Lapsang Souchong
Lapsang Souchong is a black tea from Tongmu in the Wuyi Mountains, Fujian, traditionally dried over pinewood fires, giving a strong smoky, resinous flavor.
Definition
Lapsang Souchong, in Chinese Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong ("original mountain small variety"), comes from the Tongmu area of the Wuyi Mountains in northern Fujian. It is widely considered the first black tea, developed in the late Ming dynasty around the early 17th century. "Lapsang" is a Western transliteration from the Fujian dialect name. The traditional smoked version is made by withering the leaves over pinewood fires, then rolling, oxidizing and finally drying them over burning pine in multi-story wooden smokehouses. The leaves absorb pine smoke and resin, which gives notes of campfire, pine tar and smoked meat over a sweet, longan-fruit black tea base. Producers in Tongmu also make unsmoked Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong, which tastes of honey, dried fruit and sweet potato. Jin Jun Mei, a bud-only black tea developed in Tongmu in 2005, is a high-priced offshoot. Much export Lapsang is made outside Tongmu and smoked heavily over pine, and some is flavored rather than traditionally smoked.
In Depth
Western style: 2-3 g per 250 ml at 95-100°C (203-212°F) for 3-4 minutes. Gongfu style: 4-5 g per 100 ml, 10-20 seconds per infusion. The smoke is strongest in the first infusions and fades in later ones.
Smoke level varies widely. Traditional Tongmu Lapsang has a balanced, sweet smoke with clear fruit underneath. Heavily smoked export grades taste mainly of smoke and pine tar and are often blended into Russian Caravan tea or used in cooking, as a rub for meat or for smoking fish.
Caffeine is in the normal black tea range, about 40-60 mg per 240 ml. Smoked tea has strong aroma, so store it separately in an airtight container; it will transfer its smell to other teas and storage materials. The smell lingers in plastic and wooden containers too.
See Also
- Chinese Black Tea
- Smoked Tea
- Wuyi Mountains