This fantastic twist on the classic Smoky Lapsang Souchong takes iconic Chinese Bai Mu Dan white tea (also known as White Peony tea) and gives it the same treatment. With guidance and influence from specialists working with AVANTCHA, this unique tea was first created in 2016 by tea master Heng Chun Yuan, who has slowly smoked this organic white tea over pine wood in the protected village of Tongmu in the Wuyi Mountains in Fujian, China. The tea is laid carefully on layers of interwoven leaves and bamboo mats to filter the smoke and fragrance the tea naturally. This process takes up to three weeks to achieve the perfect balance, creating a truly beautiful tea full of incredible aroma and flavour. The infusion is a combination of a flowery meadow on a hot summer’s day, with a distinct notes of spicy cinnamon, pine and soft, lingering smoke.
About Fuding and Wuyi
Fuding is a renowned area of China for producing high quality white teas atop misty mountains, protected from harsh sunlight and nourished by coastal breezes. Known as the ‘true home of white tea’ Fuding teas are highly revered and sought after, with some of the finest examples never making it to export unless, like AVANTCHA, you have strong, supportive relationships that ensure teas of this quality can be enjoyed beyond its origin.
World-famed for its ragged mountainous peaks, the area of Wuyi is rich and fertile, with deep valleys and gushing waterfalls. Tongmu Village, where this tea is smoked, is protected from the outside world to ensure that this ancient craft of smoking tea remains undisturbed. Indeed, it is the centre of tea smoking, and where the highest quality Lapsang Souchong teas also originate.
Cultivation
Grown in tea gardens at an elevation of 600m, this tea is made from the Fu Ding Da Bai cultivar and is typically harvested from March to May in Fuding, Fujian. The tea is then transported to famous Tongmu Village in nearby Wuyi for the traditional smoking process that the area is known for.
Effects
This tea is quite the sensorial experience, with stunning aroma and flavour. Instantly calming, this tea transports the senses to another place with its evocative fragrance, lingering smokiness and cooling feeling in the mouth and body. In China, white teas are heralded as a kind of medicine, packed with antioxidants that are known for supporting heart health, oral health, and lowering high blood pressure. The Chinese will often age white teas too, believing this process to further improve the medicinal qualities of the tea.
How to Enjoy
This tea is ideal for meditative moments, though if you would like to enjoy it as part of a meal or with something to eat, we would recommend dishes that include white fish and steamed vegetables, or alongside a couple of squares of white chocolate. Fresh melon would also pair well.
