Winston Churchill's Favorite Tea - Lapsang Souchong

The fact is that real Zhengshan Xiaozhong is extremely rare. Therefore, "Lapsang Souchong" is the name given to all teas prepared using a technology similar to that of Zhengshan Xiaozhong. The name of this tea is literally translated as: "small view from Mount Zheng". The birthplace of this type of tea is the Chinese province of Fujian, tea plantations are located on the slopes of Mount Zheng Shan, not far from the city of Wuyi Shan, where probably the most popular oolong tea in the world is produced - Da Hong Pao.

History of tea

Legend has it that during the Ming Dynasty, an army passing through the village of Xingcun decided to set up camp on the territory of a tea factory, thereby delaying the processing of freshly picked tea leaves. When the army left the next day, the factory workers returned to their posts and realized that if they dried the leaves in the traditional way, they would not have time to deliver the product to the market. So they made a bold decision to dry them in smoke from pine wood. The workers met the deadline, and their tea caused a real sensation.

Taste, color, aroma

Lapsang Souchong is an unusual tea. Its main difference is its unique taste, aroma and pleasant ruby-red color of the infusion. People who are just discovering Chinese tea culture compare its aroma with ski wax, turpentine, burnt rubber or even smoked fish, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill probably still smelled his favorite Cuban cigars. And you can talk for hours about how much he loved them. He could smoke up to ten pieces a day. It is almost impossible to find a photo of Churchill without a cigar. If a person loves Cuban cigars so much, then he will surely fall in love with Lapsang Souchong with its unique smoky aroma, intended for true aesthetes. The aroma also contains a combination of ginger, prunes, dried pear, nuts, cinnamon, caramel, and aromatic smoke.

Indeed, Lapsang Souchong is very popular among smokers. This variety is undoubtedly more of a man's tea than a woman's. Tart, rich taste and an indescribable resinous pine scent. It warms and tones perfectly. This variety is best suited for tea parties in the cold seasons of the year, for which Russia is so famous. Usually, "smoked tea" is not liked the first time, but, like all worthy things, it must first be carefully tried several times to grasp its essence.

Manufacturing process

The production of Xiaozhong tea is as follows: the tea is collected, dried in the sun, rolled, and then poured into baskets where it ferments. Fires of dry resinous pine wood are lit next to the baskets. Under the heat of the fires, the tea ferments for 6-8 hours. As a result, Xiaozhong turns brown-red, and its aroma mixes with the smell of the fires. It is important to note that the fires must be smokeless, their purpose is temperature. Smoke in the aroma of tea is only a part, not the dominant one.

Beneficial properties

Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong tea is rich in vitamins and amino acids. Regular consumption of this tea helps remove toxins and carcinogens from the body, improves blood condition, increases performance, helps improve stomach functions, intensively warming it. It is recommended to drink after prolonged physical exertion in the cold. Relaxes perfectly. Absorbs fats, normalizing metabolism, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, has a beneficial effect on the pancreas, cleanses the liver, perfectly regulates metabolism, and also has a good effect on teeth and gums, strengthening them.

Interesting facts

In England, it is very popular and is served with spicy dishes, smoked meat and fish, cheeses (Gorgonzola, goat cheese, Cheddar). You can also try pastries with cottage cheese or lemon filling with it. This is the favorite tea of Sherlock Holmes and Winston Churchill! Agent 007 recalls this in one of the Bond series. And all because it is a "manly" tea, with a special taste and aroma that have much in common with the taste of good sherry, cognac or whiskey. Xiaozhong was known as Royal Black tea in England back in 1662.

It is interesting that Lapsang Souchong is still specially delivered to the Parliament of England and the House of the Queen of Great Britain. And naturally, the prerequisite for this was Churchill's love for this noble tea. According to rumors, even in the midst of World War II, despite the fact that almost all trade channels with Asia were closed, Winston Churchill secretly, through third countries, got his favorite Lapsang Souchong from Japan. Of course, he was not only a great politician, but also a great writer. He loved Leo Tolstoy very much. In many ways, he openly imitated his idol (meaning literary style). Two candidates were considered for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953: Ernest Hemingway and Winston Churchill. The award was given to the British politician, Hemingway's talent was recognized by the same award only one year later. Some biographers of the greatest Briton in history claim that Churchill constantly drank Lapsang Souchong while working on his book "The Second World War". He was sure that he needed tea to work effectively. And he was not wrong.

Lapsang souchong is useful for hiking and traveling. Sinologist J. Pratt wrote in his book about how a mug of this tea with rum helped him get rid of the effects of severe pitching during a sea voyage.

Zhengshan xiaozhong is mentioned in some literary works and even in songs. This tea is drunk by the characters of the works of Victor Pelevin, Mikhail Kharitonov, Monica Ali, Francis Brody. The group "Sansara" called one of its songs "Lapsang Souchong".