The dried leaves themselves are a lovely addition to spice rubs for meat and poultry, particularly a smoky tea such as lapsang souchong.

This book would make a great gift for both tea newcomers and those who can rhapsodize about the smoky complexities of a Lapsang souchong.

Inhaling the brew sums up a vision of my grandmother, pouring her beloved Lapsang Souchong into porcelain cups at the ritual tea-time of my childhood.