Lapsang Souchong was a favorite tea of the American pioneer in the 19th century, brought over by Chinese immigrants.

All tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. How the leaves of the plant are processed and their level of contact with oxygen determines the type of tea. The more processing the leaves go through, the darker the leaves become, resulting in a distinctive color and taste characteristic. There are four main varietals of tea: black, green, white, and oolong. Tea contains substances called flavonoids, which are powerful antioxidant polyphenols. Antioxidant polyphenols help protect the body's cells from damage due to harmful molecules called free radicals.  Regardless of the processing method, black, green, white and oolong teas all contain polyphenols. In fact, tea ranks as high as or higher than many fruits and vegetables in the ORAC score, a score that measures antioxidant potential of plant-based foods. Black tea is a varietal of tea that has been cultivated for centuries. It is more oxidized than the green, oolong and white varieties. During processing, the leaves are heavily oxidized and fermented Our black tea is made from fresh leaves, hand processed under high humidity to promote carefully crafted oxidation, and then oven-fired which turns the leaves a dark, coppery color to yield a superior complex and authoritative flavor. It has higher caffeine content and is stronger in flavor than the other tea varietals.