Ya Shi Xiang (鸭屎香, Yā Shǐ Xiāng) is a kind of Chinese oolong tea and native to Fenghuang Town of Guangdong Province. It is one of Dancong. Ya Shi means “duck shit” and Xiang means “fragrance”.
Ya Shi Xiang is a very famous variety among all the Dancong due to its high quality and mellow taste. Its name is not as elegant as other Dancong teas, therefore, it is not only the tea itself but also its name that people enjoy talking about.
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History of Ya Shi Xiang
There is a hundred-year-old tea tree in the hometown of Ya Shi Xiang, which is the ancestor of it. The old tea tree was transplanted by a local tea farmer from a mountain at an altitude of 1,000 meters.
After transplanting, the tea tree was very adaptable to the local yellow soil and grew very quickly. The tea farmer picked its fresh tea leaves and produced them into tea. When it’s finished, it has a very good quality, causing a great sensation in the local area.
Later, people used the branches of the old tea tree to cultivate new trees. Nowadays, the annual yield of Ya Shi Xiang is very high.
Name of Ya Shi Xiang
The varieties of Dancong are usually classified according to the fragrance of the tea, such as honey fragrance, apricot fragrance, orchid fragrance, jasmine fragrance, etc.
Many people who first heard the name “Ya Shi Xiang” may think whether the tea has a fragrance of duck shit.
The origin of Ya Shi Xiang’s name has two explanations. One is because the tea trees grow on the yellow soil, commonly known as “duck shit soil”. The other is because the tea farmers are afraid that others may steal the tea trees and deliberately uglify the tea name.
With the growing popularity of Ya Shi Xiang, the tea farmers and tea experts think its name is not very formal. They think it should be given a better name.
After many evaluations, the tea experts think its fragrance is similar to that of honeysuckle. So in 2014, they decided to officially change the original “Ya Shi Xiang” to “Yin Hua Xiang” (银花香, Yín Huā Xiāng). Yin Hua means “honeysuckle”.
However, the new name “Yin Hua Xiang” is currently not very popular. It mainly appears in related literature, books, and tea art. Many people still call it Ya Shi Xiang.
Characteristics of Ya Shi Xiang
The shape of Ya Shi Xiang is thick and tight. Its color is black-green with light yellow. After brewing, its tea liquid is bright and orange-yellow and has a honeysuckle fragrance. It tastes mellow and has a sweet aftertaste.
Ya Shi Xiang belongs to oolong tea. The water temperature for brewing must be 100°C. Enough high temperature can make the fragrance and taste better.
Benefits of Ya Shi Xiang
The benefits of Ya Shi Xiang are similar to those of Mi Lan Xiang:
- Diuretic
- Anti-aging
- Anti-cancer
- Weight loss
- Antibacterial
- Help digestion
- Nourish stomach
- Lower blood lipids
- Lower blood sugar
- Anti-inflammatory