Traditional Anhui Small-Leaf Yellow Tea PREMIUM | An Hui Huang Xiao Cha - Option: 1 kg

Traditional Yellow Tea Huang Xiao Cha 黄小茶 is one of the rarest and least-produced categories of Chinese tea. Yellow tea forms its own distinct category, positioned between green and white tea in both processing and character, yet offering a unique flavor profile unlike any other. This tea comes from Huoshan 霍山, specifically from the Jinjishan 金鸡山 area in Anhui Province, where the mountainous environment, frequent mists, clean air and slow-growing tea bushes create ideal conditions for producing exceptionally refined spring teas.

The tea is harvested in spring, when the young buds and tender leaves contain the highest concentration of aromatic compounds and natural sweetness. The use of these delicate spring leaves gives the infusion a silky texture, balanced body and an elegant character that gradually unfolds with each infusion.

The defining step in the production of yellow tea is the traditional process known as Men Huang 闷黄, literally "sealed yellowing." After the oxidation has been halted, the leaves are allowed to rest for a period of time while wrapped in their own warmth and moisture. During this slow transformation, subtle chemical changes soften the grassy freshness typical of green teas, creating a rounder, sweeter and more harmonious flavor. This unique stage makes yellow tea one of the most technically demanding categories of Chinese tea.

Huang Xiao Cha literally means "Small Leaf Yellow Tea." Unlike the more famous yellow teas made primarily from buds, this style offers a slightly fuller body and richer flavor while retaining the elegance and delicacy characteristic of yellow tea. In the Huoshan region, the final stage of processing often includes a very gentle roasting, adding greater depth and warmth without masking the tea's natural freshness.

The liquor has a bright golden-yellow color with a silky smooth texture. Its aroma recalls lightly roasted nuts, sweet grains, wildflowers, honey and delicate roasted chestnut notes. The taste is round, clean and remarkably harmonious, with minimal astringency and a long sweet finish. Compared with green teas, it feels softer, calmer and more refined, while still preserving the freshness of the spring harvest.

Yellow teas are often considered one of the most underrated categories of Chinese tea. Their production is labor-intensive, the quantities are very limited, and most of the harvest remains within China. Huang Xiao Cha therefore offers a rare opportunity to experience a traditional style of tea that combines the purity of green tea, the elegance of white tea and the distinctive character created by the Men Huang process.

Flavor profile:
Lightly roasted nuts, sweet grains, wildflowers, honey, roasted chestnuts, delicate minerality and a long silky-sweet finish.

Gong Fu Cha 功夫茶 preparation:
For traditional preparation, we recommend using approximately 5–6 g of tea per 150 ml of water at 75–85 °C. Steep the first infusion for 10–20 seconds, then gradually increase the steeping time for subsequent infusions. The tea usually provides around 6–8 delicate infusions, during which the aroma evolves from fresh floral and grain notes toward deeper honey sweetness and a gently roasted character.

Western preparation:
We recommend using approximately 3 g of tea per 250 ml of water at 75–85 °C. Steep for 1–2 minutes. Thanks to its low tannin content, the tea is very forgiving and maintains its smooth character even with slightly longer steeping times and repeated infusions.