Delight in our irresistible smoky teas.

Did you know that the first black tea ever invented was a smoked tea? Lapsang souchong is by far the most well-known smoky tea and is traditionally created by drying the leaves over a pinewood fire. However, there is also Russian Caravan, whose tasting notes are as intriguing as its history. The majority of smoked teas are also Chinese black teas. This is because smoking tea is a production process first founded in China’s Fujian province. Come and explore our range of smoky teas today!

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Russian Caravan Tea

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Black Tea

Sir John Tea

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Free shipping is available for all orders over $70. Alternatively, pop into one of The Tea Centre's ten tea shops located in Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT.

The Tea Centre’s curated collection of smoky teas

For those who have not come across the term before, “smoky” tea or “smoked” teas are umbrella terms for any loose leaf whose oxidation process involves drying the leaves over a smouldering fire. The most famous smoked tea is lapsang souchong as it was the first black tea ever invented. However, The Tea Centre also stocks black tea fusions like Russian Caravan and Sir John that contain smoked loose leaves. For more information, read The Tea Centre's 'What is smoked tea?' Tea Journal entry here. Interested in other black teas? Keemun OP is not a smoked tea but is said to possess smoky tasting notes.

 

Are smoked teas carcinogenic?

There is a common misconception that teas like lapsang souchong carry carcinogens derived from the smoking process. However, our tea drinkers can rest assured that this is not the case for The Tea Centre’s smoked tea range. All our teas are smoked over-filtered fires and blended in Germany, where it is quality tested by the European Union’s strictest standards. They are completely safe for consumption.

 

What are the health benefits of smoky tea?

All of The Tea Centre's smoky teas have a black tea base. Therefore, smoked teas have similar health benefits to plain black teas. Being one of the most consumed beverages in the world, it should come as no surprise that a number of clinical reviews have been conducted on the health benefits of drinking black tea. For example, one 2017 Sri Lankan study on black tea broke down the composition of the leaves and how these components have positive bioactive impacts on the body. Just some of the good things that black tea contains are: catechins, theaflavins, simple polyphenols/other polyphenols, theanine, amino acids, peptides/proteins, potassium, and caffeine.

Containing less caffeine than your average coffee, this component works well with theanine to bring the sipper some focus and mental stimulation (Kahathuduwa et al., 2016). Catechins boast the double impact of not only blessing tea with a tannic taste (bold biting flavour) but also thought to encourage antioxidant activity. Lastly, "tea polyphenols are also known for their antibacterial activity." (Kodagoda & Wickramasinghe, 2017). However, it should be note that antibacterial activity decreases when the extent of tea fermentation is increased, implying stronger activity in green tea than black tea.

 

How to brew a cup of smoked tea

To brew a perfect cup of smoky black tea you need to do the following.

  • Measure out one teaspoon or two grams of black tea per 200ml using an infuser or filter bag.
  • Pour in water at 95°C or just below the boil.
  • Steep for 3-4 minutes.
  • Smoked teas are a full-bodied brew, so you can add milk. However, its subtle smoky flavours are best enjoyed on their own.
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    Buy smoked tea online or in-store at The Tea Centre tea shops

    Here at The Tea Centre, we pride ourselves on the elite quality of our smoky tea and work hard to make them luxurious and thoroughly enjoyable. You will notice that our smoked teas are beautifully fragrant and enticing, with smoky-tasting notes like toasted pinewood and even the classic campfire tastes apparent in different teas across our range. It’s all part of our plan to provide you with the finest tea possible.

    Making a pot or a cup of smoked tea using loose leaves is not as hard as it sounds, with easy-to-use infusers and strainers available. However, if you are looking for a quicker alternative, we do also offer a range of teas in biodegradable pyramid tea bags, including black tea bags, green tea bags, and herbal tea bags.

    Interested in other teas? Look through our selections of green teas, and herbal teas to find the ones that are right for you.