- Lapsang souchong
Infobox_Tea | Tea_name = Lapsang souchong
Tea_type = Black
Tea_color = Black
Tea_
Tea_origin =Mount Wuyi , Fujian ProvinceChina | Tea_names = 正山小种 (pinyin : zhèngshān xiǎozhǒng)| Tea_quick = Souchong smoked over pine fire, smoky taste.Lapsang souchong is a
black tea originally from theWuyi region of the Chinese province ofFujian . [ [http://www.englishteastore.com/noname.html Lapsang Souchong ] ] It is sometimes referred to as smoked tea. Lapsang is distinctive from all other types of tea because lapsang leaves are traditionally smoke-dried overpine wood fires, taking on a distinctive smoky flavour. [ [http://www.stashtea.com/w-050023.htm Stash Tea: Lapsang Souchong ] ]The name in Fukienese means "smoky variety" or more correctly "smoky sub-variety." Lapsang souchong is a member of the
Wuyi Bohea family of teas. The story goes that the tea was created during the Qing era when the passage of armies delayed the annual drying of the tea leaves in the Wuyi hills. Eager to satisfy demand, the tea producers sped up the drying process by having their workers dry the tea leaves over fires made from local pines. [ [http://www.inpursuitoftea.com/Lapsang_Souchong_and_Other_High_Fired_Teas_s/37.htm Lapsang Souchong and Other High-Fired Teas ] ]Lapsang souchong from the original source is increasingly expensive, as Wuyi is a small area and there is increasing interest in this variety of tea. [ [http://www.inpursuitoftea.com/Lapsang_Souchong_p/bc100.htm Black Tea: Lapsang Souchong ] ]
Flavour
Lapsang souchong's flavour is strong and smoky, similar to the smell of a campfire or of Latakia pipe tobacco. Another word to describe the taste is
creosote , which should have a positive connotation. The flavour of the pine smoke is meant to complement the natural taste of the black tea, but should not overwhelm it.Tea merchants marketing to westerners note that this variety of tea generally produces a strong reaction - with most online reviews extremely positive or strongly negative. [ [http://www.adagio.com/black/lapsang_souchong.html Lapsang Souchong Tea ] ]
Culinary use
Lapsang souchong imparts a smoky flavour to oven roasted ribs even when the oven is kept at a temperature low enough to achieve a tender roast. Because of this quality, Chinese cooks smoke a variety of foodstuffs over smoldering black tea.
References
* Harvestfields.ca on [http://www.harvestfields.ca/Tea/Btea/lapsang_souchong.htm Lapsang Souchong]
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