Nov 22nd, '05, 22:43
Posts: 402
Joined: Jun 15th, '05, 21:35
Location: Norristown, PA
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jogrebe
Lapsang Souchong vs Russian Caravan
Can someone explain the difference between Lapsang Souchong and Russian Caravan tea to me? I was previously under the impression that they were just different names for the same type of tea but was resently told that this is not so.
Nov 23rd, '05, 09:15
Posts: 328
Joined: Aug 12th, '05, 14:05
Location: Philadelphia
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klemptor
Thanks for the great question.
While they really are the same thing, some companies have tranformed them into two different teas. Russian Caravan has become a blend of a few teas (usually a mix of Lapsang Souchong and Keemun), but this was undoubtedly not the original form. The name "Russian Caravan" refers to the long, overland journey that tea would travel on from China to the markets in Moscow. Chests of tea would travel on camelback, often taking a year to complete the journey. Russian-bound tea was famous for the smell of the many campfires it would absorb along the way.
Supposedly, though, the smoking process was already discovered by the Chinese and called Lapsang Souchong. According to legend, an Ancient Chinese teamaker was late to the market one day, so he lit some pine wood to hasten the drying of the freshly plucked leaves. Not only did the tea reach the market in time, but the smoked pine flavor created a sensation!
Here is our Lapsang Souchong (or Eroica Caravan -- whichever you prefer!) if you'd like to have a taste of this historially rich, but oft confused, smoky tea.
Your favorite Ancient Chinese teamaker,
Chris
Adagio Maestro
While they really are the same thing, some companies have tranformed them into two different teas. Russian Caravan has become a blend of a few teas (usually a mix of Lapsang Souchong and Keemun), but this was undoubtedly not the original form. The name "Russian Caravan" refers to the long, overland journey that tea would travel on from China to the markets in Moscow. Chests of tea would travel on camelback, often taking a year to complete the journey. Russian-bound tea was famous for the smell of the many campfires it would absorb along the way.
Supposedly, though, the smoking process was already discovered by the Chinese and called Lapsang Souchong. According to legend, an Ancient Chinese teamaker was late to the market one day, so he lit some pine wood to hasten the drying of the freshly plucked leaves. Not only did the tea reach the market in time, but the smoked pine flavor created a sensation!
Here is our Lapsang Souchong (or Eroica Caravan -- whichever you prefer!) if you'd like to have a taste of this historially rich, but oft confused, smoky tea.
Your favorite Ancient Chinese teamaker,
Chris
Adagio Maestro
GUTTER!
Oh we used to DREAM of living in a gutter. When I was young, there were 138 of us living in a shoebox in the middle of the road. Teatime was awful for us. We didn't have money for milk or sugar...or tea. Best we could manage was to suck on a damp cloth and call that tea. Gutter! HA!
P.S. Yes...most of the time she does...and we like it that way.
P.S. Yes...most of the time she does...and we like it that way.