Lapsang Souchong Smoky Black Tea (Yan Xun Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong)

Lapsang Souchong is the alternate name of Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong. Based on the strong absorbing ability of black tea, tea makers use pine charcoal as fuel so that lots of smoke will be absorbed in the tea leaves when burning those charcoal. Thus a heavy smoky flavor could be brought into the teas. The smoky flavor comes from a mixture of fresh tea leaves’ fragrance and pine charcoal smell. For this special manufacture, tea leaves after smoking will present the color of glossy dark.

	Cup Method		Chinese Gongfu Method
	Teacup: 12oz / 355ml		Gaiwan: 3.8oz / 110ml
	194℉ / 90℃		194℉ / 90℃
	2 Teaspoons / 2.5g Tea		5g Tea
	Brewing time: 1 - 5 mins		7 steeps: rinse, 15s, 25s, 40s, 60s, 90s, 120s, 180s
			Rinse time is around 5 seconds

Tongmu Tea Garden in Tongmu Village with located north of Wuyi Mountain National Nature Reserve, is the source of the Jiuqu Stream, Scenic Spots of Wuyi Mountain. It is the hometown of Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong. Tea grown here is in semi-wild environment with mountain forest area of about 315,000 mu. The altitude here is around 1000 – 1500 meters. Tea and bamboo are pillar industry here in Tongmu village.

Tongmu Tea Garden in Wuyi, Fujian

Surrounded by high mountains and moisten by the clouds and fogs.

Natural clear stream flowing gently

Wild tea trees grown along the hillside

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 attractions, 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, an area of 50 square kilometers. We can say that only black teas from Wuyi mountain can be called as Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong.

The small-leaf tea tree belongs to clonal propagation, small tree type, mainly distributes in the east of tea area in Fujian. Fresh leaves of spring tea contains 4.37% of amino-acid and 16.2% of tea polyphenols, is a great material for making tea.

Lapsang Souchong (alternate name of Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong), which is the earliest black tea in the world, was first produced in 1568 in Tongmu Village, Wuyi Mountain, Fujian, China. In 1604, it has been spread to European and North American. And then Lapsang Souchong was developed into an important tradition -taking afternoon tea

However, due to the frequent wars, the numbers of production decreased gradually, and almost disappeared in 1949. It was not recovered and redeveloped until 1950s, with a highest annual output. Lapsang Souchong (Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong) showed a brand new look to customers all around the world.