Basic Introduction to Lapsang souchong
Lapsang souchong is the world's oldest type of black tea, also known as the ancestor of all black teas. It was created by Han Chinese Tea farmers living deep in Fujian's Wuyi Mountains during the mid-Ming Dynasty. Tongmu Village is located within the core area of a national nature reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, earning it the title of “World's Window on Biodiversity.” The exceptional environment here has nurtured the high-quality lapsang souchong black tea. The origin of lapsang souchong is in Wuyi City, Fujian Province, which is protected under the designation of origin. Lapsang souchong is the oldest type of black tea, from which modern工夫 (gongfu) black teas were later developed.
The term “lapsang souchong” was originally known in Europe as WUYI BOHEA, with WUYI being a phonetic representation of Wuyi. In Europe (the UK), it became a symbol of Chinese tea. Later, to distinguish it from other fake small-leaf black teas (artificial small-leaf or smoky small-leaf) that were disrupting the market, it was named “lapsang souchong.” “Lapsang” refers to Tongmu and surrounding areas with the same altitude, geographic location, traditional production method, and unique osmanthus flavor. “Lapsang” means “correct and authentic,” while “souchong” refers to the small-leaf tea variety and the limited climate and yield of the region; thus, “lapsang souchong” is also known as Tongmu Pass Small-Leaf.
Before 2005, lapsang souchong was just another type of black tea for most Chinese people. Its birthplace, Tongmu Pass, did not stand out among China's many tea villages. In the 1980s, lapsang souchong sold for less than 20 RMB per kilogram, and the tea gardens on the mountains were abandoned, with the traditional production methods nearly lost. When lapsang souchong was at its lowest point, there were hundreds of thousands of yuan worth of unsold tea in the warehouses, no one picking fresh leaves, and hardly any tea aroma during the tea-making season. Some villagers even switched to growing bamboo. But what appeared to be ordinary tea buds completely transformed Tongmu Village and the status of lapsang souchong in the hearts of the Chinese people.
Geographic Range
The tea-growing area is still centered around Tongmu, with other highland tea gardens in the border regions of Chongan, Jianyang, and Guangze counties also producing it. The production area is surrounded by mountains, with high peaks and deep valleys. The climate is cold, with annual rainfall exceeding 2,300 millimeters, relative humidity between 80-85%, over 100 days of fog each year, short hours of sunlight, and a long frost period. The soil is well-watered, fertile, loose, and rich in organic matter, providing an ideal environment for lush tea plants with tender shoots and low fiber content.
Product Features
Genuine Tongmu black tea has thick, firm strands, a lustrous dark color, and when brewed, the tea has a dark red color, a long-lasting aroma with a smoky scent, and a mellow taste reminiscent of osmanthus soup. Adding milk does not diminish the tea's fragrance, creating a syrup-like consistency with a more vibrant color. The finished tea has tightly bound, uniform strands, a dark iron-brown color, a natural floral fragrance, a subtle but lingering aroma, a full-bodied, sweet, and refreshing taste, and a clear orange-yellow liquor.
Historical Folklore
Tongmu Pass in Xingcun Town, Wuyi City, at the core of the Wuyi Mountain National Nature Reserve, is like a reserved area, rich in connotation yet silent. During the mid-Ming Dynasty, the ancestor of all black teas – black tea – was born in Tongmu Pass.
At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang issued an edict to stop making tea cakes and switch to loose-leaf tea to develop the economy and reduce the burden on the people. Traditionally, the tribute tea from Wuyi was known for its dragon-shaped and phoenix-shaped tea cakes. However, due to the lack of advanced technology for processing loose-leaf tea, the quality of the tribute tea declined, reaching its lowest point in history. From the records of Zhou Lianggong in the Qing Dynasty: “In the previous dynasty, Fujian tea was not highly regarded, even the tribute tea was only enough for the imperial palace.” This shows the awkward situation of Wuyi tea after the switch to loose-leaf tea.
During the mid-Ming Dynasty, in the tea-picking season, a military force passed through the area and camped in today's Tongmu village. The local tea farmers, having never seen such chaos, could not process the tea leaves they had picked that day, and they had started to ferment by the next day. To salvage their losses, the tea farmers dried the tea using local pine wood charcoal and added some special procedures to preserve the tea's components as much as possible. The resulting tea, although an unintentional creation, was warmly welcomed and loved by many tea enthusiasts. As orders increased year by year, the entire Tongmu area had to produce this tea to meet market demand, making Tongmu famous far and wide.
At the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century (around 1604), lapsang souchong was introduced overseas by Dutch merchants who brought it to Europe. It quickly became popular among the British royal family and throughout Europe, sparking a trend of afternoon tea that continues to this day. Since then, lapsang souchong has become synonymous with Chinese black tea in European history and is recognized worldwide as a famous tea.
The golden age of lapsang souchong was during the mid-Qing Dynasty. According to historical records, before the Jiaqing era, 85% of the exported black tea was labeled as lapsang souchong. Even after the Opium War, lapsang souchong continued to play a significant role in trade surplus. While lapsang souchong gained international fame, regions such as Ningde in Fujian, Qimen in Anhui, and others began learning the cultivation and processing techniques of lapsang souchong. These techniques gradually spread to major green tea, Quancheng Green, Quancheng Red, Oolong tea, and Pu'er tea-producing areas across China, eventually leading to the formation of the now-famous工夫 black tea.
During the late Ming Dynasty, the county magistrate of Chong'an introduced advanced tea-making techniques, “inviting monks from Mount Huang to make Jian tea using the Songluo method.” The “Songluo method” was a technique for making green tea through stir-frying, which was the most advanced tea-making technology at the time. After introducing the “Songluo method” to Wuyi Mountain, however, a different situation arose: the tea farmers often picked tea leaves during sunny mornings. With large quantities of tea leaves not processed in time, some naturally withered and fermented. After stir-frying and drying, the tea leaves would turn red when steeped in water. We can say that the discovery of the lapsang souchong technique was a coincidence.
Lapsang souchong flourished in the 17th century. In his “Chronology of Tea,” M. E. Yuks states that in 1705, a goldsmith in Edinburgh advertised the sale of green tea at 16 shillings per pound and black tea at 30 shillings. Biographer Mary R. R. notes that the price of black tea (BOHEA) was 20 to 30 shillings at the time. BOHEA refers to tea produced in Wuyi, Fujian Province, China, typically used for the best Chinese black tea (CHINA BLACK TEA). Due to its strong and unique flavor, lapsang souchong was very popular in the international market and exported to countries like Britain, Holland, France, and elsewhere. Veteran tea expert and Briton Norton praised it, saying, “Drinking this tea is better than drinking ginseng soup.”
In his famous epic poem Don Juan, the renowned English poet Lord Byron wrote: “I felt my heart grow so compassionate that I had to seek help from the black tea of Wuyi. What a pity that alcohol is so harmful, for tea and coffee make us more solemn.” He referred to lapsang souchong as Wuyi black tea, giving it a literary and romantic compliment.