Lapsang Souchong Tea: Not Just for Drinking!

Lapsang Souchong translates literally to "Small plant from Lapu mountain." It is a black tea originally from the Wuyi region of the Chinese province of Fujian and is sometimes referred to as smoked tea. 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.

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 hills. Eager to satisfy demand, the tea producers sped up the drying process by having their workers dry the tea leaves over fires made from local pines. It's amazing all the dimensions of 'smoky' you can experience in one, very well made cup of tea.

The original motivation to procure this unique tea stemmed from Captain Bill's recollection that while serving at Fort Collins Colorado in 1973, he had been introduced to the smoked tea and had not had it since. Since then, the rest of us here at Spice Traders have tried the tea and have been further intrigued by its unique flavor and mystical origins. Our resident wealth of knowledge Judy(see last week's blog post for Judy's background), was intrigued enough to do some good ol' internet research and found that the tea had grown popular in cooking, as a way to add its bold smoky flavor to meats and meals without having to undergo the lengthy smoking process.


This of course led to extensive experimentation and a better understanding of just why it is popular in cooking- its delicious! By grinding up a bit of the tea and adding it to your next meal you can add a delicious smoky flavor in just minutes. In most uses we found that it works best if first ground nice and fine when dry to maximize taste and avoid the perhaps negative feeling of eating tea leaves. There are endless applications for Lapsang Souchong in cooking but here are a few we tried that turned out great:

• Add to your next homemade BBQ sauce recipe
• Add a 1/2 tbsp in the seasoning of scallop potatoes
• Brew a cooking pot full of the tea, and then boil chicken in it before briefly roasting
  
• Marinate hard boiled eggs in the tea for 24-36 hours prior to making deviled eggs
• Rub any meat or fish you could possibly think with it

Like I said before, the options are endless, don't be afraid to throw it in anything!

If you might be a bit more weary to experimenting on your own, here at Spice Traders we are now offering spice packs for purchase which include 3 spices and a recipe card that ties them together! One of our favorites includes the use of Lapsang Souchong in a delicious cream sauce. Stop by to pick one up!