Lapsang Souchong

An ancient and much-loved tea from China, Lapsang, comes from the Wuyi Mountains (Wuyi Shan) in the northeastern part of Fujian Province, China. This region is where black tea was first developed (called Bohea). In the steeply forested mountains, pine trees were plentiful, so it came naturally to smoke tea like bacon. The leaves were slowly withered to create a complex tea, and then they were slowly dried in rooms with a smoky fire below. As you might imagine, the tea develops a distinctive smoky flavor. Give it a try when you want a change of pace.