Lingtou Dancong

Lingtou Dancong

　　Lingtou Dancong is a premium variety of oolong tea. It is produced in Lingtou Village, Pingxi Town, Raoping County, Guangdong Province. Dancong is a newly discovered unique cultivar in the oolong tea category, following Lingtou Qilan. Lingtou Dancong features twisted strips with a yellowish-brown hue resembling the color of eel skin. Its internal quality boasts a floral and honey aroma that is rich and intense, with a mellow, rich, refreshing, and sweet taste, and...

　　　　Lingtou Dancong is of exceptionally high quality and has a unique flavor. Its characteristics are as follows:

　　　　1. Early maturity: Spring tea is harvested from around March 28 to April 5 each year, about one to two weeks earlier than other tea varieties.

　　　　2. High yield: New shoots grow early, uniformly, and evenly. Tea can be harvested in the same year of planting, with yields reaching 25 to 50 kilograms per mu in the second year. By the third year, dry tea yield can reach 150 to 250 kilograms per mu. The tenderness retention period is two to three weeks (from sprouting to harvest). Generally, five to seven tea harvests can be done each year. Lingtou Dancong yields 3 to 5 times more per mu compared to similar teas.

　　　　3. Premium quality: It emits fragrance early during brewing, with a mellow and refreshing taste and strong aftertaste sweetness. The finished tea has a distinctive flavor with subtle, rich honey notes.

　　　　4. Wide adaptability and strong resilience: It can be planted in high mountains, hills, or plains.

　　　　Harvesting and processing techniques, and characteristics of Lingtou Dancong tea: The annual harvesting schedule is as follows: spring tea around the Qingming Festival; summer tea from late May to early July; autumn tea in late September; winter tea in mid-November. The picking standard is one bud with two to three leaves. The production process includes withering in the sun, cooling, tossing, fixation, rolling, and drying. The finished tea features slightly twisted strips with a yellowish-brown color resembling eel skin. Its internal quality includes a clear, high floral-honey aroma, a mellow and refreshing taste with a sweet aftertaste, bright orange-red liquor, and bright yellowish-green leaves with red edges (also called “red-edged green belly”). It is a premium-grade oolong tea of today.