Chuan Huang

(August 2022 tea club)

A first for us, a huang cha (yellow tea) from Sichuan province. Another commissioned tea from this spring, this farmer is typically a green tea producer, but he was willing to make us a small production of yellow tea for the club. Yellow tea is one of the lesser-known categories of tea and also has a somewhat fluctuating definition, depending on who is making the tea. Basically, yellow tea is green tea with an additional step called men huang which means something like “cover and yellow” or “enclose tightly and yellow”. During this step, the tea is bundled up and allowed to slowly oxidize a bit, taking the edge off the sharp green and yielding a more smooth brew. Most yellow tea is yellowed one time, but our Chuan Huang was yellowed twice (once after rolling, then dried a bit, then yellowed again) dulli the astringency even further than most. It is a delightfully easy going and bright tea, and also quite a bit easier on the stomach than it’s green tea counterpart. Still very spring-y, fresh tea, but without the sharp green that many people find too pointed. If you brew a big decanter and toss it in the fridge sometime this summer, I cannot imagine that being a mistake.

Brewing instructions: Gongfu style, with roughly 6g per 100ml in your vessel and fast steeps. For the huangcha, I personally use boiling water but if you prefer a lighter brew drop to 90C.