Recipes with lapsang souchong tea. Lapsang souchong, Chinese black smoked long tea. History of Lapsang Souchong tea

You can buy smoked Lapsang Souchong tea in Moscow in our online store. We have direct supplies from China, so we guarantee quality tea and low prices!

Taste, color and aroma of Lapsang Souchong tea

Every sip of tea reveals secrets: the taste of cinnamon and prunes, the smoke of an autumn fire, the pine needles and resin of mountain pine forests. Pairs harmoniously with lemon and spicy snacks. A powerful tonic effect is good after physical activity in winter.
The most amazing thing about Chinese Lao Song Xiao Zhong tea is its unusual smoked aroma. Interestingly, Lapsang Souchong tea is of particular interest to people who smoke a lot and often. So, Winston Churchill simply adored this tea. He loved Lao Song Xiao Zhong so much that during the war, tea was sent to him through a secret Japanese channel. We also have a “secret” supply channel. Therefore, buying lapsang souchong tea from us means you can’t go wrong and feel a little like Churchill :)

The color of the infusion is rich, bright brown; the aroma can be discerned as prunes and soft smoke. This unusual combination was enjoyed by millions of people around the world.

Perfect with spicy dishes, as well as smoked meat and fish, after fatty meat dishes. You can also try baked goods with curd or lemon filling. Cheeses such as Gorgonzola, goat cheese, cheddar and some sweet varieties are great.

An unexpectedly successful combination of this tea with single malt whiskey.

Smoked Lapsang Souchong tea - how to brew:

For brewing, it is best to use well-purified bottled water:

Heat the water to a maximum of 95 degrees Celsius.
Run hot water over the kettle to warm it up.
Pour the tea leaves at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 500 ml of water.
Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes. You can even do it for 10 minutes, but the infusion will be strong.

Lao Song Xiao Zhong can be brewed several times until the taste and aroma remain as rich. After the third brew they weaken. Something spicy is good as a snack - cheese or basturma.

Why you should buy Lapsang Souchong:

Chinese Lapsang Souchong tea contains a large number of amino acids and a rich vitamin and mineral complex. If you drink it regularly, you can effectively remove carcinogens and toxins from the body. In addition, Lao Song Xiao Zhong improves metabolism, cleanses the liver and promotes better blood circulation.

This tea is recommended for drinking by those who endure intense physical activity during the day, as well as those who spend a lot of time at sub-zero temperatures. By the way, in Chinese medicine, Lao Song Xiao Zhong is considered a good remedy for improving potency.

Effect of Lapsang Souchong tea

The same Churchill said that Lao Song Xiao Zhong helps him get ready for fruitful work. Indeed, it promotes good concentration, drives away extraneous thoughts and generally significantly improves thought processes.

During the cold season, Lapsang Souchong perfectly warms, invigorates and gives a pleasant feeling of relaxation. A very unusual and in many ways simply unique drink that almost everyone will like.

A few facts about Lapsang Souchong tea:

"Lapsang Souchong" is a corruption of the European pronunciation of Lao Song Xiao Zhong, which means Xiao Zhong (small bush) tea smoked with wood smoke from old pine trees (Lao Song).

Old pine trees, whose wood contains a lot of resin, are ideal for smoking. However, low quality teas today are often artificially flavored. We supply only high quality tea. Therefore, if you want to buy Lapsang Souchong, prepared according to ancient recipes, then buy it in our online store!

Legend says that the smoking process was discovered completely by accident. During the Ming Dynasty, an army passing through the village of Xingcun stopped overnight at a tea farming area. The next day, the employees returned to their places and realized that if they dried the leaves in the traditional way, they would not have time to deliver the goods to the market. Therefore, it was decided to smoke dry it.

Name: Lao Song Xiao Zhong (Lapsang Souchong)

Type: red (black) tea

Collection: May 2018

Where is it produced: Tong Mu Village, Wuyi, Fujian Province.

Ekaterina Zh

My most favorite tea!

This variety opens up and remains tasty both hot and cold, and without sugar.
- Doesn't play with pressure.
- Not demanding.
- Goes well with both cake and meat.
- Retains taste for several days. I sometimes brew it in a teapot at work on Monday, drink a little all day, and in the evening I add water for the last time, take out the tea leaves and leave it. And I drink it for a week until it’s gone.

Lovers of strong black or red tea will like it. It has an unusual taste for Russian people, and therefore from the very first time our receptors “do not hear” it. Repeat tea drinking after 2 days - and you will feel its real taste.

P.S. Thank you to the store for delighting us with such delicacies, and of excellent quality at that. And this promotion is just a gift!

Very tasty tea. It's really smoked. But when you brew it and start drinking it, you can smell the prunes and dried fruits. The smell is unusual, but not repulsive. But the most important thing is the taste, it is very light and tonic, pleasant to the taste, fresh, one might say airy. And a very long aftertaste, pleasant.

Anton Pavlovich T

Not a bad red tea. I thought the aroma of “dried fish and smoke” would be more intense, but this is also very good, invigorating and quite uncompromising in its strength

Anastasia

You need to learn how to brew this tea. The first time I tried it, I thought it was absolutely terrible, but now it's one of my favorite teas. It’s very good when you need to collect your thoughts, it invigorates and at the same time creates a cozy mood.

New batch!

I didn’t get it... probably not my thing...

Reminded me of camping trips when water for tea is boiled over a fire. And any black tea turns out smoky. Well, in the concrete jungle this option is not bad, thank you!

It turned out to be too smoked for me, I didn’t like it

Maxim B.

Lapsang may not have as complex a taste as some of the pu-erhs, but it is still one of my favorite teas! The strength and taste of dried fruits is what you need to wake up on a winter morning, and the very rich smokedness replaces the fireplace on a cozy evening in a chair with a book. The taste is very clear, but at the same time, you either completely like lapsang or completely dislike it (judging by my friends, who are divided into two irreconcilable camps).

I was surprised by the taste of dried apricots! I bought lapsang before, but didn’t notice this

I tried it a long time ago, I remember that it had a very unusual taste and that I didn’t like it, but I wanted to try it again at a conscious age. I bought it and tried it. Now I know that it’s definitely not mine. Although there are no complaints about the quality of the tea.

Humanity might never have known about Lapsang Souchong (“smoked” tea) if not for His Majesty Chance. The discovery of tea by the Chinese (like many other world discoveries) happened by irony of fate. What accident helped them learn the secret of obtaining this drink, without which, after some time, neither Churchill nor Sherlock Holmes could do?

There are several versions about the random origin of tea, and all of them have a right to exist. According to the first, during long sea voyages from China to Europe, tea leaves in the holds of ships (made, like everything else at that time, from natural wood) began to acquire a peculiar rich “smoked” aroma and taste.

The second legend is associated with a robbery attack on a Chinese village, the inhabitants of which were forced to hide from their enemies, leaving tea leaves unharvested in their haste. Fortunately, the robbers soon left with nothing (the village was very poor), and the peasants who returned home collected the remains of the tea and roasted its leaves over pine coals to get rid of the “smelly soldier spirit.”

According to the third version, the culprit was prolonged rains, because of which the tea pickers were unable to dry the crop well. Desperate to wait for the sun, they decided to dry the leaves over a fire of pine branches.

Be that as it may, but then, back in the 15th century, the initially strange, but somehow fascinating taste of “smoked” tea began to gain popularity, first in China, and then beyond its borders. They even say that it became the first black tea consumed by the Chinese, and before it only green tea varieties were in use.

TEA FEATURES

Despite the name (Lapsang Souchong in Russian means “old pine - a rare variety”), pine notes are not that dominant in shaping the complex aroma of this unusual tea. The taste of tea is very unique due to the unique combination of its constituent aromas. It contains a mixture of smells of wood, fire smoke, notes of sweet ginger, dried pear, cinnamon, caramel and something else special that is difficult to describe without tasting. To truly feel and understand the entire extraordinary palette of shades of Lapsang Souchong tea, you need to try it more than once. Some say that many smokers can get it right the first time, since their taste buds are more “combined” with the biocomponents of this tea. But this is not entirely true, there are many non-smoking people (especially Chinese women) who really love this tea and the effect it produces.

As for the effect, it is in no way inferior to the aroma, as well as the rich brown-red color. The uniqueness of the effect produced by tea, in its strength and variety of advantages, can only be compared with the effect of the whole collection. Lapsang Souchong tea is rich in antioxidants that fight free radicals that destroy the human body. By removing toxins and harmful metals, it normalizes the digestive tract, restores the intestinal microflora and, thereby, cleanses the body, increases its tone and immunity. Regular consumption of tea increases metabolism and accelerates fat burning. Tea not only perfectly warms and invigorates, but also protects the body from viruses, so it is indispensable for colds or during the cold season.

TYPES OF TEALAPSANG SOUCHONG

Originally there was only one version of this tea, called Lapsang Souchong. Since its taste is very rich, any additions and variations can only spoil its taste. Therefore, Lapsang Souchong experts distinguish its individual types not by name, but by the region of its production. Due to the growing popularity of tea, on the one hand, and the complexity of its cultivation and further processing, on the other, few new regions specializing in this type of tea are emerging. It is known that it was exported and began to be grown in Sri Lanka and Taiwan. Therefore, currently there are the following varieties of Lapsang Souchong.

The Chinese Lapsang Souchong is rightly considered the ancestor and honored veteran. It is distinguished by its unique aroma and richness and the brilliant reddish-black color of the leaves. Chinese Lapsang Souchong can be produced both in the form of regular large sheets and in bagged form. But when making their choice, connoisseurs always lean in favor of the first one, because when it is brewed, they get exactly the aroma for which they value it.

Taiwanese Lapsang Souchong, or “Tarry” Lapsang Souchong, which means “resinous” Lapsang Souchong, is considered the most extreme variety of this type of tea in terms of “smokedness”. The Thais have developed their own technology for the final stage of tea processing, thanks to which the tea becomes even richer and more aromatic than Chinese tea. As you know, Thai cuisine gravitates towards everything spicy, so it is not very surprising that the Thais want to “sharpen” the taste of already very rich tea. Taiwanese Lapsang Souchong is also produced in two forms - bagged and large-sheet.

Not as much is known about Lapsang Souchong grown in Sri Lanka as about Chinese and Thai ones. Most likely, it is not as unique as the two described above, but its quality should not be much worse than Chinese for the following reasons. Firstly, Sri Lanka was the first country after China in which Lapsang Souchong began to be grown, so over such a long period of time, Sri Lankans have already managed to thoroughly master all the specifics of producing this tea. Secondly, the people of Sri Lanka have always been hereditary tea growers, zealous and diligent, so they cannot produce bad tea.

Currently, well-known world brands have also begun to produce bagged and sheet Lapsang Souchong. The well-known “Greenfield”, “Twinings”, “Saint James”, “Nadin” and “Russian Tea Company” launched its production. These companies are required to inform consumers of the raw materials from which region they used when packaging the product.

PRODUCTION REGIONSLAPSANG SOUCHONG

As already mentioned, Lapsang Souchong is currently produced in China, Taiwan and Sri Lanka. The features of each of them were mentioned above, so it’s worth focusing a little on the homeland of this tea in order to understand where exactly in China this amazing tea is grown? It turns out that in just one place, in Fujian province, on the slopes of Mount Wuyi. It is there, under the influence of fresh, clean mountain air, on rocky ledges and limestone soils that tea bushes grow, which do not need long-term sunlight, from the excess of which they are obscured by clouds and fog wandering among the mountains. It is here, in the mountains, that nature has created ideal conditions for the growth of excellent tea. The tea leaves here grow juicy and large, just the kind needed for further processing using a special technology that has been proven over the years. Only juicy and large leaves can be specially curled and dried in the sun, so that they can then be dried in bamboo baskets over a fireplace with smoldering pine or spruce branches or needles. All this is done in order to increase the fermentation of tea leaves and give them a unique aroma and unique taste.

BREWINGLAPSANG SOUCHONG

This is a special tea, so the rules for brewing it are also special. The Chinese recommend using a teapot made of natural clay for this. Lapsang Souchong tea is a strong tea, so for brewing you need to take only one teaspoon of tea leaves for every 100 grams of water, the temperature of which should be no more than 90 degrees (some sources advise that it should be 80-90), but this is by no means In this case there should not be boiling water. First, “rinsing” occurs: this means that the first water is drained 0.5-1 minutes after brewing. Rinsing is necessary not only to remove dust that may have fallen on the tea during its packaging, but also to prepare it for the second brewing, during which the full taste and aroma of this tea is revealed. The tea leaves need to be re-filled with water at the same temperature and left to steep, covered with a warm towel, for about 7-8 minutes. Lapsang Souchong can be brewed up to 5-6 times, and each time the taste of the tea becomes different and softer. Do not add milk or sugar to this tea, and do not drink it with sweets, because this will only spoil its taste. In order to learn to feel the unique aroma of Lapsang Souchong, it is better to drink it on its own or with lemon, and with each new sip you will feel the self-sufficiency of this tea.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT LAPSANG SOUCHONG

It has already been said above how “magical” this tea is and how quickly some people (Churchill, Sherlock Holmes), especially smokers, get used to it. The English Parliament and the Royal Palace of Great Britain are no exception: contracts are still being concluded for the supply of Lapsang Souchong to these two bodies of the English government.

With Lapsang Souchong tea becoming more and more popular, the demand for it currently greatly exceeds the supply. It has become much more expensive, and unscrupulous businessmen began to produce cheap counterfeits of this Souchong tea (treated, for example, with a liquid smoke simulator). The taste of such “tea” has nothing in common with the taste of real tea, and you should try to buy real high-quality tea from trusted suppliers.

One of the most famous varieties of Chinese tea, due to its unusual taste and aroma, is lapsang souchong. This red tea, called Zhen Shan Xiao Zhong by the Chinese, and also known as “smoked tea”, began to be cultivated in 1610-50. Today it is mainly cultivated in Southern China, in the Fujian province on the Zheng Shan mountain slopes. But similar teas, which are known as Wai Shan Xiao Zhong, are also produced in the neighboring area. But what is the difference between lapsang souchong tea, what kind of drink is it?

The best tea is considered to be from the Zheng Shan mountain slopes, with a resinous pine scent. Tea acquires this smell during the process of smoking on pine branches. But since such real tea is extremely rare in our time, lapsang souchong today is called all teas in the preparation of which similar technology was used.

Lapsang souchong: properties

In addition to the well-known beneficial properties The distinctive properties of lapsang souchong tea often include:

tart, resinous taste;
strong, strong tea leaves, which are collected for souchong in the fall;
long fermentation period, initially it is dried in the sun;
final drying of tea leaves is carried out in special indoor ovens;
use of pine firewood, sawdust, cones, .

Since lapsang souchong is very good with the onset of the cold season, it is best to use it after prolonged exposure to the cold, after physical exertion. For example, after mountaineering, skiing, etc.

Smoked lapsang souchong tea

Thanks to the use of pine, the tea leaves acquire a stunning aroma of smoked wood and resin. And during the brewing process, they give off all this aroma, as a result of which the tea acquires an unusual red-burgundy color, rich taste, and the aroma of cinnamon flowers.

Those who try smoked lapsang souchong tea for the first time often compare its aroma with the smell of burnt rubber, ski wax, or a soldier's boot. But sophisticated lovers of this tea detect in it, first of all, notes of resinous wood, smoke, taste, prunes, dried. Therefore, in order to understand the taste of lapsang souchong tea and get used to it, you should try the tea several times.

The best container for brewing tea is a clay teapot. For every 200 ml of water you need to take about one teaspoon of lapsang souchong. The brewing time (it is recommended to keep the kettle warm all the time) should not exceed ten minutes. It is allowed to reuse one tea leaves up to 3-4 times.

And a few more points, which you should definitely know about brewing lapsang souchong. Add for tea sugar not recommended, but lemon can be added if desired. As snacks For tea, you can recommend something spicy, for example, basturma, sharp cheese.

Lapsang Souchong, moderately smoked Chinese black long tea

The price is for 50 g

Lapsang Souchong - tea for true connoisseurs of unique taste and extraordinary aroma

One of the most common types of Chinese red tea is Lapsang Souchong, also called smoked (tar) tea. The Chinese call this type of tea Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong, and the literal translation into Russian means “small view from Mount Zheng.” Lapsang Souchong grows on tea plantations in the Chinese province of Fujian, located near the city of Wuyi Shan, on the slopes of Mount Zheng Shan.

In Europe, Lapsang Souchong is usually classified as black tea, in China - as red, since the Chinese call only pu-erh tea black tea. Where did so many names for one type of tea come from? The fact is that Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong was such a rare type of tea that all types of tea created according to a similar recipe began to be called this way.

Ancient secrets of making Lapsang Souchong

According to ancient belief, during the reign of the famous Ming dynasty, the military made a halt right on territory of the tea factory, due to which the process of processing tea leaves was suspended. The next morning, when the military left their temporary camp, the factory workers were afraid that they would not have time to make tea in the usual way to send to the market. To prevent the already collected tea leaves from spoiling, it was decided to try drying them in the smoke of pine wood. Thanks to this, the workers not only managed to produce the tea on time, but also received a new variety, the extraordinary taste of which amazed buyers and true tea connoisseurs.

Currently, Lapsang Souchong is also made using pine smoke. This happens as follows: after picking, tea leaves are dried in the sun, rolled and hung in special baskets or frying pans for 8 hours over a blazing fire, as a result of which the color of the leaves changes to dark red, and the aroma and taste of fresh green leaves disappears. To obtain a unique resinous aroma, the process of making Lapsang Souchong is completed by roasting tea leaves on the cones and roots of Chinese spruce. It is worth noting that the smell of smoke is not dominant in this type of tea; it is only one of the components of the extraordinary aroma of the drink.

What makes the taste of Lapsang Souchong so unusual? Of course, it’s better to try once than to read a hundred times, but we’ll try to tell you!

Everything about the Lapsang Souchong tea variety is unique: the taste, aroma and even the color of the resulting drink. The main difference from other types of tea is the extraordinary taste, smell and attractive scarlet-red color of the drink.

Not everyone likes Lapsang Souchong right away. Those who are just beginning to be interested in tea culture consider the taste of this tea to be similar to turpentine, ski wax, Zvezdochka balm, burnt rubber, soldier's boots and even smoked fish and mold. Those who can taste the taste of Lapsang Souchong will fall in love with it forever.

The well-known British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was a true connoisseur of Chinese red tea. His love for Lapsang Souchong is associated with his love for Cuban cigars, which he could smoke incessantly. The smoky aroma of the extraordinary drink also left its mark on the politician’s soul. It is impossible to truly love Cuban cigars and not be imbued with the same feeling for Lapsang Souchong, because its smoky aroma is ideal for true aesthetes.

In addition to the unforgettable aroma, Chinese smoked tea is an extraordinary combination of the taste of ginger root, prunes, nuts, dried pear, caramel, the taste of pine wood and cinnamon flowers. Lapsang Souchong is most famous among heavy smokers, and therefore is considered a more masculine tea than a feminine one. The bright, tart taste and extraordinary resinous aroma of pine have a tonic and warming effect. That is why Lapsang Souchong is especially popular in the cold season, during times of slush and frost. Smoked tea is recommended for use as a warming drink after prolonged physical activity in the cold: for example, sports exercises in the mountains, on the snow, skiing, running.

Lapsang sushon is unusual not only in taste, but also in smell! See for yourself!

Many who have tried lapsang only once shy away from its unusual aroma and taste. After all, this smoky tea needs to be understood. And those who understand and accept the full power of the aroma of this tea can consider themselves a true connoisseur.

What does lapsang souchong tea smell like? Smoke, Russian bathhouse, melted black, smoked meats, spruce branches, ginger, dried pear and a little caramel. Everyone will be able to determine for themselves the predominant notes of aroma and taste. With each new sip of magical tea and inhalation of its aroma, pleasant and sweet pictures arise: a small bathhouse by the lake, autumn bonfires, a pine forest in the distance. Lapsang souchon tea evokes a feeling of calm, peace, inner harmony and silence.

The aroma of lapsang souchong tea is rich, but unobtrusive. It is more appropriate in the evening after a hard day at work, when you want peace and tranquility. A cup of lapsang souchon tea can give you these sensations.

What is the secret of lapsang souchong tea? In its unique properties!

Lapsang souchong tea is extremely beneficial. It, like any red tea, contains an incredible amount of amino acids and vitamins. Smoked tea, paradoxically, helps the body cleanse itself of carcinogens and restore the proper microflora.

The health benefits of lapsang souchong tea also include the fact that it gives you good mood and energy. And people really lack this during the cold seasons - autumn and winter. That is why smoked tea is recommended for consumption in the cold season, when gray rain or snow is blowing outside the window.

Lapsang souchong is often called the tea of youth. Why? Because smoked tea helps cleanse blood vessels, slow down the aging process of the skin, and helps renew the blood.

Souchong tea is not just healthy, it is medicinal. This tea is good after poisoning, as it helps quickly cleanse the body of toxins and other harmful substances. Tea helps with the stomach. It not only improves the functions of the stomach, but also warms it. Stomach tea absorbs fats, thereby helping to normalize the functioning of internal organs.

When consumed regularly, lapsang souchong stomach tea also helps improve metabolic processes in the body. Gradually, stomach tea improves the functioning of the pancreas, which is a good prevention of metabolic diseases, such as diabetes.

Lapsang souchong has a beneficial effect on teeth and gums. Under the influence of the vitamins contained in souchong tea, gums become stronger and the condition of the oral cavity as a whole improves.

How to brew lapsang souchong tea correctly? There are a few simple rules!

Anyone can buy lapsang souchong. But this is not enough to enjoy the full taste of this exquisite drink. It is important to follow the rules for brewing lapsang souchong tea. First of all, you should choose the right dishes for this - clay. Plastic teapots are absolutely not suitable for lapsang souchong tea or any other drink! To get a strong and rich drink, it is enough to take just a little tea leaves - about 1 tsp. for 150 ml. water. Lemon and sugar can be added to lapsang tea if desired.

Tart lapsang souchong tea is great not only for drinking tea at home, but also for a picnic or a hike in nature. Smoked tea can be brewed directly over a fire using clean spring water. It is best to use a clay pot heated over a fire to brew smoked tea.

Do you know...? Interesting facts about lapsang souchong tea!

Lapsang souchong is a very unusual smoked tea. There are many interesting facts about this drink. Here are some of them.

Lapsang souchong tea is popular among smokers. It is called men's tea for its slightly resinous pine taste with a slight smoky aroma. This smoked tea perfectly invigorates and tones. Few people like its unusual aroma and taste the first time and forever. But, just like any sophisticated thing of the highest class, lapsang tea should be tried again in order to understand and appreciate it.

Smoked lapsang souchong tea is unusual in everything, including the production process. Tea petals are not just collected and rolled. They are first dried in the sun and then smoked by lighting fires of pine wood next to the baskets of tea.

Interestingly, lapsang souchong tea is usually served with spicy dishes: fish, meat, goat cheese, Gorgonzola. This tea is very useful for a stomach overloaded with heavy food. It is no less popular in combination with lemon or curd pastries.

It is known that smoked tea is the favorite drink of Winston Churchill and Sherlock Holmes. Souchong tea has much in common with the taste of elite cognac and whiskey - truly masculine drinks. To this day, smoked black tea of this brand is supplied to the Royal House of Great Britain and the Parliament of the country.

Where can I buy real lapsang souchong? Of course, in our online store!

The taste and aroma of lapsang tea is known all over the world. And there are many fans of this drink with a masculine character, true connoisseurs who would prefer it to any other.

You can't buy real lapsang souchong everywhere. It is almost impossible to find on the shelves of regular stores. But by contacting us, you can buy real smoky tea for yourself, your family and friends!

In order for you to preserve the rich aroma of lapsang souchong tea for as long as possible after purchase, we pack it in German three-layer foil bags with an innovative clip. Thanks to this, smoked lapsang tea ordered from us will not lose its unique taste and aroma.

Only here you can buy high-quality tea and coffee. Such varieties are sold only in bulk to expensive restaurants, but you can buy them at retail from us! Tea and coffee are packaged in different sizes: 50, 100, 200 grams, and when purchasing more than a kilogram, pleasant discounts await you!

In Russia Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong (正山小种, zhengshan xiao zhong) usually called Lapsang souchong or “smoked tea”, or “tar tea”! It is one of the most prominent representatives of red teas. You probably have a question: “Why are there so many names? How so?” The fact is that real zhenshan xiaozhong is extremely rare. Therefore, “Lapsang Souchong” is the name given to all teas prepared using a technology similar to the technology for preparing Zhenshan Xiaozhong. The name of this tea literally translates as: “small view from Zheng Mountain.” The homeland of this type of tea is the Chinese province of Fujian, tea plantations are located on the slopes of Mount ZhenShan, not far from the city of Wuyi Shan, which produces probably the most popular oolong tea in the world - Da Hong Pao.

The history of Lapsang Souchong tea (Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong).
Lapsang Souchong, Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong Legend has it that during the Ming Dynasty, an army passing through Xingcun Village decided to set up camp on the grounds of a tea factory, thereby delaying the processing of freshly plucked tea leaves. When the military left the next day, the factory employees returned to their places and realized that if they dried the leaves in the traditional way, they would not have time to deliver the goods to the market. Therefore, a bold decision was made to dry it in the smoke from pine wood. The workers met the deadline, and their tea created a real sensation.

Taste, color, aroma
Lapsang Souchong is an unusual tea. Its main difference lies in its unique taste, aroma and pleasant ruby-red color of the infusion. People just discovering Chinese tea culture compare its aroma to ski wax, turpentine, burnt rubber or even smoked fish, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill probably still smelled the aroma of his favorite Cuban cigars. And you can talk for hours about how he loved them. He could smoke up to ten pieces a day. Finding a photograph of Churchill without a cigar is almost impossible. If a person loves Cuban cigars so much, then he will certainly fall in love with Lapsang Souchong with its unique smoky aroma, intended for true aesthetes. The aroma also reveals a combination of ginger, prunes, dried pear, nuts, cinnamon, caramel, and aromatic smoke.

Indeed, Lapsang Souchong is very popular among smokers. This variety is undoubtedly more masculine than feminine. Tart, rich taste and indescribable resinous pine smell. It warms and tones perfectly. This variety is best suited for tea drinking in the cold seasons, for which Russia is so famous. Usually you don’t like “smoked tea” the first time, but, like all worthy things, you first need to try it carefully, several times, in order to grasp its essence.

Production process
The production of Xiaozhong tea consists of the following: the tea is collected, dried in the sun, rolled, after which it is poured into baskets where it is fermented. Fires made of dry resinous pine wood are lit next to the baskets. Under the heat from the fires, the tea is fermented in 6-8 hours. As a result, Xiaozhong turns brownish-red, and its aroma mixes with the smell of fires. It is important to note that fires should be smokeless and their purpose is temperature. Smoke in the aroma of tea is only a part, not a dominant one.

Beneficial features
Lapsang Souchong, Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong Xiaozhong tea is rich in vitamins and amino acids. Regular consumption of this tea helps remove toxins and carcinogens from the body, improves blood condition, increases efficiency, helps improve the functions of the stomach, intensively warming it. Recommended for use after prolonged physical exertion in the cold. Perfectly relaxing. Absorbs fats, normalizing metabolism, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, has a beneficial effect on the pancreas, cleanses the liver, perfectly regulates metabolism, and also has a good effect on teeth and gums, strengthening them.

Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong is one of the oldest varieties, dating back to the 15th century. It was this tea, under the name “Lapsan Souchong”, that was especially to the taste of Europeans and determined the future development of the tea business in the Southeast region of China. The technological feature of the processing is withering and prolonged heating of tea leaves on pine coals, for which the tea received its first name “Lao Song Xiao Zhong”, “Old Pine – Rare Variety”. However, popularity and demand, exceeding the small production volume, led to a large number of similar products being made in neighboring regions. To distinguish the “same” tea from Tong Mu, manufacturers now call it “Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong”, that is, “Rare View from the Correct Mountains”.

Interesting facts about Lapsang Souchong tea (Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong).

In England it is very popular and is served with spicy dishes, smoked meats and fish, cheeses (Gorgonzola, goat cheese, Cheddar). You can also try baked goods with curd or lemon filling with it. This is the favorite tea of Sherlock Holmes and Winston Churchill! Agent 007 remembers this in one of the Bond episodes. And all because it is a “male” tea, with a special taste and aroma that has much in common with the taste of good sherry, cognac or whiskey. Xiaozhong was known as Royal Black tea in England as early as 1662.

Winston Churchill It is interesting that Lapsang Souchong is still specially supplied to the Parliament of England and the house of the Queen of Great Britain. And naturally, the prerequisite for this was Churchill’s love for this noble tea. According to rumors, even at the height of the Second World War, despite the fact that almost all trade channels with Asia were closed, Winston Churchill secretly, through third countries, obtained his beloved Lapsang Souchong from Japan. Of course, he was not only a great politician, but also a great writer. He loved Leo Tolstoy very much. In many ways, without hiding, he imitated his idol (meaning literary style). Two candidates were considered for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953: Ernest Hemingway and Winston Churchill. The award was given to a British politician; Hemingway's talent was recognized with the same prize only one year later. Some biographers of the greatest Briton in history claim that Churchill drank Lapsang Souchong constantly while working on the book The Second World War. He was sure that he needed tea to work effectively. And he was not wrong.