FRENCH NAME  LAPSANG SOUCHONG DE CHINE
BLEND NO.  3514
The famous pine-smoked tea from the Wuyi Mountains of China's Fujian province is made in the age-old tradition of slowly smoking large black leaves over a pine needle fire. The smoky flavor, which is sometimes described as tarry, is a wonderful accompaniment to savory dishes and is especially suitable to sip around the campfire, but is not for the faint of heart. LOOSE TEALEAVES

AROMA: Heady pine smoke
PALATE: Full mouth with a tarry finish

Like many other great teas, Lapsang Souchong, was discovered by accident. According to a Qing dynasty legend, an army unit passing through a small tea-growing village camped overnight in the tea factory. After the soldiers vacated the factory, the workers hurried to get the tea dried in time for market. Having been delayed, there was not enough time for the leaves to be dried in their usual manner, so fires were lit in order to speed up the drying. The leaves were dried in time, but the workers were dismayed when they found that the leaves smelled and tasted of smoke from the fire. Convinced that the tea would not sell, the workers were greatly surprised when the tea caused a huge sensation at the market, and people demanded more.

TEA SCENTED FRESH GOAT'S CHEESE

Karen Barnaby – Executive Chef The Fish House Restaurant
 
4 oz./115g a slice or a whole soft fresh goat's cheese
2 Tbsp/30ml. Fragrant tea (Saskatoon Berry or other fruit tisane, Lapsang Souchong, Genmai Cha, Jasmine, Earl Grey, etc)
cheesecloth

1) Wrap the cheese in a single layer of the cheesecloth, with very little overlap. 2) On a piece of plastic wrap that is large enough to wrap the cheese in, spread 1 TBSP (15ml) of the tea in a band lengthways down the middle of the cellophane. Place the curved edge of the cheese in the tea at one end of the wrap and tightly roll the cheese in the wrap, making sure that the tea is covering the side of the cheese all the way around.
3) Place the cheese with one of the flat sides up, and sprinkle half the remaining tea over the cheese. Close the end tightly. Repeat on the remaining side. What you should end up with is a piece of cheese that is almost completely covered in tea, tightly wrapped in plastic.
4) Refrigerate for 24 hours.
5) Remove the plastic wrap and cheesecloth from the cheese. Serve.
6) Keep in mind that the longer the cheese is marinated the stronger the flavour of the tea.
7) A Fruit Tisane, Jasmine, or Earl Grey marinated cheese would be good with fruit, while the nutty flavour of Genmai Cha or the smoky flavour of Lapsang Souchong would be good in a salad.

SALMON MARINATED IN LAPSANG SOUCHONG TEA

Karen Barnaby Executive Chef – The Fish House in Stanley Park, Vancouver
From her book Screamingly Good Food
Published by Whitecap Books ~ http://www.whitecap.ca/celebration.html

Serves 6 as an appetiser, 2-3 as a main course

"Lapsang Souchong is a delicious, smoked Chinese tea. I have loved its flavour since my teens, and became interested again in its potential when I had an especially good-quality one at "T", a Vancouver institution that deals exclusively in delicious teas. The charming proprietors sent me home with a bag and this is what I came up with. This salmon is sweet, smoky and very delicious."

1 tsp. / 5 ml. salt
2 tsp. / 10ml. sugar
1 lb. / 454g boneless, skinless salmon filet
¼ cup / 60ml. Lapsang Souchong tea
1 Tbsp. / 15 ml. vegetable oil

1) Mix the salt and sugar together and sprinkle both sides of the filet with the tea, pressing it gently onto the fish. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2) Scrape the tea from the salmon.
3) In a heavy, non-stick frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Place the salmon filet in the pan and cook until the outside is brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes on each side.
4) Remove from the heat and let sit for a minute before serving.