For yellow tea producers like Cheng Fang, courting a healthy balance of microorganisms in soil, air, and plants is vital to Men Huang (闷黄), the defining "sealing" production step where small batches of freshly fired tea leaves, still warm and moist, are wrapped in cloth and left to rest in their own steam over the course of hours. This mellows astringent bite, incubates new aromatic compounds, and physically yellows the fresh green leaf. Yellow tea’s intensive craft means that it has dipped from popularity in recent years—despite Huoshan Yellow Bud being one of the specific teas the sage Lu Yu names in his eighth century ‘Classic of Tea.’
Tasting Notes: Water chestnut, custard, white pepper
Region: Jin Zhu Ping, Anhui, China
Producer: Cheng Fang
Brewing Recommendation: 5g tea | 340 mL water | 180°F | 3:00 min
Weight: 20g
Sourced by Spirit Tea (Chicago, IL)
