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Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide." But the phenomenon was also at least partly a result of promotion and gifting from the Chinese gov- ernment. (Much of China's best tea is reserved for governmen- tal gift giving, and government buyouts of lots of tea can make specific teas extremely pricy, or nearly impossible to obtain.) As a result of these factors, demand quickly outstripped production, and now, Hodge says, there's not enough authentic Lapsang Souchong to go around. Today, sales of "true" Lapsang Souchong have more to do with local demand than the export market. "By the time Americans get to the point where they can appreciate good Chinese tea, it will be too expensive [for most Americans to afford it]," Hodge says. Coffey of Tea Geek says the main reasons for "fake" Lapsang Souchong's prevalence on the market have to do with econom- ics and practicality. "It's easier to take black tea and dump liquid smoke on it or store it in a smoker than it is to actually take the time to follow more traditional techniques which produce a more subtle taste," he says. SELLING THE TASTE OF SMOKE Beyond the "true versus false" debate lie the realities of selling Lapsang Souchong to customers who typically prefer (nay, expect) it to taste smoky. Hodge explains that with heavily smoked Lapsang, "It's a matter of taste, like single-malt Scotch. You like it or you don't, but if you like it, you like it a lot." It's no wonder then that many tea retailers report that their customers demand a particularly smoky Lapsang Souchong. Fong recalls offering a lightly smoked Lapsang Souchong when he first opened Imperial Tea Court in 1993. "People basi- cally thought I was crazy and that no lightly smoked Lapsang is, indeed, a true Lapsang Souchong," he says. Generally a purist, Fong adds, "I hate to admit that I sell more smoky than lightly smoky ones. … I guess you've got to grow old enough to keep an open mind and to respect people's preferences instead of thinking 'my way is the only way.'" David Barenholtz, founder of American Tea Room in Beverly Hills, Calif., carries two varieties of Lapsang Souchong, as well as several teas with inherent smoke FRESH CUP MAGAZINE "! notes. He jokingly refers to his smokiest Lapsang Souchong as "a Parisian ashtray." Although it has a loyal following and many customers like to cook with it, Barenholtz says it isn't one of his most popular teas. However, three teas with light smoke notes (due to a tea plant varietal rather than a smoking technique) are among his 20 best sellers. "To us there is no 'true'—only good-tasting," he says. Coffey says that, in working with Perennial Tea Room in Seattle, he noted that retailers can build a loyal following even for very expensive "true" Lapsang Souchong teas, and there isn't "some magic price point where consumers will no longer buy it." He adds, "True, beginners might not want [very expensive teas], but do some sampling and comparisons with your higher-end customers, and you can build the market for better teas like this." He advises carrying both "true" and "false" Lapsang. The "false," he says, is easier to sell to the general public, but the more traditional, subtlety smoky offering may cultivate a more loyal following. Lindsey Goodwin has worked with American Tea Room on a freelance basis. ABDULAZIZ ALMANSOUR