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  Anhui Yellow, 1/4 lb package
  Anhui Yellow Tea
 

Anhui Yellow

The way this tea is processed allows for more steepings than any other green tea. The fine leaves are carefully picked and 60% is dried and kept overnight. Then half of the remaining tea is dried, and at last the final 20%. The leaf oxidizes slightly during this process for a true yellow tea character. The full, complex flavor unfolds best by brewing it the traditional Chinese way. Our support of Mr. Dai and his family helps to keep this tradition alive.

Sebastian's Choice.


Price $38.50

Country: China
Region: Anhui
Tasting Notes: Vegetal, stands up to several steepings
Year of Production: 2010

Product Code: YC100
Temporarily out of stock.

Description
 
In Pursuit of Tea Yellow Tea



Sustaining a dying craft

Over the years, we have visited Mr Dai and his family, who still retain the skills to make this labor intensive yellow tea. This is a dying craft, as tea farmers turn to growing more marketable green teas, which also don't require as much time and effort to make. We are proud to support the Dais' craft, by bringing this wonderful tea to the US.


History & Region

Yellow tea was traditionally made in Anhui province and is now almost a lost tradition. One often reads that it was a rare, high quality tea reserved for the emperor. This is actually a myth; yellow tea was a workers' tea enjoyed by many.

Anhui Province is known for it's green teas, some which are grown around the famous Huang Shan (Yellow Mountain) as well as Keemun Black (Red) tea from Quimen. Yellow tea is also made here although much of what is marketed as such is actually green tea.
Crafting Yellow Tea

First the leaves are pan fired. Two woks are used after the leaves are brought in from the field to stop the oxidation. Each wok is heated to a different temperature by the amounts of wood added to the fire underneath. One wok is used for "sha qing", killing the green (which stops the oxidization process). The other wok is used to keep the leaves warm, without overcooking, is preparation for the rolling process.

After the initial pan firing, the leaves are then carefully hand rolled into a rough, twisted shape. The next process is the final charcoal roast.


Charcoal Fired Roasting Process - an old tradition

Bamboo baskets are used to slowly dry the tea leaves over several days. This allows for more oxidation than a green tea. Yellow tea, when you can find it today, usually is just a green tea made up of very young, spring picked leaves. Charcoal is placed on a stand inside the bottom basket, and heats the top basket holding the leaves. The leaves are tended very carefully and turned every ten minutes or so, so the drying process is evenly distributed. In the evening the leaves are covered, and the next morning the process is repeated until all the moisture in the leaves are gone.



Brewing Notes
  • Start with your favorite spring or filtered water. Preheat the teaware. Use a large strainer basket to allow the leaves to open and release their flavor.
  • Temperature: 185 F               Time: 1 1/2 minutes
    Amount: 3g / 6 oz serving = 1 rounded teaspoon
  • Re-steep to make another cup. Play with the amount of tea, the water temperature, and steeping time to re-steep - rely on taste, not color. Get to know the tea!
  • For more about brewing tea, visit our Brewing Notes page.

Average Customer Review: Based on 1 reviewsWrite a review.


  3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
 
Mike's Choice January 12, 2011
Reviewer: Mike Phipps from Huntsville, AL United States  
This is a wonderful tea.  And it is a Green tea but it has more taste than most Green Teas.  It doesn't taste Green. If you are lib Greenie then you might not like this tea.  But this is a man's Green Tea.  And if you don't read this and don't pay attention you'd never realized it is a Green tea.  Don't order to much because there will be no left for me.

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