ZhengshanXiaozhong
A moment for tea
Honey, longan and baked sweet potato.
A smooth red tea from Tongmu.
- Tea
- Zhengshan Xiaozhong
- Type
- Red tea
- Origin
- Tongmu Valley, Wuyishan, Fujian, China
- Format
- Loose leaf
Brewing guide
- Teaware
- 100 ml gaiwan or small teapot
- Tea amount
- 5 g
- Water
- 90 to 95°C / 194 to 203°F
Warm the vessel first, then adjust these starting parameters to taste.
Following the infusions
Use filtered water and empty the vessel completely between steeps. Around five to seven infusions can be a useful starting expectation; let the remaining flavour guide you.
Brewing a larger cup
For a 240 ml cup, use 3 to 4 g of leaf at 90 to 95°C / 194 to 203°F and steep for 2 to 3 minutes. Try it plain first to appreciate its natural sweetness. Shorten the steep if bitterness begins to obscure the fruit.
Infusion timings
- First infusion
- 15 to 20 seconds; drain fully
- Following infusions
- Add 5 to 10 seconds, adjusting to taste
Empty the vessel fully between pours and adjust the timing to taste.
Water ratio
Start with 5 g of tea per 100 ml of water.
Measure the water used in each infusion. Reuse the same leaves and adjust the quantity for a lighter or fuller cup.
Storage
Keep the tea well sealed in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight, moisture and strong smells. Reseal the packaging after each use to protect its fragrance.
Tasting notes
From landscape to cup
Zhengshan
Xiaozhong
What the name means
Zhengshan Xiaozhong means roughly “small variety from the original mountain.” Zhengshan refers to the traditional mountain origin around Tongmu, while Xiaozhong means “small variety,” often rendered in English as “small leaf variety.”
Zhengshan Xiaozhong and Lapsang Souchong
Lapsang Souchong is the familiar English trade name associated with this tea tradition. In modern shops it usually suggests the pine smoked style, while Zhengshan Xiaozhong is used for both smoked and unsmoked teas. The names overlap; they do not always identify two separate kinds of tea.
Our unsmoked version brings honey, longan, baked sweet potato and gentle florals to the foreground. It is dried without deliberate smoke flavouring, keeping the leaf’s sweeter aromas clear.
Honey and a gentle floral lift
The aromatic profile opens with honeyed sweetness, accompanied by a delicate floral impression. The flowers sit lightly above the warmer notes, bringing a fragrant softness to the tea’s fuller character.
Longan and baked sweet potato
Longan brings a fruity character: a mellow sweetness that sits comfortably alongside the warmth of baked sweet potato. Together, these notes give the cup a rounded character, balancing fruit with a deeper, comforting sweetness.
A warm, malty centre
Malt adds another layer beneath the honey and fruit. Its warm character connects the aromatic sweetness with the tea’s substantial body, making the different notes feel integrated through each sip.
Texture and the lingering finish
The liquor has a smooth, full bodied feel. After swallowing, the fruit and sweet potato impressions give way to a gentle sweetness that remains on the palate. The balance of these notes shifts with the leaf, water and brewing time.
← Return to the red tea collectionOrigin & processing
The place behind the leaf
Tongmu Valley
Wuyishan
Tongmu Valley · Wuyishan · Fujian · China
A mountain home
Tongmu lies in the Wuyi Mountains of northern Fujian, close to the Jiangxi border. Tea growing areas around Jiangdun, Miaowan and Masu occupy slopes and valleys at approximately 700 to 1,200 metres (2,297 to 3,937 feet). Above this landscape rises Huanggang Shan, the highest peak in the Wuyi Mountains, at 2,160.8 metres (7,089 feet).
Tongmu and the beginnings of red tea
Tongmu is closely tied to the early history of red tea. Its misty mountain setting in Fujian forms the landscape behind Zhengshan Xiaozhong, a tea whose identity remains rooted in this place.
The story of an interrupted harvest
A local legend tells of soldiers interrupting tea production in Tongmu. Producers hurried to dry the delayed leaves over pine fires, creating an unfamiliar aroma. The details remain uncertain, but the story reflects the close relationship between this tea, oxidation and fire.
A name connected to origin
Zhengshan conveys the idea of the original mountain, linking the name to its traditional growing area. Overseas, Lapsang Souchong became the more familiar name, now commonly associated with the smoked style.
Smoke and the workshop
Traditional smoking workshops, known as qinglou, use several levels to separate the leaves from the pine fire below. Heat and smoke pass upwards through the building. Unsmoked production leaves out this smoky layer, allowing fruit and floral aromas to lead.
Two styles, different aromas
Pine smoked examples can combine resinous, fireside aromas with dried fruit, molasses and cocoa. The unsmoked expression centres on honey, longan and baked sweet potato. Both belong to the Zhengshan Xiaozhong tradition; the name alone does not always tell you whether a tea is smoked.
Colour in the cup
The unsmoked style produces a clear, reddish liquor. Short infusions help preserve its gentle sweetness and reveal changes in aroma as the leaves open.
