Yellow Tea - A Mild And Healthy Tea
Yellow tea is a rare variety of tea which is slowly gaining recognition in Western countries. It is produced only in China, where it has long traditions. As the name suggests, yellow tea has a yellow, golden appearance, both as unused tea leaves and as the finished, brewed tea. Despite the color, it has the same antioxidant content as green tea, but lacks the strong "grassy" taste disliked by some.
First, we should note that there are two types of tea that are both called "yellow tea": The first is the actual yellow tea, which is yellow in appearance and is made specifically to remove the grassy taste of the green teas. This is a distinct variety of tea all on its own, and it is the sort of yellow tea that this site is about.
The other "yellow tea" is the different teas that were paid to the Chinese Emperor in tribute every year by the peasants. Yellow was the royal color, and all the tea that was paid as tribute (a form of royal tax) was popularly called "yellow tea", since it basically went to fill the stores of the royal family. However, those teas were not yellow in color and are not interesting for our purposes.
Yellow tea is almost by definition a tea that is fermented, or oxidized, for longer than green tea is, but not completely oxidized like black or oolong tea. The drying phase is slower, and the damp tea leaves are left to take on a natural, light yellow color.
By this process, the yellow tea loses the vegetal, "grassy" aftertaste which is often associated with green tea. Many tea drinkers who don't like the taste of green tea often prefer the yellow teas, as the health benefits are the same, but the taste is subtler and sweeter.
Yellow tea is sometimes known popularly as a green tea with a less intense flavor, and sometimes improperly fermented green tea is passed off and sold as yellow tea. This is often the case if the tea has a taste of fermentation, which real yellow tea does not have.
Because the process of making proper yellow tea is tedious and time-consuming, this variety is the least produced and probably the least known of the teas. It is easier for the tea farmers to simply make green tea, which is perceived as more marketable. While not as prestigious (or expensive) as white tea, yellow tea is to this day very rare, even in China.
Health Benefits of Yellow Tea
Because yellow tea is made from Camellia sinensis, the same plant as the other teas (black, green, oolong, pu-erh and white tea) are made from, the health benefits of yellow tea are similarly strong. Since for many practical purposes yellow tea is essentially a variety of green tea, it is commonly assumed that the content of beneficial antioxidants and bacteria-killing fluoride is about the same in the two teas (although white tea has more antioxidants).
Antioxidants are chemical compounds that are known for their beneficial effects on health. Among other things, they are believed to have anti-cancer properties, to help prevent cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, to promote mental alertness and even prolong life, among other claims. The antioxidants in yellow tea are of the catechin/polyphenol variety, some of the strongest antioxidants found in any foods.
Brewing Yellow Tea
Yellow tea is brewed in much the same way as white tea. This means that the water should not be hotter than about 180 degrees F, or 80 degrees C. Use one tablespoon of loose tea leaf (about two grams) for five ounces (150 ml) of water, and steep for a minute or two.
Yellow tea can easily take multiple infusions, so that the second steeping may also only last for a minute, the third should last a bit longer etc. Some sources advocate the use of a glass cup to properly enjoy the golden tinge of the tea and the delicate leaves, as they float in the liquid.
As is also the case with green and white teas, yellow tea does not have a long shelf life. The tea will tend to oxidize and be ruined if left unused for more than a few months.
Flavor and Aroma
The main point of manufacturing yellow tea is to remove the grassy taste so strongly present in green tea, and make a more immediately appealing tea. For many who drink green tea mainly for the health benefits, this means that the subtle and fresh taste of yellow tea is easier to get used to and enjoy.
The taste is very light and mild, and has no bitterness to it. Some find that yellow tea has a lingering sweetness that is more pronounced than in white tea, for example. The aroma is often described as fresh and flowery.
Manufacture of Yellow Tea
Yellow tea is produced in tiny volumes, smaller even than the exclusive and rare white teas. It is mainly manufactured in the Hunan and Anhui provinces, although varieties from Sichuan can also be found.
The tea leaves are harvested much like leaves destined to become green tea, and are dried in the same way. One account describes the manufacture of yellow tea in the following steps: The leaves are initially pan-fried in large woks to about 40 percent dryness, after which they are roasted to approximately 70 percent dryness. While still hot, the tea is packed and allowed to ferment (or more correctly, oxidize) for seven days. Then the tea is roasted further, until it is 95 percent dry.
Another account from a different province describes how the tea is quickly fried in small quantities at a time, then wrapped in paper or cloth. It is then allowed to dry naturally for a few hours, after which the process is repeated. The process can take days to complete to the tea master's satisfaction.
The object of the exercise is to remove the grassy aroma and taste, and bring out the yellow color in the leaves. Yellow tea is always sold as whole leaf tea, which means that the tea leaves are not cut or ground.
Yellow Tea Varieties
Although there are several names of yellow tea to be found on the internet, the only two varieties of yellow tea that can be bought in any quantity (although still scarce) are Jun Shan Yin Zhen (a Silver Needle yellow tea from the Hunan province) and Huang Ya (Yellow Bud from the Anhui province). These are both picked while the leaves are young and still rolled up into buds. Other yellow teas do exist, and some of them consist of larger leaves that are picked later in the growth cycle.
Acquiring yellow tea is not as challenging as it once was. The Internet has made it easy to order all kinds of tea from online vendors, although not all of them stock yellow tea. Those who do often offer starter packs or samplers. This makes it easy for you to try out several vendors to find the yellow tea that is right for you.
Yellow tea is gathering popularity in the West, as more and more tea lovers request it from their vendors. Also, more health-conscious people catch on to the advantage of getting the same health benefits as green tea from a tea that has a much milder flavor.