Born in Taiwan, Formosa Lapsang Crocodile is the result of a fusion between the Chinese heritage of Lapsang Souchong and the island's oolong genius. Smoking techniques originating from Fujian have been reinterpreted using entirely Taiwanese methods, sourced from small family farms in the Nantou district. The leaves, processed like a mid-grade oolong, typically oxidized between 50 and 70%, offer the ideal structure for smoking without sacrificing their suppleness or depth. These workshops, often attached to modest oolong farms, perpetuate a hybrid expertise where Chinese precision meets local sensibility.
Unlike Chinese Lapsang Souchong, Taiwanese smoking doesn't rely exclusively on solid pine. Depending on the region and season, producers use Taiwanese cypress (hinoki), longan wood, or a subtle blend of local softwoods. Each imparts a unique character to the smoke, making it drier or rounder, bolder or more diffuse. This choice of wood, rarely standardized, reflects the experimental nature of Taiwanese workshops, where the toasting, humidity, and height of the smoking racks are adjusted according to the desired result.
The process itself differs: in China, smoking Lapsang Souchong is historically associated with a final direct fire-drying after complete oxidation. In Taiwan, smoking can occur at two stages, either during intermediate drying or at the very end of the process, to create a more precise smoke. Artisans often work in small batches, in tea houses where the rooms are still heated by manually controlled hearths, a task that requires long hours of observation. Some workshops have traditional lofts where the smoked leaves are left to rest and homogenize before shaping.
The name "Crocodile" belongs to an old terminology that originated in European trade, designating particularly robust smoked teas. In Taiwan, this name became established to describe not only the intensity of the smoking process, but also the appearance of the leaves once rolled, sometimes striated like reptile skin. The term was adopted by export companies, drawn to its ability to distinguish this Taiwanese style from other, more traditional teas.
Where a Lapsang Souchong evokes the pine forests of Tongmu, this Crocodile tea tells the story of Taiwanese coniferous forests, high-altitude mists, and the slow-burning hearths tended by artisans. In the cup, the difference from a Fujian Lapsang is evident as much in the tea's structure as in its cultural origins: a softer base, a more fragmented process, and smoking conceived as an additional layer rather than a foundational element. It is this paradox—an assertive intensity and a gentle construction—that gives this tea its unique identity, highly sought after for export and, over the years, one of the most recognizable hallmarks of Taiwanese smoking.
