Longjing or Dragon Well tea is China’s favourite green tea. It originates from Hangzhou and has a relatively mild fragrance of toast. The method of preparation is pan-frying over charcoal. When steeped, the tea produces a yellow-green color. The tea contains Vitamin C, amino acids, and, like most finer Chinese green teas, has one of the highest concentrations of catechins among teas.

Lapsang Souchong sounds like a Tibetan name, but this tea actually originates from Fujian province in China. The Chinese name for this tea is 拉普山小種. Sometimes, it is called 正山小种 or 熏茶 (smoked tea).

This very unusual tea is made by smoking large black tea leaves over pine or other resinous wood. The result is a tea that smells like a tobacco pipe. Lapsang Souchong is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. Some experts have reacted very negatively to the tobacco pipe smell. Personally, I prefer my Lapsang Souchong with sugar and milk. This is perhaps the only Chinese tea that I drink with sugar and milk.

Some of the health benefits of Lapsang Souchong include to promote energy, act as antioxidants, enhance the immune system, maintain liver, promote longevity, reduce body fats.