Huo Shan Huang Ya - yellow tea-

YELLOW TEA HUO SHAN HUANG YA 

Origin: Huoshan County, Lu'An Prefecture,
Anhui Province
Altitude: 800-1000 meters
Harvest: spring 2024
Cultivar: Jin Ji
 

What is the difference between yellow tea and green tea? 
Yellow teas have a greater leaf oxidation than green teas, which is why their leaves tend to become yellow. Yellow tea leaves are processed like green tea leaves and then allowed to rest with the residual moisture from processing. This will cause a slight oxidation that gives it that characteristic taste. It is a type of tea grown in Anhui, China. For other varieties of Chinese teas you can visit the page dedicated to the best products directly imported from China.

The cultivar it comes from is called Jin Ji. The processing of this tea is exclusively manual, carried out by few, requiring a technique and knowledge that not many have today. This very particular tea is a harvest of bud and first leaf. Harvested at an altitude between 800 and 1000 meters. Its taste is delicate with notes of hazelnuts, very similar to Huang Shan Mao Feng, also reminiscent of Long Jing. All green teas where the herbaceous note is less persistent and gives way to sweeter hints.  

THE HISTORY OF YELLOW TEA

Once a tribute to the emperor, yellow tea boasts very ancient origins: the first mentions of its particular production date back to 618-907 AD, during the Tang dynasty: it is said that Emperor Tang Xian Zong had ordered over three thousand soldiers to guard the gardens where this tea was cultivated. However, in the early 1940s, due to socio-economic reasons, its traces were lost and only in the 1970s its uniqueness was rediscovered and production resumed.

TASTING NOTES

Home to this tea, in balance between a green and a low-oxidation oolong, is the Lu'An Prefecture, in the province of Anhui: here the mild climate and a constant bed of clouds create a perfect environment for tea cultivation. Harvested in spring among the majestic mountains of Huoshan, in the light of the early morning, Huo Shan Huang Ya is an expression of refinement and composure, the result of a careful processing process, the stage of care and skill of the tea master. After being lovingly hand-picked, the tender buds are subjected to rather long intervals of pan roasting and wrapped in warm and moist cloths, inside which a slight non-enzymatic oxidation of phenolic compounds occurs, causing the degradation of chlorophyll: the leaves are thus tinged with golden shades of a melancholic winter sunset; in the cup, however, they represent the light and vivid colors of spring, awakening the most serene and happy feelings. Similar to the dew resting on the grass at dawn, the liquor, with its delicate and fresh body, recalls the sweet taste of pear that blends with the toasted flavor of hazelnuts, evoking scents of a blooming garden.

It is excellent company in the lightness of early afternoon.

TIPS ON PREPARING YELLOW TEA

For infusion, the oriental method is recommended, to understand and admire its gradual evolution in the cup: 4 grams in 100 ml of water at 80°C for 40 seconds. Add 5 seconds progressively to each subsequent infusion. As for the western method, here are the indications: 2 grams in 200 ml of water at 80°C for 2 minutes. Add 1 minute to each possible subsequent infusion.