About This Tea

Phoenix Dancong is a special style of oolong tea produced in the Fenghuang “Phoenix” Mountain range of Chaozhou, a coastal region of Guangdong, China celebrated for its mineral-rich soils, foggy climate and rocky landscapes. The region is home to diverse oolong tea cultivars developed through generations of selective cultivation. Many are named after a xiang or “aroma” type. These tea trees share similar aromas with various fruits and flowers like tuberose, orchids, ginger flowers, citrus blossoms, honey, almonds and other tantalizing tropical flowers. Some Dancong oolong teas are named after historical legends and farmers’ tales, like Duck Shit Dancong, Bird’s Beak, Song Dynasty Single Trunk or Eight Immortals. Lan Hua Xiang, “Orchid Aroma,” is a rare and highly aromatic cultivar of Dancong that has an amazing flowery aroma of fresh blooming orchids. The specific compounds that produce the orchid aroma in Lan Hua Xiang Dancong tea are not yet fully identified. However, it is believed that a combination of floral-scented compounds such as benzyl acetate, linalool, and geraniol contribute to the orchid fragrance. These aromatic compounds and many others are naturally occurring in Dancong Oolong tea plants at different levels and ratios and can be found in different fruits and flowers, including peaches and orchids. The aroma of Dancong oolong is so interesting to experience and it is no wonder why so many different types of Dancong exist, mostly all named after some type of seductive floral or fruity aroma.