What is Yellow Tea? Yellow Tea: Production Methods, Types and Health Benefits
Author/ The Tantalums - Han-Yi Han-Yi
Updated on 2024/07/30
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Main article What are the Six Tea Families?

In Chinese tea culture, tea leaves are divided into six categories according to the colour of the tea broth, commonly known as the "Six Tea Systems", which can be divided into the six basic categories of "green, yellow, white, green, red and black", and were later used as the most classic process for the primary production of tea leaves.
| Yellow Tea |
Micro fermentation 0~10% (post-fermentation) |
(yellow soup and yellow leaves) Restrained interior, with a mellow flavour Fragrance of Soya Beans and Rice Dumpling Leaves Corn whiskers, roasted corn Chestnut and barley aroma Sticky rice and herbal aroma Potpourri Fragrance, Burnt Flame Fragrance |
Junshan Silver Needle
Mengding Yellow Bud Pingyang Yellow Soup |
The production process of yellow tea is similar to that of green tea, but the difference is that there is an additional process of smothering, smothering and stacking, which is directly seen as yellow leaves and yellow broth, and the taste of green tea is fresh and crisp, while yellow tea is fresh and mellow.

Flavour Characteristics of Yellow Tea
Brulee has the following flavour characteristics due to its unique production process:
- Appearance: The leaves are tender yellow or golden yellow, and the buds and leaves are intact.
- Fragrance: Aromatic fragrance with a long history.
- flavour: Light sweet corn, cereal notes.
- flavoursSweet and mellow, smooth and mild, with a thick sweetness.
- Tea Soup: bright and translucent, with a high active consistency.
*The microorganisms in this method interact with pectinase, and during the post-fermentation process of polysaccharides, it is easy to produce more "water-soluble pectin", which makes it sticky and mellow, and also sweetens it with corn.

Yellow tea is an extremely slightly oxidised tea, but with the concept of post-fermentation, the craftsmanship in the processing means similar to green tea, there is also a theory that yellow tea may be the result of careless accidental mistakes in the production of fried green tea, created by the medicinal aroma, nectar taste, and occasionally there is a faint aroma of charcoal, rice dumpling leaf aroma, in the kneading, drying process before the action of the accumulation of a number of muffled yellow, the process resulting in the yellow soup and yellow leaves quality characteristics.
| tea | Fermentation Description | Definition of production process | Production Process | Representative Commodities |
| Yellow Tea | Almost none | Yellow Tea | Killing, smothering, kneading, drying | Junshan Silver Needle |
| Yellow Tea | No, micro-fermentation | Yellow Tea | Killing, Breading, Dulling, Drying | Mengding Yellow Bud |
This smothering process is the main feature of the yellow tea production method, and is also the basic difference between it and green tea. Green tea is unfermented, while yellow tea is lightly fermented.

Ping Yang Yellow Soup Small Leaf Tea Bottom photographed by Chen Zhiyuan.
The quality of yellow tea is characterised by yellow soup and yellow leaves, and its production method is mainly characterised by the sweltering process, which makes use of high and medium temperature to destroy most of the enzyme activity, and the subsequent oxidation of polyphenol substances is not much, and the changes are caused by theMoisture-heat effectIt causes post-fermentation and produces some coloured substances. The lesser degree of discolouration is yellow tea, while the heavier degree forms black tea, which can be interpreted as the concept of post-fermentation, except that the black tea has the added effect of external microorganisms.

Photographed on 2024.07.13 'Organised by the Northern Tea Federation', a sample of the teaching materials in the lecture by Liu Xinyu [The Rising Star: Yellow Tea - Finding the Flavourful Tea, Enzymes and Microorganisms].
The Secret of Young Master Tu
- Flavour Characteristics of Yellow Tea
- History of Yellow Tea
- The Difference Between Grown Yellow Tea and Crafted Yellow Tea
- The Art of Yellow Tea Production
- Classification of Yellow Tea
- Yellow Tea Signature Tea
- The Health of Yellow Tea
- Brewing Tips for Yellow Tea
History of Yellow Tea
The one that makes the most impression on Mr Tuan is: Meng Ding Yellow Buds. It was also the first yellow tea I learnt about because of the classic saying: "Water from the Yangzi River, tea from the top of Mengshan Mountain". In the Qing Dynasty, Liu Xianting's "Miscellany of Guangyang" mentions that the ancients believed that the water of the Yangzi River and the tea from the top of Mengshan Mountain were the best, and that since ancient times, the tea broth from the top of Mengding Mountain has been able to outperform the flavour of the immortal syrup, and that Sichuan's Mengding Mountain is the oldest tea-producing region in the country.

The famous ones are produced in small quantities and are rare, often with historical and cultural stories, but it's hard to say how good they are.
Although yellow tea has been a part of Chinese tea culture since ancient times, before the establishment of the Six Tea Crafts, the earliest talk of yellow leaves and yellow broths actually referred to varieties of yellow tea, and the "non-crafted" yellow tea appeared in the Tang Dynasty in places such as Sichuan-Shu, Guizhou-Guizhou, and Anhui-Liu'an, where there were special varieties of green tea with yellow leaves.
It is hard to say that "there is a similar process of yellow tea" production method appears, is the Song Dynasty tea culture in the Song Huizong pen "Da Guan Tea Theory" expression, to steam the elite to kill the elite into tea, is not easy to form without glue, in the tea before the tea need to be adjusted to the paste of the tea powder, the action of researching the paste, and at that time that the development of the paste into a tea paste is suitable for the powdered white tea (tea white, not the modern meaning of the white tea process), is to be steam buds of tea after the pressure of the yellow, pounded yellow, After steaming the tea buds, the tea must be pressed, pounded, and yellowed until it is thick enough to produce a thick foam that hangs well in the cup.
The Da Guan Theory of Tea Steaming
"The quality of tea depends particularly on the steaming of the tea buds and the pressing of the tea leaves. If the steaming time is too short, the tea buds will be slippery and the colour will be clear but the taste will be too strong; if the steaming time is too long, the tea buds will become rotten and the tea will become reddish in colour and not sticky enough. If the steaming time is too long, the tea buds will become rotten and the tea will become reddish in colour and not sticky enough. If the steaming time is too long, the aroma of the tea will disappear and the taste will become weak; if the steaming time is not long enough, the colour of the tea will become dull and the taste will be harsh. When steaming the tea buds, the tea should be steamed until it is just cooked and fragrant, and the pressing should be stopped as soon as the tea becomes sticky. In this way, it can be said that I have mastered 70% to 80% of the art of tea making."
The Da Guan Theory of Tea Manufacturing
"The steaming pressure should be moderate, the tea paste should be well ground, and the roasting should be just right. If there is fine sand when drinking the tea, it means that it is left behind during washing; if the tea texture is dry and reddish in colour, it means that it is over-roasted. When making tea, it is important to arrange the workload according to the length of the day, allocate the number of workers, and plan the amount of tea to be made in a day according to the amount of tea plucked, so as to ensure that the tea is made in one day, and to avoid the colour and flavour of the tea being affected by the overnight period".

It is a major yellow tea producing area and also an important producer of senior green tea. It is found in Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou, Anhui, Zhejiang and Guangdong.
The real meaning of the yellow tea as a production method, yellow tea to establish a specific set of production technology, was formed around the Ming Dynasty, before and after 1570 AD, the origin of the concentration of overlap in the original production of green tea production areas, mostly from the production of steamed green to kettle frying to kill the green tea production method, and gradually extended the craft of the six major tea system specifications, so it is often thought that the process is the cause of the production of green tea frying the beautiful error of the colour change in the wrong way.
Because of the abolition of tea groups in the Ming Dynasty, it was only after the change to the brewing method of tea soup, loose tea, yellow tea face to show the public, yellow tea "original pieces of loose tea" in the court in the form of tribute tea, specialised in providing to the upper class to enjoy, and in the official trade at that time in the ambassadors of the position. Beginning to have the appearance of the description, yellow tea has three yellow:
- Dried Tea Golden Yellow
- Bright yellow colour
- Tender Yellow Leaves

The Difference Between Grown Yellow Tea and Crafted Yellow Tea
- Varietal Yellow Tea: Tea colour comes from the warmth of the tea tree species.
- Crafted Yellow TeaThe main reason for this is that it relies on a specific production process.
The reason is that these tea trees will change their chlorophyll when the light level rises, so that the tea leaves will gradually turn from green to white and become greenish-yellow in colour; whereas in the case of lower light and temperature, especially in the early spring before the Qingming Festival, the tips of the tea buds will be golden-yellow in colour.
This light-sensitive type of tea tree is relatively stable compared to the temperature-sensitive type of whitening tea, and the colour system will remain bright yellow for a long time, and will only whiten completely when the light intensity reaches a certain level.

The leaves are green when there is not enough light. Fades with light changes
Varietal Yellow Tea Cases
- Rui Cao Kui (Yellow Tea)
- Anhui Shouzhou Yellow Tea (Variety Yellow Tea)
- Yellow Gold Bud (Varietal Yellow Tea)
- Medium Yellow No.1~3 (Variety Yellow Tea)
- Cloud Yellow No.1
Green tea products made from the yellowing of the natural tea tree.This is a high quality Chinese green tea that has been used as a tribute tea for the royal family in the past. The yellow coloured leaves of this type of variety are highly prized by tea lovers for their unique shape, aroma, taste and manufacturing process.
- Shape: Tight and thin, like a bird's tongue, with uniform tea buds.
- Colour: bright emerald green after drying.
- Aroma: Intense floral and chestnut aroma, high and persistent.
- Taste: fresh and sweet in the mouth, mellow flavour, strong aftertaste.
- Soup Colour: The tea broth is clear and bright, light green or yellow-green in colour.


Rui Cao Kui Tea Dried Tea (Yellow Tea - Green Tea)

Rui Cao Kui Tea Soup (Yellow Tea - Green Tea)

Rui Cao Kui Tea Soup (Yellow Tea - Green Tea)
Usually yellow tea is produced in the early spring season and has a slight fragrance, mossy aroma, bean soup aroma and rice sweetness, but compared to common products such as Longjing and Biluochun, it has less fragrance and freshness. According to Tantra's own experience and discussions and research in the community, this kind of yellow leaf varieties have not yet synthesised chlorophyll, and even though it is a tender plucked bud, it is not as fragrant as a hair, and has a stuffy flavour.

Guizhou Huang Jin Ya (Green Tea Practice)
The Art of Yellow Tea Production
The production process of yellow tea is unique. The production process of yellow tea is similar to that of green tea, but there is one more process of stuffing. This smothering process is the main feature of yellow tea production, and is also the basic difference between yellow tea and green tea.
Green tea is unfermented, while yellow tea is lightly fermented. The quality of yellow tea is characterized by yellow soup and yellow leaves, and its production method is mainly characterized by the sweltering process, which makes use of high-temperature killing to destroy enzyme activity, and the subsequent oxidation of polyphenol substances is caused by the action of humidity and heat, and produces some coloured substances. The lesser degree of discolouration is yellow tea, while the heavier degree forms black tea.

Chinese Yellow Tea, Chinese Yellow Small Tea, Taiwanese Yellow Tea (Photo taken in Taipei, Taiwan, 2024.06.30, by Lan Fangren, Explanation of Artisanal Yellow Tea and Varietal Yellow Tea)
Main Processes of Yellow Tea
- Picking and Selection: Tender and precious.
- kill the flowers: The principle and purpose is the same as that of green tea, and temperature control is required.
- PuffyThe key process is the formation of the quality of yellow tea.
- dryness: It will be done in batches and at a lower temperature than other teas.
The production process of yellow tea "stuffing" is the key to produce unique flavour and characteristics, the steps are cumbersome and difficult to learn, and the economic value is low compared to the effectiveness of green tea, although the yellow tea soup and yellow leaves have an irreplaceable aroma and taste, but due to the production time consuming up to about three days and three nights (about 72 hours) to complete, it has gradually declined in modern times and is regarded as a niche, and in recent years, it is beginning to have a turnaround.

The Process and Highlights of Crafted Yellow Tea Production
Let's start by analysing the following important steps in the production of yellow tea:
1. Harvesting and selection
Yellow tea is usually made from young buds and leaves, which are rich in nutrients and aroma. The standard of harvesting varies according to the variety of tea leaves, and is usually done around the time of the Ching Ming Festival to ensure the freshness and tenderness of the tea leaves.
2. Elimination
Greening is the first and one of the most important steps in yellow tea production. The purpose of culling is to stop the oxidase activity of the tea leaves through high temperature treatment, so as to retain the fresh green colour of the tea leaves. The temperature and time of culling need to be precisely controlled to prevent the tea leaves from being over-heated or under-heated. The killing temperature of yellow tea is relatively low, generally controlled between 100℃-120℃. The principle and purpose of yellow tea culling is basically the same as that of green tea, but the quality of yellow tea requires yellow leaves and yellow broth, so the culling temperature and technology has its own special features.
3. Mulling and Warming (Moisture and Heat)
According to the different order of yellow tea mulling, it is further divided into wet blank mulling and dry blank mulling:
- Wet billet boring, after killing or hot kneading, and then boring to make it yellow, due to the high water content in the leaves, the change is fast.
- The dry blanks are dull yellow, due to the low water content in the leaves, the change is slower and the yellowing time is longer.
Bunching, along with the technique of moistening, is a key step in the production of yellow tea, and is accompanied by the subsequent fermentation that changes the flavour of the tea.
- curetteThe tea leaves are wrapped in paper or covered with a damp cloth after being killed and twisted for a period of time ranging from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the type of tea and the requirements of the production. The purpose of stacking is to promote the non-enzymatic oxidation of tea leaves under the action of water and heat, resulting in the formation of yellow colour.
- PuffyMulling refers to the process of leaving tea leaves for a certain period of time under certain temperature and humidity conditions, so that the tea leaves will gradually turn yellow. Non-enzymatic browning occurs during the boring process, which can turn the astringent flavour to sweet. Instead of browning the tea leaves all at once, it should be baked three times and browned three times, gradually increasing the temperature during the process.
4. Kneading
Kneading is a key step in the shaping of tea leaves. Through kneading, the cells of the tea leaves are broken and the tea juices spill out, increasing the aroma and flavour of the tea leaves. Yellow tea is generally kneaded more gently to avoid excessive damage to the cellular structure of the tea leaves, so as to preserve its aroma and flavour.
5. Drying
Drying is the final step in the production of yellow tea, the purpose of which is to remove the water from the tea leaves to ensure their preservation. Yellow tea is usually dried in two stages, first at low temperature and then at high temperature:
- Initial dryingFirst Roasting: The temperature of the first roasting is relatively low, usually controlled between 60°C and 70°C. This step mainly removes most of the water from the tea leaves and makes the tea leaves soft and supple.
- excessive heatFoot-fire: The temperature of the foot-fire is relatively high, usually between 80°C and 90°C. This step is to dry the tea leaves thoroughly and to fix the aroma and shape of the tea leaves. Temperature control during the drying process is crucial, as too high a temperature will ruin the aroma and taste of the tea leaves, while too low a temperature will not dry the tea leaves thoroughly and affect preservation.
Yellow tea is dried in two stages. The gross fire uses a low temperature for drying and the foot fire uses a high temperature for drying. The first low and then high temperatures are important factors in the formation of the flavour of yellow tea. The accumulation of yellow leaves, stir-frying at lower temperatures, water evaporation is slow, drying speed is slow, the automatic oxidation of polyphenols and other special features such as chlorophyll in the role of humidity and heat to carry out slow transformation, to promote the further formation of yellow leaves and yellow soup.
Then the yellow tea is roasted at a higher temperature to fix the quality of the yellow tea that has been formed, and at the same time, under the action of dry heat, the ester-type catechins are cleaved into simple catechins and gallic acid, which increases the mellow flavour of the yellow tea. After the sugar is converted to caramel, the amino acids are converted to volatile aldehydes by heat, which constitute an important component of the aroma of yellow tea. Low-boiling point aromatic substances in the higher temperature part of the volatile, part of the green leaf alcohol isomerisation, turned into a clear aroma, high-boiling point aromatic substances due to the high temperature effect is revealed. These changes constitute the aroma of yellow tea.
6. Finishing
After the yellow tea has been made, it still needs to be refined, including picking and sieving to remove impurities and substandard leaves to ensure the quality of the tea leaves. This step is usually carried out after drying, and may vary according to market demand and tea varieties.
7. packaging and storage
Refined yellow tea needs to be packaged and stored to maintain its quality and aroma. The packaging materials should be moisture-proof, oxygen-blocking, and kept clean and odourless. The storage environment should be dry, cool and avoid direct sunlight and odour contamination to ensure the long-term preservation of the yellow tea, aged to red with wolfberry jujube aroma and old brown sugar.

Classification of Yellow Tea
Yellow tea is usually classified into the following grades according to the tenderness of the buds and leaves, the production process and the flavour characteristics:
- Yellow Bud Tea: Made from the tips of the buds, the buds are apricot-yellow in colour, the leaves are long and thin, and the soup is tender and yellow in colour.
- Wong Siu Tea: Made from young leaves, which have a dark orange colour, the leaves are smaller and the soup has a bright orange colour.
- Wong Tai Tea: Made with larger leaves, the soup has a goose-yellow colour.
- Seasonally, pre-Mingqian is better than other seasons.

Yellow tea is intuitively divided into yellow bud tea, small yellow tea, and large yellow tea according to the level of plucking.

The common production process varies slightly depending on the raw material of the tea plant.

There are three types of yellow tea: dry yellow, soup yellow and tea base yellow.

Various Yellow Tea Soup Colours
Tea -> Killing -> (Bold) -> Twisting -> Drying Yellow Bud Tea
Tea -> Killing -> Kneading -> (Mulling) -> Drying Wong Siu Tea
Tea -> Killing -> Kneading -> (Mulling) -> Drying Wong Tai Tea
Wong Tai Tea Style
Faithful to the palate presentation, non layered, fibrous, bold, balanced, sweet, mellow, aromas are relatively unremarkable but slight corn whiskers, roasted corn, potpourri aromas, chestnut flavours.
Some of the items of Huangda Tea will be gradually increased in temperature due to the process of repeatedly frying the tea and drying to reduce the water content, so that it has a slightly high fire aroma, and it is easy to drink it blindly and mistakenly like a Japanese roasted tea.

The dried leaves of Wong Tai Tea are usually dark in colour, with a yellowish-greenish tinge and a curly shape.

The bottom of the yellow tea will have more yellow leaves when it is steeped, and you can see the buds and leaves.
Q: What is Wong Tai Tea?
Yellow tea is made with one bud, two, three, four or five leaves, such as Huoshan yellow tea and Guangdong big leaf green. The marketing point is that "digestive enzymes" can help eliminate food and health effects, which is also the concept of ration tea.
Wong Siu Tea Style
It is the most colourful version of all yellow teas, with more layers in brewing, and has both young buds and young leaves, and the yellow leaves can be seen on the dried leaves of many versions of yellow small tea from different origins. The aroma of sweet corn, sweet glutinous rice, and rice dumpling leaves is the signature aroma, and the smooth and creamy texture is the most distinctive "Artisanal Yellow Tea" harvesting standard among all yellow tea products.

The yellow leaves of yellow small tea are obvious, and the young buds can also be seen, so it can be regarded as a grade similar to White Peony of White Tea.

The bottom of yellow tea is the freshest looking tea, the yellow leaves are very uniform, which is the same as the international black tea premium grade.
Yellow Bud Tea Style
In the highest grade of yellow tea picking standards, almost all buds with leaflets, or almost all bud tips, the more tender the more advanced picking with the green tea culture in the past more influence on the grade, because the bud tip material production is often seen to be stir-fried and then smothered, and will not be kneaded, strong kneading to maintain the perfect shape of the leaves, so in the heat and humidity under the action of the changes will be compared to the yellow small tea less. It has the freshness and sweetness similar to green tea, with a mellow and thick texture, and a light but full-bodied soup colour.
Soya bean aroma, sweet bean broth, vanilla and herb aroma are the flavours that will come out in this top quality yellow bud tea.

Yellow bud tea is also a tea that cares about the appearance.

Compared with the green tea, the yellow leaf colour can be easily seen on the bottom of the leaves.
Yellow Tea Signature Tea
Yellow tea mainly consists of the following signature teas, each with its own unique flavour and characteristics:
- Junshan Silver Needle: Yellow bud tea. The top version is known as gold inlaid jade.
- Munding Yellow Bud: Yellow bud tea. History.
- Huoshan Yellow Bud: Yellow bud tea. A great entry point for large quantities of food.
- Mogan Yellow Bud: Yellow bud tea.
- Pingyang Yellow Soup: Yellow small tea. Yellow tea traditional craft.
- Taoist Mountain Mao Jian: Yellow small tea.
- Yuanan Mao Jian: Yellow small tea.
- Beigang Mao Jian: Yellow small tea.
- Luyuan Mao Jian: Yellow small tea.
- Seahorse Palace Tea: Yellow small tea.
- Huoshan Huangda Tea: Huangda Tea.
- Anhui yellow big tea: yellow big tea.
- Guangdong Da Ye Qing: Yellow tea.

Names and places of origin of famous yellow teas in China

Yellow tea has an apricot-yellow colour, sometimes yellow-green, yellow-white or yellow-orange, with a thick, oily surface and a slight golden ring around the rim of the cup.
Market Value of Yellow Tea by Region
- Sichuan Province, andHunan Province.The price is relatively the highest and it has a representative position in the market, but the production is small.
- Zhejiang Province, Anhui Province.Better average price, higher market value, higher production.
- Hubei Province, andGuizhou Province.The price is relatively low and the CP value is high, which is suitable for public consumption.
Junshan Silver Needle
Junshan tea is produced on the Junshan Island in Dongting Lake, Hunan Province, China, with the legend of Emperor Shun and his consort, and is only harvested from the young buds that have not yet opened, and the harvesting standards are strict with the nine no-picking rules, and it is one of the top ten famous teas in China, with a very scarce production, so it is very expensive. When brewing the tea, it is important to have three ups and three downs: "Junshan Silver Needle" is as upright as a sword crude, and "Junshan Mao Jian" is a white hairy Gong Jian tea hung with gold and jade, and the colour of the soup is described as apricot-yellow and clean, with the aroma of rice dumplings and glutinous rice of boring yellow cabbage leaves.
* In addition to the traditional group species, there are also special designated species, and now Silver Needle No. 1 and Silver Needle No. 2 have been selected.
Strictly speaking, the appearance is good-looking and beautiful, but the taste is boring and cohesive. Compared with green tea, the advantages of yellow tea are not enough, and yellow tea does not have as many special characteristics as yellow small tea.

Junshan Silver Needle, the highest grade of yellow tea in the signature goods, gun flag buds fat, golden yellow with obvious hair, the famous yellow plume in the Tang Dynasty county records.
Moganshan Yellow Buds
Produced in Moganshan, Deqing County, Zhejiang Province, it was first planted with Buddhist monks in Moganshan, and is mostly grown in bamboo gardens, which gives it a sweet yellow flower aroma and a strong sweet aroma of glutinous rice, while the flavour is sweet and silky.
The tea buds are not particularly white and fat, and the bottom of the tea is a darker, deeper yellow colour. Although it is a bud tea, but probably due to the local picking habits and varieties, the leaf tenderness of the leaves is relatively large, and the lotus buds are relatively small. The tea soup is relatively thick, but there is a hint of sweetness in the tea soup.

Mossan Yellow Tea, slightly curved in appearance, with hairs on the bottom of the leaves.
Huoshan Yellow Bud
Huoshan County, Anhui Province, the Tang Dynasty on the emergence of tea production, the ancient called this Xian, now this yellow tea although it is said to be after the Ming and Qing dynasties began to do, but the early years of technology has a succession gap, and now see the version of the version is about 1971 began to re-create the version. The high-altitude version is classified as excellent, with a uniform appearance, long and thin like a bird's tongue, golden yellow colour, white hairs showing, and a clear yellowish-green soup.
Aroma mellow and rich, with chestnut aroma is the logo incense, but many people also think that there is a silkworm bean aroma, drink like Longjing, only with rock sugar sweetness is more prominent, the effect of lasting characteristics of the birth of fluids.

The taste is like icing sugar in your mouth, and it will be sweet for a long time.
Huoshan Huangda Tea
In the western Anhui Province, there is a standard yellow tea that is not pure buds, although it is most famous for the appearance of large branches and large leaves, but there are also yellow small tea produced in Huoshan, Jinzhai and Da'an, and the good ones are actually produced in the area of Swallow River in Jinzhai, which is particularly good. It is easy to have burnt taste and boring yellow leaf aroma and potpourri taste, with strong and strong brewing resistance, and the colour of the tea broth is a bit darker than other yellow teas.

The colour is bright, golden and oily, with a greenish-yellow background and soft, thick leaves.

Hanzhong Honey Yellow
A special new yellow tea from Shaanxi, proposed as a public regional trade name at the 2023 Tea Expo, with a curly, dark green with yellow in the middle, and an orange-yellow tea broth with a peculiar honeyed flavour. Though it boasts a fruity, honeyed aroma, the actual experience is close to the sweetness of tree nectar from wood, and not nectar, but rather, a stuffy, deep, heavy and thick consistency.
*But it is a newly launched product of the production area, and we still have to wait and see, is close to the positioning of the "yellow big tea" situation.

Seahorse Palace Tea
Guizhou Dafang County, only the tender yellow tea, in the foot of the Eagle Rock Haima Gong Village, is considered a high-altitude production area, the adoption of fluffy small-leaf group species, only appeared in the Qing Dynasty during the Qianlong years.
The more famous local green tea is Bamboo Leaf Green, and the Haima Palace Yellow Tea Premium Bud Tea is similar in appearance to the Bamboo Leaf Green dull yellow version. The flavour is a kind of baked grain sweet wheat tea, the aftertaste is sweet with green in the soup, it is thick at the beginning, but after rinsing, it will show more and more the characteristics of yellow tea, it is a cheap and tasty commodity.

Mengding Yellow Bud
Ya'an, Sichuan Province, a famous historical tea, the Western Han Dynasty has a record of tea production, Mengding Mountain tea through the ages, have been the royal level of tribute through the ages. It is very particular about the picking season, starting from the spring equinox, only one bud and one leaf are taken, and the tips of the buds are very fat and flat, with yellow hairs on the buds.
The local varieties are very diversified, extending different grades of Meiming Yellow Tea products, Ganlu, Shihua, Huangya, Miba, Wanchun Yinye, and Jade Leaf Everlasting, all of which have been documented in the literature as styles of Mengding Yellow Tea, and now it is the "Ganlu" style that is the most mainstream and reserved for production, with the tea soup colour of yellow with a hint of turquoise and a hidden yellow flower aroma, and the taste is not obvious, but it has the aroma of soybean, cereal, and chestnut, and the sweetness of lingzhi.


Health Benefits of Yellow Tea
Yellow tea not only has a unique flavour, it also has many health benefits:
- Promote digestion: Helps to promote gastrointestinal peristalsis, eliminate food and improve digestion. (Staple)
- antioxidant: Yellow tea is rich in polyphenols, which have strong antioxidant properties and help in anti-aging.
- Freshen up your brainCaffeine in yellow tea is a good way to refresh your mind and improve your concentration.
- Healthy Spleen and Stomach: Not irritating compared to green tea
- Other Health BenefitsYellow Tea is also known for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and other health benefits, which help to boost the immune system.
Tea flavour
Polyphenol compounds Theaflavins account for 0.5~2% of the dried tea, orange-yellow in colour, which Mr. Yip Sai Man calls soft gold, are formed by the oxidation and polymerisation of catechins, but are unstable active compounds.
- Spicy and astringent, but also refreshing.
- Brightness in the tea broth.
- The tea broth is composed of a gold ring around the rim of the cup.
- The highest content is found in the two leaves of one heart, not in the pure buds of the tea.
- Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer,

The dried appearance of Yellow Siu Tea can be seen as yellowish.
Comparison of Functions and Effects
| Functions and Effects | Theaflavin | catechin | Tea Red | pheophytin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| antioxidant | Extremely strong | Extremely strong | moderate | moderate |
| anticancer | powerful | powerful | moderate | there are |
| anticancer | there are | there are | (following a decimal or fraction) slightly less than | there are |
| antibacterial | there are | there are | (following a decimal or fraction) slightly less than | (following a decimal or fraction) slightly less than |
| Cardiovascular protection | there are | there are | there are | there are |
| Weight loss | No | there are | No | there are |
| improve digestion | No | No | there are | there are |
| Reduce blood pressure | No | there are | No | there are |
| antihyperlipidemic | there are | there are | there are | there are |
| hypoglycemic | No | No | No | there are |
| Regulate intestinal flora | No | No | No | there are |
Although the current yellow tea due to the flavour and taste, relatively low acceptance in the market, the market for yellow tea boring yellow craft production is too cumbersome, and the economic value is not enough to support the manpower to invest in the production of more traditional craft of yellow tea, so gradually also tend to green tea aesthetic is the current state of the Chinese market, only to seek a piece of the green tea market in the broader market.
From the research point of view of Tuan Gongzi, it is not practical to improve yellow tea in order to cater to the green tea market, and the freshness of green tea buds pursued by those who prefer green tea is contradictory to the characteristics of yellow tea that can be presented, rather, it is the right way to find out the difference between the product and that which can be accepted by the Oolong tea, black tea and other consumers in the niche market.

China Tea Market Tea Relationship Share, data to 2023.
Compared to the current share of yellow tea in Taiwan is almost closer to 0%, meaning that there is still a lot of room to be developed.
Moreover, Taiwan's market is influenced by the mainstream of oolong tea, and the proportion of consumers who prefer green tea is not as large as that of China, so there is no stereotypical impression of the quality requirements of green tea, and there is even more room for improvement in yellow tea to find a suitable audience for differentiation, regardless of post-fermentation technology, smothering technology, and anaerobic technology, Taiwan's tea-making crafts have the relevant experience.
What is the feasibility of yellow tea in Taiwan?
At present, not many Taiwan's yellow tea has been tested, most have not been able to master the production methods, or did not find yellow tea characteristics, but because of market trends, yellow tea commodities are still picking standards affect the price of many, if the mature leaf commodities to go functional health care products may have a market, but have not yet seen a breakthrough in the appropriate point.

Photographed on 2024.07.13 'Organised by the Northern Tea Federation', a sample of the teaching materials in the lecture by Liu Xinyu [The Rising Star: Yellow Tea - Finding the Flavourful Tea, Enzymes and Microorganisms].
After many attempts and years of evaluation, Tuan Gongzi has listed here a few of the products that have been sold in Taiwan using the "yellow tea-like" process:
- New Taipei Ping Forestry Area, Ruby variety of yellow small tea.
- Sanzhi District, New Taipei, Hongyu variety of yellow tea.
- Nantou's famous township, the four-seasonal spring varieties of Huangda Tea.
- Nantou's famous township, Jade varieties of Huangda tea.
- Kaohsiung Taoyuan District, Native Tea Yellow Xiaocha.
- Kaohsiung's Meinong district, native mountain tea Huangda tea.

A yellow tea that is close to Taiwan's yellow tea
Taiwan Tea No.18 Red Jade VarietyBecause of its own special flavour, the yellow tea has a characteristic aroma, in fact, it is competitive, the young buds part of the Sanzhi test is not too advantageous and can not be subjected to pests have added, so it is more recommended to pick about three leaves, but the production process will have to be revised and adjusted can not be used in the orthodox yellow tea production practices, the bitterness will be stronger.

Yu Sanhe Autumn 2018, a sample of Wong Tai Tea sampled by Ping Lin Hong Yu.
Taiwan Tea No.13 Jade VarietyThe use of Taiwan's Four Seasons Spring and Jade Jade,orange day-lily (Hemerocallis fulva)The style of this variety is very similar to that of Oolong tea. Taiwan's small leaf varieties are mostly of the type with sufficient aroma, fermentation and floral flavour, rather than sweetness with many fresh and refreshing substances, and among these Taiwan varieties, Jade is more prepared to be this kind of low-fermented yellow tea. The overwhelming advantage is in the taste rather than the aroma.
If the Jade item is feasible, Mr Tuan will find it similar.2028 strainSilver Dragon,white heron (Egretta garzetta), and209Pigeon,Green Heart MandarinIt will also have the advantage of making Taiwan yellow tea.

Taiwan Wong Tai Tea made with Jade

Taiwan Wong Tai Tea made with Jade
Taiwan CamelliaDue to the characteristics of the variety, it also has the feeling of mushrooms, herbs, wood, soup and nuts. The tea soup is sweet, with cane sugar and malt aroma, and the flavour is unique, which is different from that of the Small Leaf variety.

Kaohsiung Taoyuan District.Hana Valley Native Wild TeaYellow tea made from native camellia sinensis (Photographed at Lan Fangren's three-and-a-half-member yellow tea class on 2024.06.30)

The yellow tea made from Mino's native camellia sinensis is known asYellow JadeI can see that the appearance of the colour is yellowish-black, quoted fromYung Chuen Tea.
However, in terms of practical evaluation and application, Mr Tuan believes that relying on health tea alone is not enough to become a market demand. From the perspective of Taiwan's current tea industry, the high cost of manpower production makes it impossible to compete with China's yellow tea production areas in terms of space for collecting and plucking young buds, and it is difficult to seek customers from the green tea market.

If the raw material of Taiwan yellow tea is mechanically harvested, the goal is to produce a "crushed yellow tea" with a standardised corn and grain aroma, and with a watery sweetness and a fresh, mellow and thick taste, which is conducive to the use in the hand-shaken beverage industry, but how to improve the production method and smothering technology will be the first innovative test in the future in the yellow tea of Taiwan.
Brewing Tips for Yellow Tea
Main article:How to Brew Yellow Tea|What is Yellow Tea? How to Brew Yellow Tea
Many people treat yellow tea as green tea and start to lower the temperature of the brewing process, but it does not show the characteristics of yellow tea and is treated as an adjunct to the green tea market, which is a very unfortunate tactic:
- Tea Set Selection: It is recommended to use a gaiwan or earthenware vessel, which can be used to take Oolong tea directly.
- Water Temperature ControlThe temperature of the water used for brewing yellow tea should be controlled between 95 and 100 degrees centigrade.
- quantity of tea thrown: The amount of tea leaves brewed each time should be adjusted according to personal taste, and can be light rather than strong, and should be replaced by time.
- Soak TimeThe first brewing time is controlled at about 40~60 seconds, and the subsequent brewing time can be extended appropriately, so that the concentration is not too high and you can feel the change of flavour.
Yellow Bud Tea
2g yellow bud tea in 120ml container of 95 degree hot water.
Mild, 40s, 30s, 60s, 90s, 150s
Wong Siu Tea
3g yellow tea, 120ml hot water at 95 degrees Celsius.
Multiple brews
Gentle, 40s, 30s, 60s, 90s, 150s, 240s
Wong Tai Tea
4g yellow tea, container 120ml, 100 degrees hot water
Multiple brews
Gentle, 40s, 30s, 60s, 90s, 150s, 240s
Old Yellow Tea
4g yellow bud tea, 120ml hot water at 100 degrees Celsius in container
Always moisten first and then brew several times
Gentle, 40s, 30s, 60s, 90s, 150s, 240s
The Unsolved Mystery of Yellow Tea
Tu Gongzi believes that some concepts are not yet defined, so he has compiled them here for now.
- What are the techniques and strategies for smothering? (young buds smothered with paper, mature leaves smothered with buckets, usually without cloth?)
- How is the practice of smothering implemented in Taiwanese teas and is it possible to smother twice at different points of the season? (Yes)
- What are the characteristics and advantages of a good yellow tea variety? (Willow thinks it is close to the suitable green tea varieties)
- Are the adapted species grouped or reproduced asexually?
- Is it possible to take a cloth muffler on a pile?
- Can you hit the cloth ball and then put it on the cloth?
- Can yellow tea be used for biscuit forming, after all, there is a post-fermentation element?
- Can I add strains and select strains? (Blue recognised as operational)
- If yeast is added artificially, can it still be considered a traditional yellow tea process? (Blue thinks so.)
- What is the drying method of yellow tea? Temperature, charcoal drying, electric drying? (Drying below 80 degrees)
- Is it possible to smother in an electric roaster during the drying process?
- Although the other side of the Taiwan Strait does not care about pests as raw materials, if the yellow tea is transferred to Taiwan's territory, will the element of pests be helpful to the yellow tea production?
- For Taiwan's Tea Tree tea leaves, is it dry or wet blonding when blonding?
- How to define a good stuffy technique and a flawed stuffy flavour?
- Is it necessary to retain the freshness of the finished yellow tea?
Open Invitation to "Lecture Theatre Programme" to learn about Yellow Tea

► Course Objectives:
- This course will introduce different grades of yellow tea.
- Understanding the Yellow Tea Craft
- Understanding the characteristics of yellow tea
- For tea beginners
- People with cross-domain knowledge analysis
- Baristas, tea masters, and beverage industry professionals
- The R&D engineers and chefs of Quefan Inspiration
- Partners who understand tea making but are unfamiliar with the market
- Tour guides, tour leaders, and other tourism industry workers

- Guizhou: Haima Palace Yellow Tea
- Sichuan: Mengding Yellow Bud
- Taiwan: Camellia Sinensis Yellow Tea
- Taiwan: Jade Yellow Tea
- Pingyang Yellow Soup Yellow Sprouts
- Pingyang Yellow Soup Yellow Small Tea
- Pingyang Yellow Tea
- Pingyang Yellow Soup Yellow Cake (Tianrun Tea Factory + Zijiu Co., Ltd.)
- Huangshan Yellow Tea Yellow Bud Tea (Yu Lan Tea Studio)
- Huoshan Yellow Bud Yellow Bud Tea
- Tea Time Teahouse
- Mogan Yellow Bud Yellow Bud Tea Non-legacy


►Yellow Tea Evaluation Course (Experiential, Introductory)
09:45 – 10:00 Early arrival to welcome guests
10:00 - 10:35 Introduction to Yellow Tea and the Six Tea Systems
10:35 - 11:00 Artisanal Yellow Tea, Variety Yellow Tea
11:00 - 11:30 Yellow Tea and Other Sections
11:30 - 11:45 Concepts of Yellow Tea Brewing
11:45 - 12:00 Voting, Networking and Q&A




Further reading in the complete series:
- [Tea Variety Database] Comprehensive Compilation of Tea Tree Varieties
- What are the Six Tea Families?
- [A Must-Read for Beginners] 108 Questions About Tea, Answered by Professional Tea Masters
- Tea Blending. How to make base tea and strong tea.
- How to make tea? It turns out that experts also use the lazy man's method of making tea in the office.
Join us.LINE Tea Research
The series of tea courses kicked off with instructor HAN-YI arranging a series of experiential tea courses in professional fields, from understanding tea leaves, choosing utensils, brewing methods, analysing and adjusting, and staff skills, and so on.
Welcome to write to us: hanyi2016tea@gmail.com






