Wu Yi Shan Lapsang

Time to talk tea for a change! Last weekend was the first ever Northwest Tea Festival (put on by the PSTea and of which I am a founding member). To cap off the event, we had a 7-course tea dinner at Wild Ginger. Not only were the dishes made with tea but they served each course with tea. It was fabulous! One of the dishes served was a delicious pork dish and it was paired with a fresh Lapsang brought back just that week from China. Personally, I think Lapsang smells (and often tastes) like cigarettes so I've never enjoyed it. Man, was I ever surprised when they served this fresh Lapsang - I loved it! It was incredible!

Because this tea was so amazing, I bought a small amount for the shop. It's pricey but well worth it if you really like high quality tea. This tea is from THE original creators of this type of tea - very special. I urge you to try a cup next time you come in!

Here is a little history about this tea:

Lapsang souchong is a black tea originally from the Wu Yi region of the Chinese province of Fujian. It is sometimes referred to as smoked tea. Lapsang is distinctive from all other types of tea because lapsang leaves are traditionally smoke-dried over pinewood fires. (*Side note: my friend the Tea Geek told me that lapsang souchong is loosely translated to mean "of the original mountain place.)

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 Wu Yi 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.