The True Origin of the First Black Tea, Lapsang Souchong
As
part of our mission to bring you the finest teas from their historical origins, I am currently traveling throughout China and have arrived at legendary Tong Mu Guan village in Wuyi mountain, a beautiful nature preserve considered to be the birthplace of the first black tea, Lapsang Souchong.
The story has it that over 400 years ago, local tea farmers were forced to abandon their drying tea leaves due to the approach of a army unit. Upon returning the next day and finding the leaves oxidized into a reddish-brown color, they attempted to salvage the leaves on the spot by drying them over a pine-wood fire, thus creating the first fully oxidized black tea. To this day, Tong Mu village is the only place in the world that produces the distinctively smoky Lapsang Souchong tea!
Tong Mu Guan is also home to a most recent invented black tea called "Jin Jun Mei". I had the privilege of meeting with its inventor Mr. Liang Jun De at his famed factory.
Please watch for the addition of these, and many other extraordinary teas to our selection of fine teas very soon!
The village of Tong Mu village:
