Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Lapsang Souchong


Last night I sat down with a nice hot cup of Lapsang Souchong from the English Tea Store. I’ve been drinking Lapsang Souchong for years, and I’ve come to love its smoky flavor and aroma. However, I had never tried the English Tea Store brand, so I thought I’d give it a taste.

When I opened the bag, I noticed that the tea’s aroma was not overwhelmingly strong, as is often the case with Lapsang Souchong. In fact, it smelled wonderful, like a warm campfire I once built beneath the stars along the California coast at Big Sur.

I got out some spring water and put it on the stove to warm. When the water was warm enough, I poured it into my teapot where the Lapsang Souchong was waiting. I used a bit more than the recommended one teaspoon of tea per cup, hoping to fully experience the taste.

After steeping for about five minutes, I poured the tea through a strainer into my favorite tea cup. I held the cup and let the steam rolling off it touch my face. A few seconds later, I tasted the tea. Its flavor was strong enough for any lover of Lapsang Souchong, yet light enough to be enjoyed by all, and perfect for a rainy night at the end of October.

After the initial infusion, I re-steeped the tea and found that my second pot-full was just as delicious as the first. I would certainly recommend this tea to any tea drinker, especially those that enjoy Lapsang Souchong. The English Tea Store also sells an organic Lapsang Souchong that I’ve yet to try.

1 Comments:

Margaret Studer said...

I was just thinking about Lapsang Souchong a few moments before I came on to your blog. When the weather turns cold, it's one of the teas I really enjoy. Of course any good tea is good in cold weather.

I particularly like Lapsang Souchong with apples, cheddar cheese, or a nice roast chicken breast.

It's also nice to marinate meat or chicken in Lapsang Souchong to give it a smokey flavor in months when it's too cold to barbecue outside.