Ya Shi Xiang “Duck Shit” Oolong

LH Tea Farmer Family CN

$20.00USD for 100g

I was contacted by LH Tea Farmer Family on Instagram. They saw a post I had up on another tea and asked if I would be interested in trying a couple of theirs. Of, course I was super excited and replied to their comments quickly. We talked through Instagram messenger about my history with tea and their amazing family experience in the tea industry. They asked if I had ever tried a Ya Shi “Duck Shit” Oolong and since I had not, they insisted that I try theirs. We chatted for awhile about the kinds of teas I typically drink and after agreeing on a couple, I told them to surprise me with a couple more. I did pay for shipping for these teas since shipping to the United States from China can be incredibly costly.

Packaging

My samples arrived in little heat sealed ziplock bags with the names written in both English and Chinese which was great. This was the only information on the Packaging. Since I only got samples, I would assume their real packaging comes with a lot more detail. I was able to find a nice description of the tea as well as steeping instructions on their website.

When I opened the pouch, I was greeted by a sweet, floral, almost fruity aroma. To me it smelled like fresh berries. It was very nice.

I love the story behind the name of this tea that they share on the website:

It was named by a farmer that had some tea trees he liked. Wanting to guard the uniqueness of the plants, he told the outsiders that the color of the soil was due to duck shit. He wanted to keep people from stealing them so he gave it that name.

How to Brew

Since there were no steeping instructions on the packaging, I went to the website for direction. They recommend steeping at or above 203ºF. LH Tea Farmer Family CN recommends a 3 second rinse before the first real steep. After the rinse, the tea smell became incredibly floral. Some of the fruity aroma went away but it was still very sweet. My first infusion sat for 5 seconds, as recommended by the company. I found the first infusion to be very light, a little too light in my opinion. It was incredibly crisp with a sweet earthy/floral aroma.

My second infusion of Ya Shi Xiang sat for 8 seconds. It was much more flavorful than the first. Still incredibly floral and sweet. My favorite infusion was the 5th, which sat for 45 seconds. It was a still sweet and floral but I found there was much more flavor. There was even a slight fruitiness that returned from the original aroma. Every infusion was crisp with zero astringency.

The Experience

Ya Shi Xiang “Duck Shit” Oolong steeped to a very soothing golden yellow. The leaves brightened as they unfurled into beautiful shades of greens and deep reds. I really enjoyed how nice and crisp this tea was. Considering its name, I expected it to have a bit of a bite to it. The taste was very mellow with a unique floral and fruity flavor. I made it through 6 steepings with this tea before I was called inside to get my toddler a snack (real mom life… what can I say).

As the flavor strengthened, so did my love for this tea. I can absolutely see why it is a favorite among tea lovers. Other than the fact that it has a silly name, with a great story behind it. I loved that each sip was slightly different and each infusion brought out new incredible flavors.

I would absolutely recommend keeping this Ya Shi Xiang “Duck Shit” Oolong tea on hand. Not only is it a fantastic drink to sip on throughout the day, it makes a wonderful conversation starter for an evening with friends. Enjoy this tea with some fruit for a nice dessert.

Be sure to follow LH Tea Farmer Family CN on Instagram!

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