Organic Lapsang Souchong Black Tea

This Fair Trade Certified organic tea from the Fujian province of China is smoked during manufacture, giving it a distinctive flavor and aroma, sometimes referred to as tarry. It has a light body, with a smooth crisp character and a very prominent, heady aroma of a pine wood fire.

Legend claims that the smoking process that produces this remarkable organic black tea was discovered by accident. During the Qing dynasty, an army unit passing through the village of Xingcun camped in a tea factory filled with fresh leaves awaiting processing. When the soldiers left and the workers could get back into the factory, they realized that to arrive at market in time, it was too late to dry the leaves in the usual fashion. 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! Today, this organic tea from China is dried over smoking pine fires in order to absorb the smoke flavor. Lapsang Souchong is generally consumed with sugar, milk and/or lemon.

Ingredients: organic Chinese black tea

Serving Size: one generous teaspoon per 8 oz cup of water

Staff Perspectives

Aubrey Says: This tea reminds me of liquid smoke floating in my mouth - a unique experience.

Jeremy Says: We have a customer that swears by this tea for smoking meat! The flavor profile is a perfect match.

Sarah Says: This is a family favorite! Even my 10 year old likes it! My husband and I always seem to brew it on a Saturday afternoon after spending the morning with the kids.

We at Arbor Teas firmly believe that tea should be brewed to suit your personal taste. With that being said, here are some recommendations to get you started, but please remember you can make adjustments based on your own personal taste.

There are three main considerations when brewing tea: quantity of tea, water temperature and steeping time.

Quantity of tea: one generous teaspoon per 8 oz cup of water

Water temperature: use water that has been heated to a full rolling boil (212° F)

Steeping time: 3-5 minutes

Tip #1: Use fresh water whenever possible - water that has been sitting in your kettle overnight may impart a flat or stale taste to your tea. Be careful not to boil your water for too long. Over boiled water can sometimes impart an unwanted taste.

Tip #2: Keep in mind that brewing your tea for too long can extract undesirable bitterness from the leaves, so steeping time matters! For a stronger brew, don’t steep longer, just use more tea.

Learn more from our How To Guides on how to brew loose leaf tea, how to make iced tea, and how to make tea lattes. And don’t forget to check out our Eco-Brewing Tips, too!

How to Brew Loose Tea

How to Make Iced Tea

How to Make Tea Lattes

Eco-Brewing Tips

 

There are five significant components found in all tea from the plant camellia sinensis: essential oils, which are the source of tea’s delicious flavor and aroma; polyphenols, which are antioxidants that provide the tea’s brisk flavor and many of its health benefits; phytonutrients, which are small amounts of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids including L-theanine (a very rare molecule that has been found in only three sources including camellia sinensis!) ; enzymes; and methylxanthines, which are a family of alkaloids that include caffeine. Each of these components work differently in the human body and a full description is best left to a medical journal. However, recent research exploring the potential health attributes of tea is leading many scientists to agree that tea, may contribute positively to a healthy lifestyle.

For a more in-depth discussion of Tea and Health Benefits check here.

For a more in-depth discussion of Tea and Caffeine check here.

Tea Health Benefits

All About Caffeine

 

Smoky Yerba Mate Lentil Burgers

BBQ season is upon us! Will you have a vegetarian to feed in your group? Often meatless patties are dry and disappointing, especially the ones that come packaged from the grocery store. Veggie burgers are so easy to make in your home kitchen, requiring fairly minimal forethought and prep work. Check here to view the full recipe for Smoky Yerba Mate Lentil Burgers!

Butter Tea from Tibet

Butter tea, known as Po cha in Tibet, is made from churning tea, salt and yak butter. Butter tea is not for the faint of heart, but might be just the thing for your next expedition! The authentic ingredients used to make po cha are hard to find outside Tibet, but you can still get a close taste using the following recipe. Check here to view the full recipe for Butter Tea from Tibet!

Tea-cured Salmon

Tea-curing salmon is basically a variation on gravadlax, but with tea leaves instead of dill. Just imagine the flavor potential tea offers! Check here to view the full recipe for Tea-Cured Salmon!

Smoky Lapsang Souchong Caramels

Imagine buttery sweet combined with salt and smoke. These are the flavor components that form quite possibly the most divine confection to come from my kitchen to date. Check here to view the full recipe for Smoky Lapsang Souchong Caramels!

Smoky Lapsang Souchong Spring Rolls

Have you ever wanted to capture the smoky fragrance of Lapsang Souchong black tea into something edible? Here is a delicious way to try it in an appetizer served with a plum dipping sauce. Check here to view the full recipe for Smoky Lapsang Souchong Spring Rolls!

Samovar and Russian Tea

Given the significant influence Asian culture has had on Russia through the years, it is no wonder that Russians are big tea drinkers. The samovar, which is somewhat of a cross between a hot water heater and teapot, is one of many examples of this influence - it is presumed to have evolved from the Tibetan hot pot. The function of this unique apparatus, and the Russian method of taking tea, is rather different than we are accustomed to in the west. Instead of heating tea water on the stove, wood or charcoal is traditionally burned within the samovar itself to accomplish this task (modern samovars often use an electric heating element, however). A small teapot sits on top of the samovar, in which a dark, concentrated brew is made, called zavarka. Hot water from the samovar is used to dilute this tea when served. Dark Indian or Chinese black teas (such as Lapsang Souchong) are commonly used, often coupled with herbal or fruit teas. Russian Caravan, a blend of black teas with a smoky flavor, is a favorite. To this day, samovars remain a focal point of the Russian home.

For information on other traditions or to submit your own tea tradition visit our Tea Traditions section.

Tea Traditions