Campfire Memories

This premium, high-quality Lapsang Souchong (Zhengshan Xiaozhong) offers a distinctive savory-sweet flavor profile with notes of Chinese dates and longan fruit, accompanied by a subtle hint of pine. Unlike the heavily smoked versions often exported from China, this tea is not overly smoky.

The production of smoked Lapsang Souchong is similar to that of black tea but includes an additional smoking step. The traditional method for this tea used, known as Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong, involves processing the tea leaves entirely within a smokehouse, akin to cold smoking. Most of the smoke flavor is imparted during the final drying phase. The process begins with indoor withering, where the leaves are spread on bamboo mats and turned regularly. This is followed by rolling to break the cell walls and initiate oxidation. The leaves are then placed in cloth bags to oxidize for 5 to 6 hours, followed by a quick pan-firing to stop the oxidation. A second rolling (twisting) occurs, and the leaves are dried over smoke for 8 to 12 hours.

Lapsang Souchong is considered the world’s first black tea, with a history spanning over 400 years. Records show that Zhengshan Xiaozhong originated between the late 16th and early 17th centuries. In 1607, the Dutch East India Company purchased black tea from Macau, in southern China’s Lingnan region, and exported it to Europe.

At that time, the European tea market was dominated by Japanese green tea. Zhengshan Xiaozhong, with its rich flavor, quickly gained popularity in Europe. Initially, the Dutch monopolized the trade of Zhengshan Xiaozhong. However, the British East India Company soon entered the market, leading to a conflict between the Netherlands and England. England emerged victorious and eventually took control of the tea trade.

Zhengshan Xiaozhong thrived until the early 18th century when missionaries and traders visited Tongmu, the tea’s place of origin, for research. In response to foreign preferences, Chinese farmers began developing both smoked and unsmoked varieties of Xiaozhong.

Zhengshan Xiaozhong is also regarded as the precursor to Anhui’s Keemun (Qimen) black tea and other Gongfu black teas. In the late 19th century, tea cultivation and production techniques were introduced from Tongmu in Chong’an to the Qimen region of Anhui. Keemun tea was first successfully produced in 1876, based on Zhengshan Xiaozhong, and became one of the world’s four most famous black teas.

There are several local legends about the origins of Lapsang Souchong, but one particularly intriguing story involves a historical mishap. During the Ming dynasty, around 1568 AD, political unrest caused a group of soldiers to occupy the village of Tongmu during the tea harvest season. They took over a local tea factory and used the tea leaves as bedding, preventing them from being properly dried. The tea leaves became soft, red, and sticky. Once the soldiers left, the tea farmers salvaged the crop by drying the leaves over pinewood fires. This process turned the leaves black and shiny, imparting a distinct pine aroma and remarkable flavor. The tea was brought to market, where it unexpectedly became a hit, fetching prices far higher than anticipated due to its unique taste and high demand.