Black Teas

Lapsang Souchong (Zengshan Xiaozhong), the Smoked Tea

The souchongs, smoked teas with a distinctive flavor sometimes described as tarry, are a special product of Fujian province. The Fukienese word souchong (xiao zhong) means "subvariety," that is, a subvariety of the black teas from the Wuyi Mountains in Fujian. This tea is also sold as Fujian Black Lapsang Souchong.

Legend claims that the smoking process was discovered by accident. During the Qing dynasty, an army unit passing through Xingcun (Star Village) camped in a tea factory filled with fresh leaves awaiting processing. When the soldiers left and the workers could get back into the premises, they realized that to arrive at market in time, it was too late to dry the leaves the usual way. So they lit open fires of pine wood to hasten the drying. Not only did the tea reach the market in time, but the smoked pine flavor created a sensation. A new product was born.

The leaves are first withered over fires of pine or cypress wood. After pan frying and rolling, they are pressed into wooden barrels and covered with cloth to ferment until they give off a pleasant fragrance. The leaves are fried again and rolled into taut strips. Then they are placed in bamboo baskets and hung on wooden racks over smoking pine fires to dry and absorb the smoke flavor. When finished they are thick, glossy black strips, and produce a dark red beverage with a unique aroma. It is drunk with or without sugar and milk.

This tea is sometimes sold as Zhengshan Souchong. As sales abroad expanded, the demand for Wuyi teas exceeded the supply and many fake Wuji teas were marketed. Therefore, the authentic Wuyi vendors began calling theirs Zhengshan Souchong (Real Wuyi Subvariety). The name seems to have traveled a long way to become Lapsang Souchong - a favorite of Sherlock Holmes and several other fictional Britons.

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