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A[]YS O\R ;Wdd]de continued from page 41 TOWER OF TASTE Beyond these stipulations of place and varietal, there are gen- erally agreed upon requirements for processing "true" Lapsang Souchong. The tea is harvested in late spring, withered, rolled and shaped, oxidized in bamboo baskets for about eight hours, and then dried for 24 hours. This process is similar to the pro- cessing for many black teas, but the steps that follow set Lapsang Souchong apart from other teas. Hodge says that Lapsang Souchong's smoking typically takes place in a four-story building with a series of brick ovens built into a U-shape in the floor of the first story. The bricks atop the ovens can be manipulated to allow more or less smoke to escape to the higher levels (which are sepa- rated by woven bamboo floors). Throughout the processing of the leaves, the lowest level of the building is kept at more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while the higher levels are cooler. When the tea is ready to be smoked, the tea leaves are spread out on the second, third and fourth floors of the tea factory, and the type of wood is changed from dry wood (which does not signifi- cantly impact the flavor of the tea) to green, knotty Horsetail Pine. The roasting process lasts eight hours, and the leaves on the higher levels end up with a less smoky flavor than those on the lower ones. Roy Fong, co-owner of Imperial Tea Court in San Francisco and Berkeley, Calif., says that this processing technique was likely a result of Tong Mu's high altitude and cool climate: Pine fires, Fong says, were probably used to encourage leaves to oxidize despite the lower ambient temperatures. (Heavy oxidation is what differ- entiates black tea from other types of tea, and low temperatures slow oxidation.) This specific technique, combined with the type of green pine- wood used to produce traditional Lapsang Souchong, produces a specific smoke note—one that is tarry and bright, Hodge says. But sources say the artificial flavors used to produce "fake" Lapsang Souchong typically create a different kind of smokiness. Fong explains the impact this shortcut has on the final product with the following anecdote: "I remember burying my nose in a batch of 'Lapsang Souchong' and wondering why it smelled so much like barbecue sauce. Later, I found out that some people actually use liquid smoke to add flavor." Hodge notes that the terroir, sub-varietal and processing of "true" Lapsang Souchong gives even heavily smoked versions a bright smoke flavor and fruity, sweet undertones, and that fakes are far smokier and drier in flavor. Of "true" Lapsang Souchong's delectably juicy notes, he says, "I've never tasted another tea that has that character when it's on the heavily smoked side." Fong adds that, when done well, even highly smoked "true" Lapsang can have a longan-like fruitiness that is enjoyable to some with milk and sugar, and compatible with a Western diet. But if "true" Lapsang Souchong is so delicious and fits with Western cuisine, why is "false" Lapsang Souchong so popular in America and Europe? Tea professionals say it's a matter of recent events shaping the limited produc- tion area of Tong Mu, as well as a matter of taste among consumers. PRESERVATION AND SCARCITY In 1979, the area of Tong Mu was established as a nature reserve, and in 1986, became a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage site. Hodge explains that this status made conserva- tion of Tong Mu's environment compul- sory, thus limiting the land available for tea production. Later, as tea demand grew, that preservation of nature sharpened the scarcity of genuine Lapsang Souchong. Although Lapsang Souchong has been produced in Tong Mu since the Qing Dynasty, Hodge says the village only became famous in the last five years or so. He says this was due in part to efforts from charismatic tea-producing local Jiang Yuan Xin (who is also the largest producer of tea in Tong Mu), as well as the popularity of a segment on Lapsang Souchong in Mary Lou and Robert J. Heiss' 2007 book "The " TEA ALMANAC 2012