The hard-to-get tea

I've finally opened and drank the Lapsang Souchong tea that I'd bought during our Europe trip last November. I'd first heard of this tea many donkey years ago in my early career days when I worked at a motor company where some of the managers and directors have fat entertainment expense accounts. Of course, being a junior executive, I didn't have such a privilege, but I was often invited to join the numerous dinners meant to entertain the Japanese principals, and sometimes, to lunches that were meant to erm...entertain the managers themselves. ;P

Anyway, it was at Movenpick restaurant where my high-class, overseas-educated and more widely-exposed colleague introduced me to this Lapsang Souchong tea. This black tea has a unique smoky, earthy flavour that gives it more body than its plainer cousins - the Chinese tea. I thought the name "Soochong" sounds rather Chinese, but I realised later that "Lapsang" is probably Tibetan....but I was wrong. Actually, it originates from China, according to Wikipedia:

* Lapsang souchong (正山小种 or 烟小种): originally from Mount Wuyi, Fujian Province, China. Lapsang souchong is a black tea which is dried over burning pine, thereby developing a strong smoky flavour.


For many years, I had not been able to find this tea in Singapore, and I bought my first can of LS tea from Harvey Nichols in London while on a business trip to UK, many years later. Since then, I would occasionally ask friends who were visiting London to bring a can of this tea back for me, if it was convenient. Last year, I discovered (a bit too late!) that Harrods at Takashimaya actually carries this tea as well, so at least I now know where to get my supply locally.

Edit: Wikipedia's entry on Lapsang Souchong tea