The Name Lapsang Souchong

The name “Lapsang Souchong” is a transliteration of the tea’s name as it was pronounced in the dialect of Fuzhou in Fujian Province. “La'' means “pine,” and “sang” means wood; “souchong” referred to the “small type” of tea leaves coming from the tea cultivar that is used. In Europe, it was also called Bohea tea prior to the British categorization of “black” and “green” tea. In China, this tea is known as “Zhengshan Xiaozhong” (正山小种). The word “zheng” 正 can mean “correct” and “shan” 山 means mountain. “Xiaozhong” translates to “small type” and refers to the small leaf tea cultivar used to make this tea. Together, the name “Zhengshan Xiaozhong” refers to the correct/authentic tea that comes from the Wuyi Mountain small-leaf tea tree cultivar and has other marks of authenticity such as the longan fruit flavor of the tea liquor, the Wuyi pine trees used for smoking (for the smoked style), the unique craftsmanship, and the unique place of origin that lends its unique terroir. 

Wuyi Qi Zhong 奇种 Tea Cultivar

In Tongmu Guan, Zhengshan Xiaozhong (Lapsang Souchong) tea is grown from the Wuyi Cai Cha (武夷菜茶) family of cultivars such as the Xiao Cai Cha 小菜茶 cultivar, which is also known as Qi Zhong 奇种. This cultivar makes up for about 50% of the planting area and is the traditional mixed tea cultivar that has always been planted in Tongmu Guan. The Xiao Cai Cha is bred by seed and so many hybrids result from the breeding with various characteristics. Depending on leaf shape/size and tea tree height, there are nine or so different types of Xiao Cai Cha. In general, the tea trees are considered medium sized, open or semi-open structure, densely branched, with oblong or elliptical leaves that are green to dark green. This cultivar is native to Wuyi Mountain in Fujian Province, but has also been introduced in Jiangxi Province and Taiwan. 

Wuyi Wild Tea Trees

The Wuyi Mountains have been a safe haven ensuring the survival of many rare plants, including wild tea trees. Geological studies indicate that the Wuyi Mountain Nature Reserve was not greatly affected by glacier ice, which at times during the Quaternary period was spread over more than ¼ of the land surface of the planet. Therefore, animals and plants that went extinct in other areas continued to thrive in Wuyi, making it the natural plant paradise that it is today. Together with a mild climate, ample water from rainfall, streams and rivers, and a unique mineral profile, the environment has long fostered the development of many wild tea trees. Up to ten “shu” 属 (category or genus) and thirty-five “zhong” 种 (type or species) of camellia plants have been identified in Wuyi Nature Reserve. Many wild tea trees grow in the mountain forests of Tongmu (桐木) and Da’anyuan (大安源). Most of these wild tea trees are shrubs with small leaves. There is not an absolute boundary between wild tea and cultivated tea, so it is difficult to verify whether any given wild tea tree is a native plant or is just abandoned “wilderness tea” called “huang ye cha” (荒野茶). Either way, it is this tea tree population that makes up what is referred to as Wuyi Cai Cha (武夷菜).

History of “Lapsang Souchong”

In the early Ming Dynasty (明朝) in China, in order to develop the economy and reduce the burden on the people, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (朱元璋) ordered the production of tea cakes to be stopped, and tribute tea was replaced by loose-leaf tea. At that time, Wuyi was known primarily for its famous dragon and phoenix tribute tea cakes (龙凤团茶). After the emperor called for a halt on the production of tea cakes, Wuyi was left with only its loose-leaf tea, which at the time was not as good. It was then by accident that tea farmers created the first black tea.

One year in the late Ming Dynasty (1568), during spring tea picking, an army coming from Jiangxi passed through Tongmu Village and decided to stay there that night. A tea farmer surnamed Jiang had just picked a batch of green tea and was about to fry it, but the army suddenly appeared. The tea farmer and other villagers could only quickly dry the leaves over fire and bury some in sacks before taking their families into the mountains to hide in order to avoid the army. The army decided to stay at Jiang's tea factory for a quick rest. The soldiers put their equipment on the green tea, and some soldiers slept on the tea.

After the army left, Jiang and his family returned in a hurry. The tea, which was in the middle of normal processing before the soldiers arrived, had undergone excessive oxidation and the leaves had turned a reddish color. In order to recover the losses, the tea farmers immediately rubbed the tea leaves, and then took some locally abundant and flammable pine branches and used those to roast and dry the tea leaves. This unintentional move resulted in a great tea-making innovation. The use of pine branches and pine needles to bake the tea leaves greatly changed the style and taste of the finished tea, and formed a new variety of tea with both the aroma of mellow pine smoke and the aroma of dried longan fruit. This is the earliest black tea in history: the Zhengshan Xiaozhong black tea that is now world famous.

At the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century (around 1604), Zhengshan Xiaozhong spread to Western countries. It was brought to Europe by Dutch businessmen, and then this black tea became popular in the British royal family and even in the whole of Europe. This set off the "afternoon tea" trend that has been handed down to this day. Since then, Zhengshan Xiaozhong black tea has become well-known in Europe and the west where it is called “Lapsang Souchong” tea.

Zhengshan Xiaozhong tea’s international popularity rose to its peak during the Qing Dynasty in China. According to historical records, in the early Jiaqing period, 85% of black tea exported from China was Zhengshan Xiaozhong (known outside of China as Bohea tea or Lapsang Souchong). Exports remained high following the Opium War. Later, farmers in other areas of Fujian and Anhui began to imitate the process and create their own black teas. 

Zhengshan Xiaozhong VS Waishan Xiaozhong (正山小种与外山小种)

Zhengshan Xiaozhong - Indicates that the tea is produced in Tongmu Guan (Tongmu Village). It also indicates that it is made using the traditional craftsmanship techniques, which results in a unique longan fruit flavored tea liquor. "Xiaozhong" refers to the small-leaf tea plant cultivar that is used. 

Smoked Zhengshan Xiaozhong - Refers to Zhengshan Xiaozhong that is smoked using pine wood. The tea will selectively absorb the volatile compounds of the pine wood, forming a unique flavor and aroma. This smoked Zhengshan Xiaozhong tea is plump and firm in appearance, dark in color, with a strong aroma, a lasting fragrance, and with a distinct pine smoke aroma. The tea liquor has a strong red color and a mellow taste.

Waishan Xiaozhong - "Waishan" means literally, “outside the mountain,” and refers to teas of this style that are produced outside of Tongmu Village. Waishan Xiaozhong usually has a faint burnt taste, which is because the roasting temperature generally exceeds 212°F. The sweet and mellow taste of the tea liquor is weaker and slightly bitter and astringent. It is a black tea imitating the quality of Zhengshan Xiaozhong, but the quality is not quite as good as the original. Waishan Xiaozhong often comes from Zhenghe (政和), Tanyang (坦洋), Beiling (北岭), Zhannan (展南), and Gutian (古田).

Original Production Area of ​​Lapsang Souchong

Zhengshan Xiaozhong (Lapsang Souchong) tea originated in Tongmu Village (桐木村) in the Wuyi Mountains. Tongmu Village has a high terrain with the average altitude of its main tea-producing areas at around 3,937 feet. Tea farms will usually be covered by fog for about a third of the year. The average annual temperature is 51.8-64.4°F, the average annual precipitation is about 2000 mm, the average humidity is 80%, the soil PH value is 4.5-5, and the thickness of the topsoil layer is 11.81-35.43 inches. 

Traditional Lapsang Souchong Production Process

Withering: The tea leaves are spread out indoors on bamboo mats that have small square holes in them for withering and are turned in intervals.  

Rolling: Oxidation is initiated by rolling the tea leaves to break down cell walls in the leaves. 

Oxidation: The tea leaves are transferred into cloth bags where they are allowed to oxidize for five or six hours. A quick pan-firing is used to seal the cell walls and halt oxidation. 

Twisting: The tea leaves are given a second rolling.

Drying: The tea leaves are left to dry for eight to twelve hours.

For the smoked variety of Lapsang Souchong, the tea leaves are processed entirely within a smokehouse, although most of the smoked flavor is imparted in the final drying step.