Steeped in Tea

Lapsang souchong is a strange tea, to say the least. A black tea from China, sometimes referred to as smoked tea, smells exactly like a campfire. One whiff will take you back to the days you sat around a bon fire as a kid.

The leaves of the tea are smoke dried over pinewood fires, leaving behind the unique flavour.

Lately, I’ve enjoyed this tea in a way other than drinking, and instead cook with it. My favourite dish to cook with lapsang souchong is fish – and I’ve tried it with rainbow trout and salmon, both of which are equally delicious. The tea adds a great smoked flavour to the dishes.

All you need to do is add some lapsang souchong to your regular recipe. I like to mix it into a dry rub with garlic, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Pan-fried over a small amount of olive oil brings the taste to perfection. Adding some sliced almonds also adds a nice added crunch to it. The flavour also comes out nicely when baking the fish.

Though eating the tea leaf whole in the food might seem odd, lapsang souchong cooks very nice, and adds the texture of an herb, with an added crispiness.

Check out this David’s Tea recipe for further inspiration, and get cooking!