A yellow tea, compared to green tea, has an extra step in the production process that makes it softer to drink than green tea.
- Sourced: Huoshan, Anhui
- Growing altitude: 800 meters
- Cultivar: Da Hua Ping Jin Ji Zhong
The three most famous varieties of yellow tea in China are this Huo Shan Huang Ya, the Meng Ding Huang Ya and the Jun Shan Yin Zhen.
The Huang Ya is traditionally made from a local cultivar, the Huoshan Jinjizhong. The area is subtropical, with lots of fog and clouds, both providing optimal conditions for the tea plants to grow.
The Huang Ya has a long history. During the Tang dynasty, Emperor Tang Xian Zong sent three thousand soldiers to the area to protect the tea fields. In the Ming dynasty, the Huang Ya was a "tribute" tea for the government.
Picking begins just after the Qingming festival. A bud with one or two leaves is harvested. Harvesting is followed by wilting and then baking in a wok to prevent oxidation. This frying takes a little longer than is usual with green tea. After this, the leaf rests briefly to cool.
The leaf is now roasted for the first time for a few minutes in a basket on charcoal at a temperature of 110-120c. An attempt is made to achieve a 30% water content in the leaf.
After this comes the specific step for yellow tea, brewing. For about 30 minutes the leaf is rolled in paper or a cloth where the leaf turns yellowish. What happens during brewing is mainly the conversion of the polyphenols. The bitterness of green tea is reduced and the mild full flavor comes out more. This makes yellow tea distinctive from green tea.
As a final step, the tea is further roasted at about 80-90 degrees and then picked for twigs and the like.
