Vicony Tea Directory

	Huoshan Huangya | Huoshan Yellow Bud Tea

Huoshan Huangya (Huoshan Yellow Bud Tea)

Huoshan Huangya is a high grade yellow tea from Huo Shan county, Anhui Province.

This tea is made from tender slim buds and processed by a traditional stir-fire procedure which is why it has the name 'yellow buds' (huang ya). The best grades are from Jin Ji Mountain, Jin Shan Tou, Jin Zhu Ping and Wu Mi Jian villages which are around 800 meters above sea level.

Huoshan Huangya was created in the Tang dynasty (618-907 A.D) and Lu Yu , the Sage of Tea, described this special yellow tea in his famous Classic of Tea (Cha Jing).

The processing method of this tea was lost in 1940s and was only reproduced in 1972 by three distinguished tea masters.

To keep it fresh, the leaves are picked in the morning in spring and processed using five involved steps. All the work has to be finished by the evening of the same day. Another famous yellow tea, Jun Shan Yin Zhen is wrapped in paper to make it yellow, while Meng Ding Huang Ya is spread out on an iron plate and pan-fired to produce its yellow color.

Huoshan Huangya is only slightly processed in the yellow tea category and it resembles green tea in both quality and taste. The leaves are straight and long that suggest a form of flower or sparrow tongue. The leaf color is yellowish green with fine hairs covering the buds. The tea has a rich and clean nutty aroma of the dry leaves that is long in the nose. A warm and delicate roasted vegetal aroma is followed by a sweet touch. The color of the tea liquor is a greenish yellow that is bright and clear. In the mouth it is thick, mellow, and refreshing with a warm nutty taste. The flowery flavor of the aftertaste is sweet and rather long.

What Make Huoshan Huangya Yellow Tea

Unlike Junshan Yinzhen, Huoshan Huangya is never yellowed by wrapping the tea during processing. These are the following reasons that why Huoshan Huangya becomes Yellow Tea.

(1) The traditional cultivars growing in the Huoshan Mountain: Huoshan Morning and Golden Chick. The new-birth fresh tea leaves of these cultivars are yellowish-green;

(2) After plucking, fresh tea leaves will be placed for hours indoor to let them ferment naturally; then after heating, still place for hours to ferment, and after shaping, place another hours to let it ferment again;

(3)The last process is baking for 3 times within 2 days. After each baking, place the tea to ferment.

Placing time decides it is yellow or not. If it isn't be placed for enough time, Huoshan Huangya will be green tea.