Organic Lapsang Souchong Smoky Black Tea

Mr. Wen, the owner of tongmu tea garden, who had worked as a workshop director in tongmu tea factory, where he engaged in the processing methods of Lapsang Souchong. With 44 years' experience of tea processing, Mr. Wen is not only a very professional tea master, but also attach great importance to tea's quality. Even tea lovers often say: “as long as the tea is made by Mr. Wen, then there is no need to worry about its quality.”

TeaVivre has interviewed the tea farmer Mr. Wen with several questions.

Angel: When did you start to make tea? What's the most meaningful and valuable things that tea brings to you?
Mr. Wen: I was born in 1959 and lived in remote mountainous areas where there is no school. Therefore, I started to make tea in 1972. Ever since, tea has changed my life and because of tea, I also met lots of friends.

Angel: What personality do you think that a tea mater should have?
Mr. Wen: The most important thing for me is to put my enthusiasm and focus on making high quality teas. Through my experience, it also requires me to endure sufferings and hardships as well as in a peaceful mind.

Angel: What's your most favorite and least favorite thing about your job?
Mr. Wen: Each batch of tea can be made successfully that matters most. I can’t stand for wasting my own made tea.

Angel: what makes you feel most accomplished?
Mr. Wen: I persisted in using traditional method even when Lapsang Souchong is not so popular at that time. However, I felt quite proud because it was gradually widely accepted by tea lovers and it also made me become one of the few traditional Lapsang Souchong tea masters.

Angel: What tea would you like to drink as usually?
Mr. Wen:Teas that are made by myself.

Angel: How many years have you been engaged in making tea? And what are they difficulties you’ve met?
Mr. Wen: I’ve been worked as an independent tea mater for 44 years. At first, we were worried about piling up in stock. But now, the shortage of raw material is the biggest concern, because we always adhere to choose the best natural materials to ensure the quality.

Teavivre choose this Lapsang Souchong from Wuyi mountain in Fujian province. In Chinese culture, Lapsang Souchong has the true significance of Souchong (Xiao Zhong) black tea that produced in high mountains. Wuyi mountain lies in the northwest of Fujian province. It is not only a tourist attraction, but also the historic origin of Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong. Government has set up rules clarifying that the origin place of Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong is between 117°38′6′′E to 117°44′30′′E, 27°41′35′′N to 27° 49′N, and an area of 50 square kilometers. We can say that only black teas from Wuyi mountain can be called as Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong.

Wuyi Qi Cong (武夷奇种; pinyin: wǔ yí qí zhǒng ) was also known as Caicha by local people. Caicha (菜茶; pinyin: cài chá) refers to the original tea cultivars in Mt. Wuyi, the well-known rock teas, such as Da Hong Pao, Shui Xian, Rou Gui, Bai Ji Guan, are all selected from Caicha. There are almost 70 Ming Cong of tea bushes have been identified, the rest of these that haven’t been identified are collectively called “Qi Cong”. That is to say, Caicha includes Wuyi Ming Cong and Qi Cong. The well-known and precious Jin Jun Mei also takes Wuyi Qi Cong as the raw material.

Qi Cong, been known as wild teas, growing in a wide-ranging high mountains and natural environments without any artificial chemicals or fertilizers, which makes it become a very popular healthy drinks.