The infamously smoky tea is increasingly hard to find. That’s not likely to change anytime soon.
Recently, the British broadcaster and columnist Adrian Chiles wrote about his challenges sourcing one of his favorite teas: the distinctive, not always pleasingly smoky brew known as lapsang souchong. After being unable to find it on grocery store shelves, Chiles is gifted a box of Twinings’ “Distinctively Smoky” tea, which the brand claims was “inspired by lapsang souchong.”
Unsurprisingly, the imitator proves disappointing, and Chiles is left to bemoan the “supply problems” that have cost him a beloved beverage — or at least, forced him to consider buying the leaves in loose form. What he may not realize is that the shortage goes beyond pandemic-era bugaboos like snarled supply chains or soaring labor costs: Authentic lapsang souchong is on the verge of extinction…