This tea might be for the hearty or for those that like the smell of wood burning fire places or cozy evenings spent around a warm crackling campfire. All of these things describe me! Which is why I love this tea SO much.
We Jeremy discovered Lapsang Souchong tea a few months ago at the lovely Townshend’s Tea Company on Portland’s Artsy Fartsy Local and Lovely Alberta Street. The tea is described as smoky but mellow. A smoky tea, that sounds intriguing!
The pot of tea, perfect for sharing, was brought to our table. Immediately I was transported over to Killarney, Ireland, to our favorite hostel, the Sugan. Specifically, it’s fireplace.
A cozy fireplace enshrouded with fond memories of good times.
In the back of your mind you will think, wow this is one strong smelling tea, it will never taste good. You take that first sip and if you are anything like me, you will be surprised. It dances lightly on the pallet, a true courteous traveler through your senses. Lovely.
A true campfire fireplace tea. Having never heard of this tea prior to our Townshend’s visit, I did a little research, wiki style, and discovered that the lapsang leaves are smoke-dried over pinewood fires. Heart flutters. So neat.
Now that the lapsang tea was ever so present in my consciousness, I was wholly surprised when it was mentioned over on Golubka. A beautiful site with photos, stories, and recipes to inspire your creativity. That lovely post completely inspired mine. Infusing things with tea? I had never done this! Because I love to try new things in the kitchen and we happened to have this tea and mushrooms – I said, YES!
They were delicious if I do say so myself.
Lapsang Souchong Marinated Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 4 large portobello mushrooms, sliced into 'steaks'
- 2 heaping teaspoons lapsang souchong tea
- 1 cup or more of boiling water
- 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce (bragg liquid aminos or coconut aminos)
- 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 5-6 green onions, diced
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil.
- Place mushroom 'steaks' in a bowl or tray suitable for marinating.
- Place tea leaves in a separate bowl and add boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes or longer to get your desired level of 'smokiness'.
- Holding a colander over your mushrooms, pour the steeped water over the colander, allowing the tea to cover the mushrooms and hold back the leaves. If your mushrooms aren't covered repeat the process with same leaves or new (your choice).
- Allow to marinate ??? - 30 minutes to an hour or longer if you have time.
- Once you're satisfied with their infusion, add remaining ingredients and give the 'steaks' a shuffle in the marinade. Allow them to relax at least 30 minutes in the marinade before enjoying. These could be warmed in the dehydrator or oven or eaten at room temperature.
I sort of failed and do not have a picture of the final product. But they were lovely and delicious and subtly smoky.
They would make a great side dish or main to a veggie meal. Enjoy!
Do you love fireplace/campfire smell? I do love sitting around a campfire even though it takes about 3+ hair washes for that favorite scent to vacate my lovely locks after a weekend of camping. 😉
xoxo
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