What is Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong Red Tea?
Although they were a bit forgotten in the West until the 1990s –
Authentic Chinese teas’ popularity is now increasing.
And today, I want to introduce you to one of them.
So, what is Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong tea?
Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong is a Chinese red tea (known as Black tea in the west).
People often call it Lapsong Souchong.
It’s known for its infamous smokey notes and sweet fruity taste.
It’s grown in the WuYi mountains of China’s Fujian Province.
And it’s actually the first red tea in history.
Read on to discover the story of this unique tea.
Lapsang Souchong
Confusingly, Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong is also known as Lapsang Souchong.
Why?
It’s a translation of a local dialect.
And it has a long history of being traded under the name Lapsang Souchong.
Nowadays, higher quality, well-made tea of this variety is usually sold as:
“Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong”
Or “Xiao Zhong”
But more on the quality differences later.
Is Lapsong Souchong Red or Black Tea?
Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong (Lapsong souchong) is a Chinese red tea.
In the west, this is typically known as “black tea.”
This can be confusing when you first learn about tea...
However, in Chinese tea Black tea actually refers to a kind of fermented tea.
Notes: While the “black” of black tea in the west refers to the color of the dried tea leaves, the “red” of Chinese red tea refers to the color of the brewed tea. Countries in Asia such as Japan follow the same principle as China and call it red tea. To clear up any confusion, check out our article Is Red Tea The Same As Black Tea?
History of Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong
You may have heard of the infamous smokey black tea called Lapsang Souchong.
But its real name is Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong…
This translates to: “THE small leaf from THE mountain.”
Pretty wild, right?
Beyond being the only intentionally smoked Chinese tea (more on that later)...
It’s also the world's oldest red tea.
Its history can be traced back 300-500 years, making it the first known red tea in production.
Put simply…
There’s a lot of cool history and taste packed into this tea.
What does Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong Taste Like?
Xiao Zhong is sweet, floral, slightly fruity, and smokey.
It’s often called the scotch of tea!
It’s important to note that the smoke shouldn’t overpower the sweet fruit elements –
It should help balance them.
Smoking Process
Xiao Zhong is smoked in simple, 3-story smokehouses called a Qing Lou. (Funny enough, Qing Lou translates to pleasure house/brothel – but refers to this smokehouse in the tea biz)
Pine wood is burned below and the tea is placed on bamboo trays above.
The tea is moved around depending on where it is in the making process.
This allows the tea to be gently smoked.
Creating a subtle smoke flavor that balances other flavors.
The tea is usually smoked for upwards of 10 hours.
Check out a more detailed explanation of Xiao Zhong processing here.
Good Versus Bad Lapsong Souchong.
Be aware when buying or drinking this tea…
There are a lot of bad Xiao Zhong tea on the market that are artificially smoked.
Basically, the artificial smoke flavor is a cheap alternative to traditionally processing the tea.
And I personally wouldn’t drink it because:
It tastes awful
And it’s probably something not healthy to consume
A lot of people think they don’t like Lapsang Souchong because they’ve only had this artificially smoked version.
If this is you…
Try an authentic Xiao Zhong to see if that changes your mind.
How to Brew Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong (Lapsang Souchong)
Red tea can be brewed multiple ways.
Overall, most red tea is quite forgiving.
Meaning it still tastes good even if it’s under or over-brewed.
But it can also get pretty strong and bitter kind of quickly.
So just be aware of that.
Each of these brewing methods will yield slightly different results:
Western Style Brewing
The western style brewing of Xiao Zhong is simple.
This style of brewing uses:
A small amount of tea leaf
And a large amount of water
Which means the resulting brew will be less complex than when it’s brewed in a Gaiwan.
(See how to brew with a Gaiwan in the next section)
What you need:
Teapot with strainer
2-5 grams of loose leaf red tea
Optional but recommended:
Scale
Tea timer
To make tea in the Western Style:
Weigh out 2-5 g of tea leaf (more leaf means a stronger brew)
Put red tea in the teapot.
Fill with boiling water (212F or 100C), 350-700ml depending on the size of your teapot.
Set the Tea Timer for 3-5 minutes. Pour into your cup.
Rebrew with boiling water for an additional 3-5 minutes.
Brewing with a Gaiwan (the Traditional “Gong Fu” Method)
Brewing Xiao Zhong in a Gaiwan will give you the best result.
High-quality Chinese teas are “designed” to be brewed this way.
So this brewing method will give you a tea with a lot more:
Flavor
Aroma
Body
If you’ve never brewed with a Gaiwan before –
Be sure to check out our guide How to Brew Tea in a Gaiwan.
It’ll show you how easy it is.
Basically, a Gaiwan is just a small bowl with a lid that holds the leaves.
It makes sure they don’t fall out when you pour the tea into a pitcher or cup.
This method of brewing is also called Gong Fu Cha.
Which means: “Brewing Tea with Skill.”
Here’s how to brew your Xiao Zhong with a Gaiwan:
What you’ll need:
Sharing pitcher (known as Gong Dao Bei)
5 grams of Red tea
A cup to drink the tea
Optional, but good to have:
Tea scale (these teas are measured by weight)
Tea Strainer
Brewing Instructions
Weigh out 5g of Xiao Zhong and place in Gaiwan
Rinse the tea with hot water, and discard this first brew
Fill the Gaiwan with boiling water (212 F or 100C) – roughly 50ml of water for a standard-sized Gaiwan
Brew for 3-5 seconds and strain.
Repeat to re-brew
Be sure to use quick steeps with this brewing method.
Or the tea will over-brew and might be undrinkable.
You can brew these same leaves about 5-10 times. Just adjust your brew time if the tea is too light or too strong.
Lapsang Souchong Growing Location
This tea, sometimes simply called “Xiao Zhong”, is from Fujian Province in South-East China.
The soil of the WuYi Mountains is quite rocky.
So teas grown there are known for their minerality or rocky taste.
More specifically, true Xiao Zhong comes from Tong Mu.
Tong Mu is a protected nature reserve and top terroir (microclimate).
Notes: Fujian Province played a major role in the history of tea. With its key location on the East China Sea, Fujian was one of the first places of maritime tea trading with the West. The tea farmers of the WuYi Mountains are also said to be the ones who developed Wu Long tea (Oolong) and its process.
Unlike other red teas such as Jin Jun Mei, Xiao Zhong is made from leaves picked later in the season.
Teas made from leaves that are more mature tend to be a little sweeter. And milder.
The body (what you taste in the middle of a sip of tea) is less substantial.
Meaning it’s less apparent than it is in teas that are made from younger buds.
Why is this important?
Well, it means the leaf can withstand the smoking process that it goes through to solidify its signature flavor.
(More on that process below.)
It’s important to note that Xiao Zhong is the ONLY intentionally smoked Chinese tea.
You may come across smokey teas.
But if they’re not Xiao Zhong, the smoke indicates poor processing.
Enjoy them if you like, just know it’s not intentional.
And usually a sign of poor processing.
Other Variations of Xiao ZhongOne of my favorite variations is an unsmoked version of this tea, which is called Chi Gan.
It’s sweet, fruity, fragrant, and has upward bright notes.
But there are many different variations of this tea, which are based on:
Smoking
Picking grade
Whether or not the leaves are broken
You can read more about the other variations here.
Let’s talk about Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong
I hope this article helped you answer all your questions about what is Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong red tea.
While this smokey and fruity tea is quite unique…
There are many other worthy Chinese red teas out there.
Have a look at our previous articles to know more about:
Also, leave a comment below if you’ve ever tried Lapsang souchong before.
Curious to know your take on the “whiskey” of the tea world.
