Smoked teas are black teas. A Chinese story dates their appearance to around 1820 in the Fujian region. At this time the Chinese army had requisitioned a plantation. The plantation owner, having being told to free up the drying room found himself with a considerable quantity of wet leaves. As he didn't want to lose them, he decided to try dry them out quickly. He therefore lit a fire with some roots of a spruce tree and placed the leaves on it. The leaves dried in a few minutes and had a very particular smoked taste. A few days later a foreign trader, who happened to be visiting the planter, discovered this discarded batch of tea. He was seduced by its aroma and took it with him to Europe where it met with great success.
 

Nowadays, to produce smoked teas the same process is followed: after rolling, the leaves are lightly grilled on a hot iron sheet then arranged on bamboo racks, above a spruce root fire. The length of this process depends on the level of smoking one wishes to attain. Smoked teas remain a speciality of the Fujian region and, like many teas from this area, they are also prepared in Taiwan.

See our selection of smoked teas.