The delicate bud and leaf is carefully processed to separate when brewed forming a shape much like a sparrow’s forked tongue. Light yellow liquor with a pleasing mellow flavor. The process of making yellow tea differs from that of making green tea in that the yellow tea is allowed to oxidize (“ferment”) for a little longer than green tea, and is then dried more slowly, often between sheets of a special paper. The result is leaves that have a… Read more
The delicate bud and leaf is carefully processed to separate when brewed forming a shape much like a sparrow’s forked tongue. Light yellow liquor with a pleasing mellow flavor. The process of making yellow tea differs from that of making green tea in that the yellow tea is allowed to oxidize (“ferment”) for a little longer than green tea, and is then dried more slowly, often between sheets of a special paper. The result is leaves that have a light green or light yellow appearance. Some have compared the yellow tea leaves to white tea, but without the white down.
Yellow tea has a lighter flavor, yet not quite as light as white tea, and not as vegetal or grassy as many green teas. The aroma is described as flowery, fresh and mild. Yellow tea is typically harvested early in the year, before most green teas are harvested. This means that the leaves are younger, that they are still rolled up into buds, and that the leaves are smaller when rolled out. While green tea is often cut and ground, yellow tea is always sold in whole leaves, often in thin buds. Yellow tea is rare, and very little of the annual harvest is allocated to yellow tea production.
