What happens when you use Ping Keng Tou "King of Duck Shit" varietal Dan Cong tea leaves and then process them using dehydration to halt oxidation at a very early stage? You get a super green, aromatic and sweet Dan Cong that will astound and impress! Chou Shi (lit. dehydrate) is a new style of processing Dan Cong that shares some similarity to Anxi Tie Guan Yin. The tea is picked, and before it can wilt it is fried to start the kill-green process in motion, the tea is then rolled briefly by hand and then put in a special dehydrator to stop the wilting process entirely. The result is a very green and very aromatic dan cong. The tea also has a very sweet taste, with some vegetal almost Tie Guan Yin like feeling. April Harvest Varietal: Ya Shi Xiang 鸭屎香 Area: Ping Keng Tou village Altitude: 900-950 meters Origin of the Name "Duck Shit Fragrance": Legend has it that a tea farmer, in his lifetime, once told visiting tea enthusiasts that the mother tree of this tea originally grew in Wuling Mountain. It initially appeared unremarkable but was later transplanted to a lower-altitude area by the farmer's family. Surprisingly, the tea trees thrived in the local yellow soil, which was colloquially referred to as "duck shit soil." When the first harvest was brewed, it caused quite a sensation with its exceptional taste. As neighbors inquired about the name of the extraordinary tea, the farmer, fearing that others might steal his discovery, casually replied, "It's nothing special, just tea grown in duck shit soil, and the aroma is like duck shit fragrance." This offhand name, born out of a desire to keep the truth hidden, has since stuck and spread. Production Area of "Duck Shit Fragrance": The authentic production area of "Duck Shit Fragrance" primarily lies in the southeast slope of Fenghuang Mountain, often referred to as the "ridge of Chaozhou and Shantou." It is distributed in the northeastern part of Chaozhou, including Wuling Mountain, Wupi Mountain, Zhugan Mountain, Dazhi Mountain, Wanfeng Mountain, Shuangpi Mountain, and other areas, all at elevations above 500 meters. "Duck Shit Fragrance" single-estate tea belongs to the category of Wuyi Single-Estate. It was selected from natural hybrid offspring of the Phoenix Water Narcissus population on Fenghuang Mountain through single-plant screening. It is asexually propagated, grows as a small tree, has medium-sized leaves, and belongs to the medium bud category. Due to its fast growth, high yield, elegant fragrance, "Duck Shit Fragrance" is widely favored by tea farmers. Nowadays, grafting and cloning techniques are commonly used in the Phoenix tea area, leading to an increase in its cultivation. Characteristics of "Duck Shit Fragrance": The dry tea leaves of "Duck Shit Fragrance" are thick, tightly curled, and dark brown with a glossy appearance. After brewing, the tea infusion exhibits a bright orange-yellow color, with a strong and uplifting fragrance that resembles floral and orchid scents. It possesses a unique and lingering mountain and honey aroma, with a rich and mellow taste, a strong aftertaste, and great endurance when it comes to multiple steepings. Necessary Conditions for Producing High-Quality "Duck Shit Fragrance": First and foremost is elevation, as the saying goes, "High mountains and mist produce good tea," which is particularly apt for "Duck Shit Fragrance" tea. Enjoying "Duck Shit Fragrance" single-estate tea emphasizes the "mountain charm," which, in simple terms, refers to the taste of single-estate tea grown at high elevations. Only tea grown at a certain altitude can imbue "Duck Shit Fragrance" with its unique mountain charm. In the core production area of single-estate tea, such as Fenghuang Town, tea harvested at elevations above 600 meters is called high-mountain single-estate tea, while tea harvested at elevations between 400 and 600 meters is called mid-mountain single-estate tea, and tea harvested below 400 meters is referred to as low-mountain single-estate tea.
