Huo Shan Huang Ya (Tan Bei – Charcoal Roasted) Yellow Tea

Huo Shan Huang Ya is one of the three famous Chinese Yellow teas, with the other two Meng Ding Huang Ya and Jun Shan Yin Zhen.

Huo Shan Huang Ya is produced in the Dabieshan Area in Huoshan County of Anhui Province. And there is a special local tea cultivar Huoshan Jinjizhong in Huoshan. The Huo Shan Huang Ya is traditionally made by the material form this cultivar.

Most of the territory of Huoshan is in Dabieshan and controlled by Subtropical humid monsoon climate. There is no extreme weather and there is a lot of cloud and mist. the tea and other plants grow very well.

The tea produced in Huoshan had been specially valued in the history. In Tang Dynasty, the Emperor Tang Xian Zong positioned three thousand soldiers in Huoshan to protect the tea gardens there. In Ming Dynasty, the tea made in Huoshan was tribute tea to the central government.

The harvesting of Huo Shan Huang Ya starts after Qing Ming. The plucking standard is one bud one leaf and One bud two leaves new open.

The processing of Huo Shan Huang Ya follows: Plucking-Frying (and make tea body)-Primary baking-Piling-Second Baking-Sorting. After the plucking of the tea leaves, they will be withered slightly for some time,

then they are sent for frying. During the frying, the enzymes in the tea will be killed, and also for Huo Shan Huang Ya, the frying will last longer time than most of the other green teas, to make the tea body of the tea.

After the tea is fried, it will be lay out for cooling down, and then they will be sent for first time baking. the baking temperature is high to aroun 110-120 degree. and it lasts only a few minutes. When the water content is left around 30%, the baking will stop.

And then it comes the most characteristics processing of Huo Shan Huang Ya, Piling. The piling of the tea leaves will last around one more days, till the color of tea turns to yellowish.  (Here it is necessary to point out that though the piling 闷黄 of Huo Shan Huang Ya lasts one more days, the piling of it is still considered as light. Because it is conducted after primary baking, the water content has been lowered. Some other yellow tea,eg. Jun Shan Yin Zhen and Bei Gang Mao Jian are piled right after frying when the water content of tea leaves are still very high. So even though their piling time is shorter than Huo Shan Huang Ya, their yellow extent is deeper than Huo Shan Huang Ya. In this point, Huang Shan Huang Ya is a light yellow tea). During the piling, the polyphenols in the tea are mostly transformed. The astringency of the tea will be lowered. Consequently the mature mellow taste will be improved.

After the piling, the tea will be sent for final baking.

In the final baking, the temperature is lower at around 90 degree. The tea will be continually stirred to ensure even heating. When the tea turns very crispy, and it can be squeezed into powder by fingers, the baking is enough.

Before it is finalized, the yellow pieces, broken leaves and stalk needs to be sorted out.

The Huo Shan Huo Ya tea body is yellowish green and there is white hair covering. The color of the brewing liquor is bright orange and the flowery fragrance of the tea is strong and lingers. The taste is strong and mellow. the aftertaste is sweet and deep.