Tuesday Teacup - Lapsang Souchong.

Lapsang Souchong is a tea with a very distinctive flavour, I like to think of it as the cowboy of the tea world because it is bold, smokey and untameable. I have to admit to you that I am not a massive fan of this tea, I do like it occasionally but I find the flavour just too much. Ed, on the other hand, loves this tea. Lapsang Souchong is made from the leaves a few steps down from the bud, it gains its unique flavour from the drying process. Usually tea is air dried but this is smoked above pine wood fires, pretty special huh?

I used an infuser to brew this tea, a teaspoon of leaves is more than adequate to make a tasty cup. I bring the water to the boil, leave for a little while to cool then I pour the water into a cup with the infuser. I brew this tea for about 2-3 minutes, I find that this makes quite a robust tasting drink, just taste as you go to find the right strength for you. I would strongly advice not putting milk with Lapsang, would you bathe a cowboy in milk?

This tea embodies everything that I love about tea culture, it just makes me feel so special. When I buy good quality tea I can just imagine all the care that has gone into getting this simple pleasure into my cup. And it can be reasonable cheap as well, I bought a 100g of Lapsang for £3.99! Which will easily last a month, having a couple of cups a day. 

Hope you enjoyed meeting Lapsang Souchong. What teas have you been drinking lately?

xkx