang souchong sometimes referred to as smoked tea, is a black tea camellia sinensis that is originally from the mountainous wuyi region in the. Lapsang souchong is a black tea originally from the wuyi region of china. There is great demand for this tea, which has led to its being. When told that his captain picard character would drink a lot of tea, sir patrick stewart originally suggested that he drink lapsang souchong, but the producers were afraid the audience wouldnt know what that was, so the character drank earl grey tea instead. This subreddit is for discussion of beverages made from soaking camellia sinensis leaves or twigs in water, and, to a lesser extent, herbal. The story of how lapsang souchong russian caravan tea was. Book depository books with free delivery worldwide. During a time of upheaval in china, warlords and local bandit gangs had free rein to wander the countryside, looting and burning whatever was in their path.
Its most distinguishing characteristic is its rich smokiness and, much like peaty scotch whisky from islay, it is an acquired taste. This is totally different from all those popular fables out there. This was where black teas were first developed called bohea. Tongmu souchong organic black tea is the worlds first black tea created purely by the innovative tea farmers in the small tong mu village in southeastern china. Lapsang souchong is a member of the wuyi tea family of teas. Surely everyone is aware of the divine pleasures which attend a wintry fireside. The teabags smell very strongly of smoke, as they should, but the actual tea has just a gentle hint of smokiness. Today, taiwans tea producers have perfected the art of growing and processing lapsang souchong tea. In the steeply forested mountains wood was plentiful, so it came naturally to smoke tea like bacon. The tea adds a smoky yet not overwhelming flavor to dishes of all kinds. This certified organic tea comes directly from the original lapsang farm at tongmu village in the wu yi mountains in fujian province. One of the more well known teas is lapsang souchong famous for its smoky flavor. Our traditional lapsang souchong superior smoked tea contains only the highest grade loose leaf black tea, and works well as an accompaniment to savory dishes, as well as being equally delicious on its own. The story goes that the tea was created during the qing era.
1132 643 224 50 1183 263 364 969 1391 335 1257 1217 271 1297 1036 1387 631 1300 438 1497 359 12 467 325 484 1471 1351 169 1428 556 1261 1189 1418 1265 1392 206 423 791 1034 592 111 1469 1061