Phoenix Narcissus

Phoenix Narcissus

　　Phoenix Narcissus is a strip-shaped oolong tea produced in Fenghuang Town, Chao’an, Guangdong. It is categorized into three grades: Dancong, Langcai, and Narcissus. It boasts natural floral aroma, honey undertones, and a rich, mellow, refreshing, and sweet taste, with excellent infusibility. It is mainly sold in Guangdong and the Hong Kong-Macao region, and exported to Japan, Southeast Asia, and the United States.

　　The optimal picking time is when the first leaf unfolds after the dormant bud until it reaches medium openness. Among Phoenix Narcissus teas, Phoenix Dancong stands out as the most distinctive in quality. It enjoys a reputation for being “exquisitely shaped, emerald green in color, richly fragrant, and sweet in taste.” The tea leaves are large and plump, with a color resembling eel skin, glossy and oily. The tea liquor is clear and bright yellow, with a mellow, refreshing taste and lingering sweetness. The aroma is long-lasting, and the tea is highly infusible.

　　Phoenix Narcissus is made from fresh leaves of the Narcissus tea tree, processed through withering in the sun, air-drying, oxidation, pan-firing, rolling, and roasting. It is divided into three grades: Dancong, Langcai, and Narcissus, featuring natural floral fragrance, a rich taste, and excellent infusibility.

　　[Picking]

　　The picking of Phoenix Narcissus is extremely meticulous and refined. The fresh leaves must have reached a certain level of maturity and are picked one by one at an appropriate stage. There are also three key rules: “Do not pick under harsh sunlight, do not pick in the early morning, and do not pick wet leaves.” Therefore, picking is usually done around 2 p.m. All picked tea leaves are immediately withered in the sun. In the evening, processing is carried out separately for each tea bush. If there is a northern wind at night, even better—the remaining work is completed overnight and the tea is packed into chests. The production process is largely similar to that of other oolong teas.

　　Phoenix Narcissus originated in the mountainous region of Fenghuang, Chao’an County, Guangdong Province. Legend has it that in the late Southern Song Dynasty, Emperor Zhao Bing fled south to the Chaoshan area and passed by Wuduo Mountain in the Fenghuang Mountains. Thirsty, his attendants picked leaves with tips shaped like bird beaks, brewed them, and the emperor drank it to relieve his cough and quench his thirst—producing an immediate miraculous effect. Since then, the tea has been widely cultivated and named “Songzhong” (Song Dynasty Variety), boasting a history of over 900 years. Today, there are still 300–400-year-old tea trees on Wuduo Mountain, regarded as descendants of the Songzhong variety. The largest of these, named “Dayexiang,” stands 5–8 meters tall, spans 7.3 meters wide, has a stem diameter of 34 centimeters, and features five branches.

　　Phoenix Narcissus buds early in spring. The spring tea season runs from around Qingming Festival to Lixia. Summer and summer-autumn tea are harvested between Lixia and Xiaoshu. Autumn tea is picked from Liqiu to Shuangjiang. Snowflake tea is harvested from Lidong to Xiaoxue. The optimal picking standard is when the first leaf unfolds after the formation of a dormant bud on tender shoots, until it reaches medium openness. Leaves that are too young result in bitter and astringent tea with low aroma, while overly mature leaves produce coarse, light-tasting tea that is not very infusible. The best time for picking is in the afternoon. Different types of fresh leaves should be picked separately and processed accordingly. The initial processing involves steps such as withering in the sun, air-drying, oxidation (leaf shaking and tossing, followed by resting), pan-firing, rolling, and roasting.