Huo Shan Huang Da Cha is also known as Wanxi Huang Da Cha (literally meaning: western Anhui yellow big leaf tea). Huang Da Cha is a traditional Chinese yellow tea.

The History of Yellow Tea

Yellow tea is a kind of tea that is slightly fermented. Its processing is similar to green tea, except that a "yellowing (sweltering)" process is added before or after the drying process.

Yellow tea has a long history, and its production history can be traced back to before the Tang dynasty (618-907). The following is some important stages of its development

1.Western Han Dynasty to Tang Dynasty

From the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-8 AD) to the Tang Dynasty, the name of Huangya tea had appeared.  At that time, there were mainly Mengding Huangya Tea and Huoshan Huangya Tea.  Yueyang Yellow Tea and Huoshan Yellow Tea appeared in the history books of the Tang Dynasty. However, yellow tea at this time refers to those tea leaves whose buds turn yellow naturally. 

2.Tang and Song Dynasties

Yellow tea was further developed in the Tang and Song Dynasty (960-1279). Mengding yellow tea, Huoshan yellow tea and Agrihu paste are three recorded yellow tea tribute teas in Tang Dynasty.

3.The Ming Dynasty

By the time of Ming Dynasty (1368 -1644), the technology of "yellowing (sweltering)" yellow tea had been applied to the process of tea making. At that time, people slowly groped and invented a new tea - - Mengding Yellow Bud tea, which is easy to preserve by using the combination of "fried yellow" and "stifled yellowing".

4.The Qing Dynasty (1636 - 1912)

The Qing Dynasty was the peak of the development of yellow tea in China.

During this period, the production technology of yellow tea has been widely spread, and yellow tea technology independently developed in many places has also begun to mature. Tea workers in many places in China produce various kinds of yellow teas. 

5.1920s - 1950s

During the Republic of China, black tea and green tea were the main varieties of tea exports to earn foreign exchange. Coupled with the frequent wars in China, many yellow teas disappeared from the public's view.

6. 1950 -

Since 1950s, under the influence of the planned economy policies at that time, people in many tea-growing areas began to produce black tea, and the output of yellow tea was further reduced. At the same time, many related techniques for making yellow tea have also begun to be lost. In the 1970s, only Junshan Yinzhen, Weishan Maojian and Huoshan Huangcha were produced. Since 1980s, with the development of the tea industry, the variety and production scale of yellow tea have gradually recovered, the output has increased year by year and the market has gradually expanded. But in general, the production scale of yellow tea is still lower than that of other teas. 

Huang Da Cha in history

Tea has been widely produced in western Anhui since the Tang and Song Dynasties. Huo Shan Huang Ya (Huoshan Mountain Yellow Buds Tea) tea produced here was greatly appreciated by people at that time.

After the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), with the intervention of stir-fried processing method, high quality teas such as Big Orchid tea, Small Orchid tea, Huang Da Cha and Huang Xiao Cha were successively created in western Anhui. In 2010, Huo Shan Huang Da Cha was rated as a national geographical indication protected agricultural products.

Huang Da Cha is named for its picking stand: Unlike any other tea, only one bud with three to five leaves can be picked for making Huang Da Cha. In addition, the leaves and stems should not be removed because it contributes to aroma.  When brewing, the tea leaves and the liquor are golden yellow.

The historical information about Huang Da Cha, such as the sales market, the utensils used in production, how to store and package it, and even its medicinal functions, could be found in an ancient book, "Cha Shu", written by Xu Cishu, a tea expert lived in the Tang Dynasty. In particular, the production technology recorded at that time was the same as that of modern people making Huang Da Cha.

Producing areas

Mainly produced in Anhui Huo shan, Jinzhai, Lu 'an, Yuexi and other places.

Producing areas

Huang Da Cha is mainly produced in Anhui Huoshan, Jinzhai, Lu 'an, Yuexi and other places. Huoshan County is located in the west of Anhui Province, in the hinterland of Dabie Mountain and upstream of Pi River. Influenced by heavy clouds, abundant mist and high air humidity, Huoshan County is no wonder a perfect place for tea growing . In addition, the fertile soil with a PH of 4.5-6 and high forest coverage rate are also very conducive to the growth of high-quality tea.

Characteristics

Made with fat bud with 3-5 large leaves with long stem included, Huang Da Cha is characterized by its long,curly,strips which sometimes rolled into a hook shape at one end. The tightly twisted leaves are golden brown in color with lustre and pleasant aroma. 

Huang Da Cha has a sweet, floral taste with a subtle nutty undertone. It is also known for its smooth and mellow texture, which is due to the high proportion of buds and young leaves used in the production process. 

The liquor of the cup is clear like golden tea oil with brisk,mellow mouthfeel and heavily roasted aroma resembles roasted coffee and chocolate. The tea leaves after infusion are green-yellow and can be infused multiply times.

A brief introduction to the processing steps of Huo Shan Huang Da Cha

Step 1:  Withering 

This step can be done in two ways.One is to spread the picked fresh tea in the sun at room temperature, and the other is to put the fresh tea leaves indoors and let them withered with the help of flowing air.During this step, the temperature and humidity need to be carefully controlled.

Step 2:  Fixation /Kill green

Similar to other teas, the purpose of enzyme deactivation is to quickly stop the fermentation through the loss of water caused by heat during braising or firing process.

Step 3: Rolling / shaping

Breaking the leaf cell walls will make some juice, essential oil and juice seep out of the leaves, which further enhances the taste of the tea.

Step 4: Yellowing / Wrapping / Heaping(particular to yellow tea)

"Yellowing" is the key process for forming the unique quality of yellow tea. There are many kinds of yellow tea, and the quality and style are different, so the processing steps of "yellowing" are different in many ways. Generally speaking, it can be divided into Wet Yellowing and Dry Yellowing.

Step 5:  Drying 

This last processing step is completed at low or medium temperatures. The temperatures can enhance the aroma, color and taste of the finished product, so it is very important to the quality of tea. The suitable temperature should be controlled at about 110-120℃ and could be adjusted according to needs. 

Huo Shan Huang Da Cha Tea is a delicious and unique type of Chinese tea that has a long and storied history. Its distinctive flavor and aroma, combined with its health benefits, have made it a popular choice among tea drinkers around the world.