Lapsang Souchong: The tea that eats like a meal.
- Julie Band
- Dec 10, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Dec 10, 2020
I was asked by a few readers what kind of research I did for this book. Besides the research that I did on Barnardo’s Homes and child emigration schemes, I dove into Victorian rituals, customs and their way of life.
When I sat down to research tea and tea-time, I thought it would be a quick study. It’s just tea right? Nope! It led me down a rabbit hole of information that covered everything from what to serve at a Victorian tea to the role tea played in the expansion of the British empire and the colonization of India.
As I love tea, field-testing was one of the best parts of this research. It took me to swanky hotels, small cozy tea rooms, small tea merchants and expansive stores like Fortnum & Mason in London – a ‘tea’ store I spent close to fours hours exploring. It also gave me the excuse to try teas I might never have normally sampled or spent money on.
Lapsang Souchong was a happy discovery from those samplings. Canadian tea merchant, David’s Tea, says in their description, “lovers of single-malt whisky and fine cigars always fall for this tea.” Perhaps that is why it’s rumoured to have been a favourite of Churchill’s.
This variety is a Chinese black tea from the Fugian province. Workers create it by drying it over pinewood fires. The strong smoky aroma and woody undertones is evident from the moment you open the tin and only intensifies when you steep it. The smell triggers all those feel good memories of campfires, wood fireplaces, smoked meat and cheese.
This is not a delicate tea: I have heard some reviewers describe it as horrible. Not me. Although I don’t reach for this variety often, I love this tea.
Black tea: check. Smokey aroma: check. Strong bold flavour: double check! What’s not to love.
If you have an adventurous spirit, it would be a great tea to try this Christmas.
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