How Does Coffee Naming Relate to Phoenix Dancong?
Phoenix Dancong is a Guangdong oolong tea from the Phoenix Mountain area of Chaoshan, made from the Phoenix Shuixian tea tree variety. In the past, one tree produced one tea, so names multiplied until "Dancong," meaning one clump, became the general term. Its naming follows aroma type, leaf shape, leaf size, place of origin, or a specific era, much like coffee naming conventions.
The names evolved from Songzhong and Bird Beak Tea, tied to a Song Dynasty legend and the leaf's bird-beak shape, to the official Phoenix Shuixian name in 1956. Duck Shit Aroma and Phoenix Baxian Dancong differ in tree and flavor. Shape coffee parallels appear in leaf forms and how names record them.
Phoenix Dancong is a Guangdong oolong tea produced in the Phoenix Mountain area of Chaoshan, and its tea tree variety is Phoenix Shuixian. In the old days, one tree made one tea and the names were numerous and complicated, so later "Dancong" was used as a general term. Its name is not just a gimmick: some are named by aroma type, some by leaf shape, some by size, some by place of origin, and some come from a specific era and background. This article sorts out the naming basis of Phoenix Dancong, reviews the evolution of names from "Songzhong" and "Bird Beak Tea" to Phoenix Shuixian, explains the origin and flavor characteristics of Duck Shit Aroma, and clarifies the difference between Duck Shit Aroma and Phoenix Baxian Dancong, helping coffee lovers understand this type of tea with a clearer framework.
Phoenix Dancong oolong tea is produced in the Chaoshan region and belongs to the Guangdong oolong tea system. Its tea tree variety is Phoenix Shuixian. In the early years, one tea tree could often only be made into one kind of tea on its own, and because there were so many names, people used "Phoenix Dancong" as a general term.
The birthplace of Phoenix Dancong is Phoenix County, Chaozhou, Guangdong. Legend has it that during the Song Dynasty, Emperor Zhao Bing fled to the Wudong Mountain area of Phoenix Mountain and was extremely thirsty, while his attendants could not find water nearby. Someone thought that tea leaves could promote saliva and quench thirst, so they picked fresh leaves and let the emperor chew them. Zhao Bing then felt his mouth moisten and his spirits improve, so he bestowed the name "Song Tea," and among the people these tea trees were also called "Songzhong." This legend has been passed down to this day for more than nine hundred years.
Because it was praised by a Song Dynasty emperor, this type of tea tree was planted more and more. Local people also called it "Bird Beak Tea" because the leaf shape resembles a bird's beak. It was not until 1956 that tea experts officially named it Phoenix Shuixian.
Phoenix Dancong oolong tea is harvested and processed as individual trees, handled separately according to the differences in morphology and taste of Phoenix Shuixian tea trees. This is also the origin of the name "Dancong," meaning "one clump." Teas made from different tea trees are named separately according to differences in shape and flavor, forming unique personalities, such as Milan Xiang, Yashi Xiang, Dawuye, and Xingren Xiang; Phoenix Dancong oolong tea is the general term for this series.
Some people may ask why Phoenix Dancong has so many unusual names. In fact, these names can indirectly help us understand the main characteristics of each Phoenix Dancong.
Named by aroma type: Huangzhi Xiang, Zhilan Xiang, Milan Xiang, Guihua Xiang, Yulan Xiang, Jianghua Xiang, Yelaixiang, Moli Xiang, Xingren Xiang, Rougui Xiang, etc.
Named by leaf shape characteristics: Shanqie Ye, You Ye, Zhu Ye, etc.
Named by tea leaf size: Da Wuye, Xiao Wuye, Da Baiye, etc.
Named by local place names: Wudong Dancong, Shitou Huangzhi Xiang, Zhongping Zhilan, etc.
Named by a specific time or historical background: Dongfang Hong, Songzhong, Xiongdi Zai, etc.
According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 108 types of Phoenix Dancong. The honorary chairman of the Phoenix Tea Professional Association once described Dancong tea this way: "A thousand aromas and a hundred flavors can never be fully tasted, and even the names cannot all be remembered." However, in the face of such a rich and diverse world of Phoenix Dancong, we do not necessarily need to remember all the tea names.
Recently, in Phoenix County, Chaozhou, Guangdong, a popular Dancong oolong tea that may be more suitable for mainstream tastes was discovered—Duck Shit Aroma Dancong oolong tea. It is a lightly roasted oolong tea with high floral aroma and a sweet, mellow entry, and it is well worth trying. If you are looking for a Dancong that is easy to drink every day, Front Street Coffee is also often used by tea lovers as a flavor reference for this type of lightly roasted Duck Shit Aroma: Front Street emphasizes a clean sweetness and floral-fruity aroma, making it suitable as an introductory benchmark for understanding the "high aroma, sweet and mellow" style of Duck Shit Aroma.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
