Lapsang Souchong Tea

Lapsang Souchong Tea is a Chinese black tea native to the mountainous Wuyi region, in the province of Fujian.

Also known as smoked tea, these dark twisted leaves attain a smoky flavour and fragrance because they are smoke dried over pinewood fires, a unique method that will take you on an amazing adventure through the world of this wonderful tea.

Said to be the first black tea in the world, this peculiar tea was created accidentally. Despite some small variations, legend says that during the Qing dynasty an army invaded the Wuyi region, forcing the villagers to quickly dry their fresh tea leaves. To accelerate the drying process, they lit open fires of pinewood.

Surprisingly, this new smoky flavour, very different from the delicate oolong they were used to, was a success, especially among the Europeans, who were willing to pay a higher price for this exquisite tea!

Processing Lapsang Souchong Tea

Combining the elegance and strength of black tea and the right amount of smokiness to create Lapsang Souchong is a magical and creative process to behold. Join us as we show you how those thin green leaves become reddish brown in your cup!

• Harvesting begins in the second week of May. Mature leaves are picked to produce Lapsang, unlike Gyokuro tea or Longjing tea, which only use young leaves to produce their amazing liquor.


• The leaves are then spread over smoldering pine, oak or cypress tree embers to begin the withering process.


• Next, they are pan fried, rolled and placed in wooden barrels to begin the oxidation process. This will provide their sweet aroma and colour.


• Finally, they are hung over a pine, oak or cypress smoke to dry the leaves, which gives them their characteristic flavour. This smoky aroma is unique to this tea because of its peculiar compounds, longifolene and α-terpineol, enhanced during this processing method.

This smoky tasting tea may just be the best black tea you ever tried! The magical art combines not only a pleasant taste and aroma but also the wonderful benefits of black tea that may protect you and your loved ones, while enjoying true moments of pleasure.

Stay put and discover with us, how Lapsang Souchong tea benefits may help you.

Lapsang Souchong Tea Health Benefits

• Weight Loss Aid
  
  As you may know, tea is a powerful source of antioxidants that allows you to lose weight in a much healthier way. This Chinese weight loss tea is no exception. Although black teas undergo more stages of transformation than green teas or white teas, they still offer a significant amount of antioxidants.
  
  Now combine this with its caffeine content and your metabolism will work much faster. You will burn fat, build muscle and still enjoy an energy flow throughout your day.
  
  Still, keep in mind you should maintain a healthy diet and practice physical exercise to get the results you except. These fat loss diets only work if you combine them with exercise and healthy food.


• Cancer Fighter
  
  These powerful antioxidants are also important allies when it comes to fighting cancer. Catechins, polyphenols and vitamins join forces to prevent free radicals from damaging your DNA, thus reducing the growth of cancer cells. Your immune system will be much stronger, protecting you against harmful bacteria.


• Caffeine Alternative
  
  If you want to stop drinking coffee, Lapsang Souchong tea is here to help you. We all need a push in the morning and the necessary energy to get through our day, so we often choose coffee to give us a hand. However, this may not be a very healthy choice, especially if you tend to drink many cups a day!
  
  Try drinking tea instead. It still has caffeine, although less, but the good thing is that the caffeine content in tea is progressively released in your system throughout the day, so you will always feel energetic and much healthier.


• Protect Your Heart
  
  What better way than to drink tea? It is easy, healthy and it’s always a pleasure that heals and protects you at the same time.
  
  Lapsang Souchong powerful antioxidants are able to lower blood pressure, stabilize your blood sugar levels, and so reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Stop worrying about your cholesterol levels. The amazing minerals and nutrients will lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and strengthen your heart.
  
  You will feel it beating strongly.


• Natural Sedative
  
  Another important treasure we must protect is, of course, our brain. Lapsang Souchong tea, like other teas, offers you an important amino acid called theanine, which will relax your mind and spirit.
  
  Theanine, combined with caffeine in tea, will enhance your alertness, stimulate your heart and improve your concentration. You will feel a great sense of calmness and still feel energetic and alert.
  
  What a great way to go through your day, enjoying every minute and being able to benefit from every sip you take.

Black tea offers you a world of benefits and flavours that will take you on an amazing adventure we are glad to be part of. So please continue unfolding this world and have a look at our page benefits of black tea and find out much more about this famous beverage and its side effects as well.

Lapsang Souchong Tea Varieties

This amazing Chinese Black tea offers you other varieties that you may equally cherish. Let’s have a look and find out more interesting facts about this tea.

Zhen Shan Xian Zhong - If you wish to experience a superior grade, this tea will be a pleasant surprise. Grown in the Tong Mu village area, this Lapsang Souchong tea is harvested for a brief period of time, thus making it more rare and expensive.

It stands out for having a less smoky flavour and a sweeter taste. If you are not a fan of strong smoky flavours, this tea may be a nice alternative.

Taiwan - You may also find this smoky variety in Taiwan. However, unlike the previous one, this tea is stronger and heavily smoked.

Drinking Lapsang Souchong Tea

Now let’s get ready to prepare our tea. Relax and take a deep breath to enjoy this moment. We will do it together.
So here is how to make Lapsang Souchong Tea:

• Use spring water and porcelain tea ware to enhance and protect the flavour of your tea.


• Boil your water at 100ºC (212ºF) and rinse your tea cup and pot with it.


• Use 1-2 teaspoons of tea leaves for every 225ml of water and let steep for one minute for the first and second brewing. If you like it to be strong you can let steep for 3 to 5 minutes.
  
  Give it a couple of tries and see what you prefer. Make sure you increase the steeping time and water temperature for the next brewing.


• You can add 10 to 15ml of milk to your tea if you like.

Now drink your tea. Close your eyes and pause. Feel that lingering woody taste in your tongue. Smell it. Behold that reddish brown colour in your cup.

Have another sip. Your senses will become more and more accurate and soon, with every new sip you will discover a new sensation.

And you can always make iced tea for hot summer days.

Whether you are looking for black tea leaves, black tea powder or black tea bags, this amazing beverage is a world worth discovering. Lapsang Souchong tea is exquisite and appealing and the best part of it is that it doesn’t end in your cup.

You can use it as a marinade for meat roasted, for ice cream, for fish dishes and it goes well with salty and spicy foods.

Click on the image or on the link below to purchase from Art of Tea your Lapsang Souchong.

Experience the wonderful smoky flavor of this Chinese black tea.

The unique way in which the tea leaves are smoked provide an unforgetable tea for you.

So stay close as we prepare to embark on another adventure and share every detail of this amazing world of tea with you.

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”In the Taste of a single cup of tea you will eventually discover the truth of all the ten thousand forms in the universe.”
- Attributed to Kyongbong Sunim, Ch'an (Zen) Master

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Disclaimer: Please consult with your doctor before taking any products presented.
This site is for informational purposes only.
Self-medication is not advised.

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