Lapsang Souchong Chinese Loose Leaf Black Tea World Famous Traditional Smoked Tea

The Chinese Lapsang Souchong was the tea to be drunk in the 1870's. It was raced back to Britain and America on the famous Clippers 'Cutty Sark' and the 'Flying Cloud’. It has always been popular with the English, indeed it was the tea of choice for Winston Churchill, and in China it is viewed as ‘a tea for westerners’.

Withering the leaves over open fires of pine needles produces the smoky Lapsang Souchong. The tea drinks well with salty and spicy dishes as well as tasting wonderful when drunk black, with cheese. 

Souchong translates literally as ‘sub-variety’ and in this instance refers to tea plants specifically from the Wuyi mountains. Souchong now refers to the plucking of the fourth and fifth leaves, these slightly coarser leaves are perfect for this smoking technique.

The tea does not taste how you would imagine a smoky tea would taste and actually has a very delicate flavour.