Lapsang Souchong Bärbucha Kombucha may not one of our best sellers, but it is definitely one of the more unusual Kombuchas that we made for our specials.
So what is Lapsang Souchong tea?
It is a tea that is quite unlike any other tea, as it a smoked tea.
"Lapsang Souchong...is a black tea consisting of Camellia sinensis leaves that are smoke-dried over a pinewood fire. This smoking is accomplished either as a cold smoke of the raw leaves as they are processed or as a hot smoke of previously processed (withered and oxidized) leaves. The intensity of the smoke aroma can be varied by locating the leaves closer or farther (or higher or lower in a multi-level facility) from the source of heat and smoke or by adjusting the duration of the process." This and the next two quotes are from Wikipedia
"The tea originates from the Wuyi Mountains region of Fujian, China and is considered a Wuyi tea"
"The aroma of the dry leaves is described as having intense empyreumatic notes reminiscent of bacon while the liquor is known for its lingering smoky flavour.[9] Other flavours associated with lapsang souchong include wood smoke, pine resin, smoked paprika, dried longan,[4] and peated whisky.[11] It lacks the bitterness that can come with other black tea so lapsang souchong is not sweetened with sugar or honey and can be brewed strongly."
And here's a bit of history, as written by Healthy Life Live. :
"It is said that the lapsang souchong tea was discovered by accident. During the Dao Guang era of the Qing Dynasty, an army unit passed through Xingcu village and decided to set camp at a tea factory filled with unprocessed tea leaves. The workers could only return at the company after the soldiers left. Discovering that they didn’t have enough time to let the leaves dry, the workers decided to speed up the process. What they did was to place the tea leaves into bamboo baskets and dry them over fires made from local pines."
The flavor of the tea is described as "smoky, rich and fruity. It goes well with salty and spicy dishes, as well as with cheese".
When the tea is fermented, the flavor is a bit milder, and well rounded, especially in the aged Bärbucha Kombucha (that is at least one month old)
On the same page one can find the following benefits of Lapsang Souchong:
"The lapsang souchong tea, just like all other types of black teas, has many health benefits that should encourage you to drink more of it. First of all, drinking lapsang souchong tea can reduce your chances of getting cancer. It also helps reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, as it lowers the cholesterol in your blood and helps the blood flow better in your veins. The Lapsang Souchong tea helps strengthen your immunity, protecting you from viruses that lead to colds, the flu or other diseases. It also helps you fight against various types of inflammations. During diets, it is recommended to drink black tea; this includes the lapsang souchong tea, as well. It helps burn fats faster and, therefore, helps you lose weight."
Tea Forte also mentions these benefits:
"Improves Cardiovascular Health
Like other black teas, Souchong may help to increase blood flow while reducing the amount of cholesterol in the blood stream. This combined with natural antioxidant activity keeps cholesterol from oxidizing and sticking to blood vessel walls, leading to a healthier cardiovascular system. Black tea also contains theanine, an amino acid which may have a calming effect on the body. Since stress can also cause cardiovascular problems over time, it may be beneficial to drink Souchong tea to relax and unwind.
Strengthens the Immune System
Drinking tea when you have a cold or the flu doesn't only help you feel better because it's warm and relaxing; it may also work to fight the infection. Its antioxidant properties can boost immunity to help you get better and keep you from getting sick again in the future.
Can Lower Inflammation
Many people believe that inflammation is at the root of many modern diseases, and the antioxidants found in tea may be able to combat this common problem. By preventing damage that causes inflammation, antioxidants may stabilize the body and promote overall health.
Potential Cancer Fighter
The combination of beneficial vitamins, catechins and polyphenols found in black tea have been studied for their potential to fight against cancer. Cancerous cell growth begins with damaged DNA that is then replicated when cells divide. The compounds in tea may be able to prevent that damage before it can become widespread, thus reducing the growth of potentially cancerous cells.
Lowers Caffeine Intake
The negative effects of drinking too much coffee are widely known. Excessive caffeine intake can cause nervousness or anxiety, jitters and even heart palpitations. Lapsang Souchong has a much lower caffeine content than coffee, making it a viable alternative for those trying to step down their caffeine intake. When consumed in reasonable amounts, it delivers enough of a pick-me-up to boost alertness without unpleasant symptoms.
Helps With Weight Control
Small amounts of caffeine combined with the antioxidants in black tea could help with weight loss. Some people have found that consuming black tea on a regular basis boosts the metabolism, burning calories more efficiently and keeping the pounds off."
So, we have a black tea with benefits!
The only "problem" with Lapsang Souchong is this: because of its smoky flavor, people either LOVE it or HATE it. And there's nothing that can be done about it.
We make Lapsang Souchong Kombucha with an Organic certified (BIO) Lapsang Souchong.
By using Organic, we have a better guarantee that the tea is naturally smoked. And not artificially "smoked" with the help of a liquid smoke.
And yes, those "kind of teas" are also made.
Since it's a smoked tea, as a bonus you end up with a smoked SCOBY.
That might be a bonus for people who use Scobies in food recipes. So think about it!
The only drawback to that is - you can not re-use this culture for any other Kombucha.
There's also a trick to making this Kombucha so that the smokiness is not over-powering.
Simply use about 3-4 gr of this tea per liter, mixed with the same amount of a good quality black tea, like Darjeeling, Keemun or even Assam.
That will give you enough smokiness, but it should not be too overpowering.
Fermentation quite often makes that smokiness even stronger.
When the fermentation process (F1) is over, it's bottling time.
After bottling, our Kombucha goes through the second fermentation process (F2).
This helps the natural carbonation build up in the bottles.
Next, our bottles go inside the fridge for further conditioning. Finally, a few days later, they go to our retail fridge.
Tasting prior to selling is always a must!
Yum, yum. It's ready for retail.
Ingredients: Filtered and Revitalized Water, Live Kombucha Cultures, Unrefined Brown Sugar, Lapsang Souchong and Keemun Black
Disclaimer: All medical information in this post is merely information & not advise. If you need medical advice, please consult your doctor or other appropriate medical professional.
Kombucha is not the only item that we we use Lapsang Souchong tea for.
Also one of our fermented vegetables, Smoked Sauerkraut, gets its smokiness from this tea.