I finally found it!

About 5 years ago I went to Boston on a business trip for some training. This was Microsoft training and they provided us breakfast (and I believe lunch) each day. They had the typical gourmet coffee, but since I'm not a coffee drinker, I was searching for something else and usually ended up with juice. On about the third day one of the trainers told me to check the cabinets because there was a good selection of hot teas there. I looked in the cabinet and sure enough there was a nice little stash.

I was looking for something new to try and I saw a Chinese tea I had never heard of. The name sounded interesting and I thought I'd give it a try. I got a cup and some hot water from the side of the industrial coffee maker. After opening the tea bag, I became a little concerned. The tea smelled down-right awful, but not wanting to be wasteful, I figured I'd give it a taste before giving up on it. Who knows, sometimes things with questionable smell actually taste good.

The smell became even more pungent as the tea steeped. I was getting more and more worried as I waited for it to cool and I could have my first taste. I grabbed some sugar packets, figuring it may need it (based on the smell) but I didn't add them right away (until I knew if I needed them).

The tea finally cooled enough and I took a tentative first sip. It tasted wonderful! It had a rich, bold flavor that didn't need sweetening. I finished the cup with delight, except what was the name of that tea? I had foolishly thrown the bag into the trash, and there was no getting it now (covered in coffee grinds, used spoons, napkins and what-not).

For five years I tried to find that tea unsuccessfully. I couldn't remember the name, but I knew it was Chinese and had a decidedly Chinese sounding name. I tried Oolong and found it to be a good tea, but not as flavorful, nor did it have that pungent odor. I tried Darjeeling tea and it was good as well -- stronger flavor than Oolong -- but no terrible odor. That wasn't it either and the search continued.

A couple weekends ago, I found another tea that sounded promising in name. I picked up the box and read the description of the tea -- even more promising. I tried to smell the box (even though shrink-wrapped) in hopes of getting a whiff of that pungent odor, no matter how faint. I detected a slight pungent odor, even through the shrink-wrap. This was getting better by the minute. I had to buy it and have a cup that night to see if the search was over.

As soon as I opened the shrink-wrap, the pungent contents hit my nose like the fist of a 200lb boxer. This was it -- without a doubt. After the first sip, there was no question I had found it. I had finally found it. After 5 years of on and off searching for it, I had found it.

If you like bold flavored, hot tea, or feel a little adventurous, then I recommend you try a cup of Lapsang Souchong tea. Don't add sweetener and ignore the smell -- it is worth the experience. Twinings sells this type of tea (if you can find it) but I couldn't find many other mainstream tea brands that carry it. Next time you visit me, ask for a cup and I'll happily make us both one. Enjoy!