Mi Lan is usually translated as meaning "Honey Orchid'
Yu Lan is usually translated as "Magnolia"
Many Dan Congs come from Wu Dong mountain in the Phoenix (FengHaung) mountains.
The Hou De blog suggests that Lin Tou DCs come from a seperate area, and that the plantations there encourage a different character to the Wu Dong Dcs.
http://houdeblog.com/?p=118
After almost a year’s search and preparation, we are very excited to starting offering our select Feng Huang Dan Cong!
FengHuang DanCong gets its name from the major production area in the Wu Dong mountain plantations, Feng Huang county, Guang Dong. As a generic name, it actually covers at least three production area: Wu Dong of Feng Huang, Lin Tou of Pin Xi, and Da-Zhi mountain of Shi-Gu-Pin village. Because of the difference in microclimate and cultivars in those neighboring plantations, they are have their own unique focus and characters.
Its naming is as complex as the system of Wuyi yen cha, but mostly uses its more focused fragrance as the name. So, when we mention “Mi Lan (Honey Orchid)” dancong, it is not only the tea’s product name but also its cultivar name. Cultivars were naturally originated from sexual propagation (seeds) of parent tea trees, but later was selected and propagated by asexual ways such as cuttings, much like yen cha.
Dancongs share some similar characters as Wuyi yen cha, but there are definitely distinct differences. From its shape, you can rightly guess dancongs, like bao zhong, inherited Wuyi yen cha’s tradition and skills. They are all oxidized to at least 25% to 35%, and undergo lengthy wood roasting process that is quite labor-intensive. But in general the oxidation and roasting degree for dancongs are lighter than yen cha.
The quality of dancongs is majorly determined by the growing conditions (especially elevations), tea tree’s age and surely the producer’s skill. The whole WuDong or LinTou plantation area cover elevation from 450m to more than 1200m height. In general, old bushes produce better dancongs quality as their roots are deeper in the soils and absorb more complete range of nutrients and minerals.
Brewing dancongs is a lot of fun, especially with our select premium dancongs that all have beautiful and complete leaves and the aroma and taste are superbly clean, focused and refined. You will be surprised by the strength and the durability of them: I would recommend using a slightly cooler water temperature (~195 to 200F) than for yen cha, and keep the steeping time less than 45 seconds.
We are glad to offer at least four different dancongs for our dear customers: Mi Lan (Lin Tou dancong), Ba Xian (Wu Dong), Lan Xian (Orchid Fragrance), and unique Huang Jing (Golden). In a near future, a precious 15-year aged dancong will arrive!
Guang
