Description: *
Lapsang Souchong Tea. An unusual, smoked Chinese black tea with a strong aroma and taste reminiscent of a campfire.

To create this tea, the leaves are dried and withered over fires of pine wood before being pan-fried and rolled. They are then pressed into wooden barrels and covered with cloth to oxidize the leaves. After another round of pan-frying, they are rolled into taut strips. As a final step, they are placed in bamboo baskets and hung on racks over a pine fire to finish drying and absorb the smoky flavor. The end result is thick, glossy leaves in black strips.

Produces a dark red cup with a smoky-pine aroma.

Legend:
Legend has it that this tea was discovered by accident. In the Qing dynasty, a unit of the army was passing through Xingcun, Star Village, and camped in a tea factory full of freshly picked tea leaves.

When the soldiers left, the workers returned to find little time left to process the leaves and get them to market. In desperation, they lit fires out of pine to hasten the drying. When they reached the market, the tea with its unique pine flavor was a hit. It has been produced ever since.

Basic brewing method:
Use 1 level teaspoon per 6 oz cup. Heat water until boiling. Steep for 3 minutes. Try with sugar and milk.