Black Tea Lapsang souchong introduce

Lapsang souchong is a black tea (Camellia sinensis) originally from the Wuyi region of the Chinese province of Fujian.Lapsang is distinct from all other types of tea because lapsang leaves are traditionally smoke-dried over pinewood fires, taking on a distinctive smoky flavor.       History       According to some sources, Lapsang souchong is the first black tea in history, even earlier than Keemun tea. After the Lapsang souchong tea was used for producing black tea called Min Hong(meaning "Black tea produced in Fujian"), people started to move the tea bush to different places, such as Keemun, India, and Ceylon.       The story goes that the tea was created during the Qing era when the passage of armies delayed the annual drying of the tea leaves in the Wuyi Mountain. Eager to satisfy demand, the tea producers sped up the drying process by getting their workers to dry the leaves over fires made from local pines.         Processing        "Souchong" refers to the fourth and fifth leaves of the tea plant, further away from the more highly prized bud (pekoe) of the tea plant. These leaves are coarser than the leaves closer to the bud and have fewer aromatic compounds. Smoking provides a way to create a marketable product from these less desirable leaves.        The leaves are roasted in a bamboo basket called a Honglong, which is heated over burning firewood,  contributes to the dried longan aroma and smoky flavor. Pinewood is used as the firewood for Lapsang souchong and contains the characteristic resin aroma and taste.       Chemistry       The aroma of Lapsang souchong is derived from a variety of chemical compounds. The two most abundant constituents the aroma are longifolene and α-terpineol. Many of the compounds making up the aroma of Lapsang souchong, including longifolene, originate only in the pine smoke and are not found in both.      Flavour and aroma      Lapsang souchong's flavors include dried longan, pine smoke, and whiskey.Tea merchants marketing to Westerners notes that this variety of tea generally produces a strong reaction, with most online reviews extremely positive or strongly negative.[citation needed]Tea connoisseurs often note that Taiwanese Lapsang souchong typically has a stronger flavor and aroma, the most extreme being tarry souchong (smoked, as the name implies, over burning pine tar).[citation needed]It is common for even rather strongly brewed Lapsang souchong tea to lack the bitterness common with other tea varieties.     Reputation     Lapsang souchong has a high reputation outside China; it is viewed as "tea for Westerners" inside China. It was drunk by Winston Churchill.