About This Tea

Phoenix Dancong is a special style of oolong tea produced in Fenghuang “Phoenix” Mountain, in 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. Mi Lan Xiang, “honey & orchids aroma,” is a very popular Dancong cultivar that is beloved for its luscious floral peachy and nectarine aroma balanced with elegant astringency and the sappy sweetness of tropical honey. The specific compounds that produce the orchid and peachy-fruity aromas in Mi Lan 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 coupled with a high content of jasmine lactones contribute to the nectarine and peachy orchid fragrance. Jasmine lactone is a lactone and aroma compound with a powerful fatty-fruity peach and apricot flavor. Its chemical formula is C10H16O2. It occurs naturally in jasmine oil, tuberose, gardenia, mimosa, honeysuckle, lily, tea, peach, and ginger. These aromatic compounds and many others are naturally occurring in Dancong oolong tea plants at different levels and ratios. These same aromatic compounds 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.