Mi Lan Xiang (蜜兰香, Mì Lán Xiāng) is a kind of Chinese oolong tea. It is native to the Fenghuang Town of Guangdong Province. Like Ya Shi Xiang, it is one of the Dancong. Fenghuang means “phoenix”.
Mi means “honey”, Lan means “orchid”, and Xiang means “fragrance”, so it is also called Honey Orchid Fragrance. Mi Lan Xiang has very good sales and is the most popular Dancong tea.
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History of Mi Lan Xiang
The tea tree of Mi Lan Xiang was bred from Fenghuang Shui Xian tea.
Fenghuang Mountain of Fenghuang Town has been rich in Fenghuang Shui Xian tea since the Song Dynasty (960-1279). There are still several hundred-year-old tea trees on the mountain.
Dancong is excellent tea species cultivated from the Fenghuang Shui Xian tea. Every single species has different fragrances, tastes, and characteristics. There is a species that has honey and orchid fragrances, so the tea experts call it Mi Lan Xiang (Honey Orchid Fragrance).
Characteristics of Mi Lan Xiang
Mi Lan Xiang is usually produced before the Qingming Festival (April 4-6). The tea produced in spring is called spring tea, which has the best quality in all seasons.
The finished Mi Lan Xiang is black-brown and shiny. After brewing, its tea liquid is orange-yellow and looks bright. It has a fragrance like that of honey blended orchid. The honey fragrance is similar to that of roasted sweet potato.
Strictly speaking, Mi Lan Xiang can be subdivided into honey orchid, white leaf, and sweet potato. The first two types are very similar and collectively called honey orchid fragrance in the market. The sweet potato is named independently due to its different fragrance and taste.
Because of its wide planting area and high yield, the price of Mi Lan Xiang is relatively cheaper than Ya Shi Xiang. Except for the fragrance and taste, both of them are very high-quality tea.
Mi Lan Xiang belongs to oolong tea. It should be brewed with 100°C water and can’t be steeped in the water for a long time, otherwise, it will have a bitter taste.
Benefits of Mi Lan Xiang
Mi Lan Xiang contains high amino acids, vitamins, tea polyphenols, alkaloids, trace elements, and other nutrients.
Benefits of Mi Lan Xiang:
- Diuretic
- Anti-aging
- Anti-cancer
- Weight loss
- Antibacterial
- Help digestion
- Nourish stomach
- Lower blood lipids
- Lower blood sugar
- Anti-inflammatory