Huòshān Huángyá

Huòshān Huángyá (霍山黄芽, Huòshān huáng yá) — one of the four great traditional yellow teas of China and, probably, the most ancient of those documented: its traces can be found in the “Records of the Grand Historian” (《史记》) by Sima Qian — one of the fundamental texts of Chinese civilization. This tea was born in the very heart of the Dabie Mountains — a mountain system dividing Northern and Southern China — and in this geographical position lies its character: Huoshan Huangya is a tea at the crossroads, a bridge tea, where northern mineral strength meets southern gentle sweetness. Its technology is built on “tan-fang huangbian” (摊放黄变, “spreading for yellowing”) — the most unhurried and contemplative method of sealed yellowing (menhuang) among yellow teas, where the leaf is not “stewed” in a pile or wrapped in paper, but simply spread out and allowed to yellow by itself, without pressure or haste — one to two days, and with some masters up to ten. The signature characteristic is “banli xiang” (板栗香, roasted chestnut aroma), for which Huoshan Huangya has been called the “tea of three freshnesses” (三鲜, sān xiān): freshness of aroma, taste, and liquor color.

1. Classification and Origin:

• Type: Yellow tea (黄茶, huángchá), lightly oxidized. Belongs to the subcategory of “yellow bud tea” (黄芽茶, huáng yá chá) — the highest quality in terms of raw material.
• Category: One of the four great traditional yellow teas of China (中国四大传统黄茶) — alongside Junshan Yin Zhen, Mengding Huangya, and Pingyang Huang Tang. Historical imperial tea. Product with protected geographical indication (2006). Production technology included in the registry of intangible cultural heritage of Anhui Province. 2024 — inclusion in the “Registry of China’s Agricultural Heritage Memory” (《中国农耕农品记忆索引名》).
• Origin: China, Ānhuī Province (安徽, Ānhuī), Lu’an Prefecture (六安, Lù’ān), Huòshān County (霍山县, Huòshān Xiàn). Huǒshān is located in the central part of the Dàbié Mountains (大别山, Dàbié Shān) — a mountain system dividing the basins of the Yangtze and Huai rivers, serving as a natural boundary between northern and southern China. Core zone — Dàhuàpíng Township (大化坪镇, Dàhuàpíng Zhèn): Jinjisha Mountain (金鸡山, “Golden Rooster Mountain”), Jinjidan (金鸡凼), Jinzhuping (金竹坪) and Wumijian (乌米尖), as well as the high-mountain forest zone of Mozhitan Township (磨子潭镇). These places are known in the tea world as “three golds and one black” (三金一乌, sān jīn yī wū) — by the first characters of the toponyms, and it is precisely here that the highest quality tea is produced.
• Geographic coordinates: Approximately 31° North latitude, 116° East longitude.

2. History and Cultural Significance:

• History:

  • Western Hàn (西汉, 206 BCE — 8 CE) — first mention: The “Records of the Grand Historian” (《史记》) by Sima Qian contains the phrase: “In the mountains of Shouchun there are yellow buds — they can be boiled and drunk; with long consumption one will attain immortality” (寿春之山有黄芽焉，可煮而饮，久服得仙). Huòshān at that time was part of Shouzhou Prefecture (寿州), and the “mountains of Shouchun” are the mountains of present-day Huoshan County. This is one of the oldest mentions of yellow tea in Chinese literature — more than 2000 years ago. It should be noted that “huang ya” in those times could simply mean tea shoots of yellowish color, not tea processed by the menhuang technology.
  • Tāng (唐, 618–907) — status of imperial tea: Lì Zhào (李肇) in “Supplements to the National History” (《国史补》) included “Shouzhou Huoshan Huangya” (寿州霍山黄芽) in the list of fourteen imperial teas. The same source records a famous diplomatic episode: “Chang Lu-gong, being an envoy to Tibet, brewed tea in his tent. The Zanpu [Tibetan ruler] asked: ‘What is this?’ — ‘Tea,’ answered Lu-gong, ‘it clears worries and quenches thirst.’ — ‘I also have some,’ said the Zanpu and ordered it to be shown: ‘This one is from Shouzhou, this one is from Yinghu.’” Huoshan tea, thus, had already reached Tibet in the 8th–9th centuries. In the Tang era, Huángyá was produced in the form of pressed cakes (饼茶, bincha) and small “pancakes” (小团, xiaotuan). “Shanfu jingshou lu” (《膳夫经手录》) notes: “From Shouzhou there are Huoshan small pancakes — possibly imitating the small tablets of ‘long ya’ [‘dragon buds’]; their number is very small.”
  • Sōng (宋, 960–1279) — major trading center: The “Huoshan Tea Office” (霍山茶场) was established, with annual sales volume of 266,154.5 jin (~133 tons). Huángyá gradually transitioned from pressed cakes to loose tea (散茶), although kill-green was still done by steaming (蒸青).
  • Míng (明, 1368–1644) — flourishing and birth of modern technology: Huangya was included in the registry of imperial tributes. The “Lu’an Prefecture Gazetteer” (《六安州志》) testifies: the initial quota was 200 bags of tea; after Huoshan was separated into an independent county (1496), Lu’an received 25 bags, while Huoshan received 175 (87.5%!), which shows that the main mass of “Lu’an tea” was actually from Huoshan. Official Cáo Hú (曹琥) in “Memorial on Yellow Buds” (《注黄芽茶疏》) complained: “The annual tribute quota is only 20 jin… but in the 10th year of Zhengde (1515) 1200 jin of bud tea and 6000 jin of fine tea were requisitioned… for one jin of bud tea they ask one tael of silver, and even for this it is not always possible to buy.” County magistrate Wáng Piweng (王毗翁) personally supervised tea preparation and left “Poems on Roasting Yellow Buds” (《黄芽焙茗诗》): “Dewy buds, slender, barely turned green — hurry before the leaves age. Every house has fire under mountain windows, and with each spring the whole county is fragrant” (露蕊纤纤才吐碧，即防叶老采须忙，家家篝火山窗下，每到春来一县香). In the Ming era, a decisive technological transition occurred: kill-green was changed from steaming to pan-firing (改蒸为炒), and the menhuang (闷黄, sealed yellowing) stage appeared — yellow tea in the modern sense was born. Míng author Xú Cìshū (许次纾) in “Tea Notes” (《茶疏》) wrote: “North of the Great River, in Huoshan the most tea is produced… people from Shanxi and Shaanxi all drink it. In the south they say it removes fat and eliminates stagnation, and also value it highly.”
  • Qīng (清, 1644–1911) — imperial “internal tea”: Huoshan Huangya was designated as “internal tea” (内用) — for personal consumption by the imperial family, which placed it a step above ordinary imperial tribute. The “Huoshan County Gazetteer” (《霍山县志》) of the Guangxu era: “In the southern villages, on the peaks of Wumijian and Gualongjian, they produce the best tea in the whole county; its production is exquisite, and the price is twice that of tea from other villages.” In another fragment: “Tea is the chief of the county’s mountain products. The best of them is Yin Zhen [silver needles], then Queshe [sparrow tongues], then Meihua Pian [plum petals]…”
  • 1915 — Panama Exhibition: Huoshan tea of the “Bao’er Zhongxiu” (抱儿钟秀, “Child in Arms, Bell and Beauty”) brand received the Gold Medal at the Panama World Exhibition — the only yellow tea among the laureates.
  • 1940s–1960s — loss: Wars and economic upheavals led to the virtual cessation of Huangya production. The technology was not recorded in writing and was preserved only in the memory of several elderly tea growers. According to some data, before restoration the tea was produced for Shandong merchants under the name “micha” (米茶, “rice tea”).
  • 1971–1972 — revival: The Tea Office of Huoshan County organized an expedition to Wumijian. Three technical specialists together with three tea growers aged 70–80 years recreated the technology. On April 27–30, 1972, 14 jin (7 kg) of an experimental batch were produced. 6 jin were sealed in white tin cans and sent directly to the State Council of the PRC for evaluation — an exceptional fact: tea “presented to the government” in the very first year of revival. From the following year, regular production began at three points: Jinjisha Mountain (main), Wumijian, and Jinzhuping. Samples from 1972 were used for receiving foreign guests at the state level. Volumes grew gradually: 1973 — 178 kg, 1980 — 644 kg, 1985 — 3700 kg.
  • 2006 — geographical indication. 2019 — The China Tea Marketing Association awarded Huoshan the title “Hometown of Chinese Yellow Tea” (中国黄茶之乡). By 2022, the area of Huoshan’s tea plantations reached 206,400 mu (~13,760 ha).

• Name:

  • “Huoshan” (霍山) — Mount Huo, also Huoshan County. The character “huo” (霍) means “swift,” “sudden” — possibly a reference to the steepness of mountain slopes.
  • “Huangya” (黄芽) — “yellow buds.” In the most ancient sources this could simply mean “yellowish shoots,” but from the Ming era it came to denote tea processed by the menhuang technology.
  • Historical name of the region: Shouzhou (寿州) — under this name Huoshan tea appears in the “Records of the Grand Historian” and “Supplements to the National History.”

• Cultural significance: Huoshan Huangya is one of the few teas whose history is confirmed by an unbroken chain of sources from the Western Han to our days: Sima Qian → Lu Yu → Li Zhao → Xu Cishu → Cao Hu → Wang Piweng → county gazetteers → Panama Exhibition → state revival of 1972. The legend of the Golden Rooster (金鸡) from Jinjisha Mountain — about a magical tea tree with indescribable aroma, guarded by a pair of golden roosters that were visible only once a year at the first crow at dawn before Guyu — is one of the most poetic in Anhui tea mythology. Huoshan is part of the “Tea Corridor” (茶叶走廊) of the Dabie Mountains, stretching from southern Henan through western Anhui — one of the historical routes of tea trade.

3. Botanical Description and Raw Material:

• Cultivar: Main cultivar — Huòshān Jinji Zhǒng (霍山金鸡种, “Huoshan Golden Rooster Breed”) — a local group population recognized at the provincial level. Characteristics: tea polyphenols 14.9%, amino acids 4.97% — an unusual combination of “double high” (双高, shuāng gāo), providing both astringency and sweetness simultaneously. High “tenderness retention” (持嫩性强), good adaptation to mountain conditions. Additionally used: Zhūyè Qí (槠叶齐) and Huángshān Dàyè Zhǒng (黄山大叶种) — to enhance aromatics and variability.
• Picking: Gǔyǔ period (谷雨, ~April 20) ± 2–3 days for the main mass. Core plantations of “three golds and one black” — later, closer to the end of April due to greater altitude. Total picking period — about a month, 3–4 batches of spring tea.
• Picking standard: Special first grade (特一级) — bud with one leaf at the beginning of opening (一芽一叶初展), golden down, “sparrow tongue” shape. Special second grade (特二级) — bud with one to two leaves (一芽一叶至一芽二叶初展). First grade — bud with two leaves (一芽二叶). Second grade — mature “paired leaves” (对夹叶).
• Raw material requirements: The principle of “three uniformities and four prohibitions” (三个一致，四不采) applies: uniformity of shape, size, and color; do not pick opened buds (开口芽), pest-damaged (虫伤芽), frost-damaged (霜冻芽), purple (紫色芽). All equipment is bamboo; contact with iron is strictly prohibited (全程忌铁器防腥, “the entire process without iron tools to avoid metallic taste”).

4. Terroir and Cultivation:

• Region: Huòshān is located in the center of the Dàbié Mountains (大别山), at the junction of Anhui, Hubei, and Henan provinces. The main peak is Baimajian (白马尖, 1774 m). The county is cut by ridges in the southwest-northeast direction; a characteristic geological phenomenon is the “Huoshan Arc” (霍山弧, Huòshān Hú) — a sharp bend in the mountain fold, creating many micro-valleys with their own climatic regimes. Tillite (冰碛岩, glacial tillite) — ancient rock ~600 million years old, exposed in the core zone — provides a unique mineral composition of soils.
• Growing altitude: ≥600 m above sea level for standard raw material. Core zone Jinjidan — ~720 m. Tea garden area in Jinjidan — only about 3 mu (~0.2 ha), annual volume — less than 50 kg, which explains the exceptional rarity and high cost of tea from this micro-district.
• Soils: Yellow-brown mountain soils (黄棕壤), formed on the basis of glacial tillite (冰碛岩). pH 5.0–6.5. Organic matter content — ~2.5%. Enriched with selenium (Se) — a characteristic feature of Huoshan soils. So-called “wusha tu” (乌沙土, “dark sandy soil”) — sandy fractions mixed with yellow earth. Structure — loose, with excellent drainage.
• Climate: Transitional between subtropical and temperate. Average annual temperature ~15.1°C. Annual precipitation — 1100–1600 mm. Relative humidity ≥80%. Number of foggy and cloudy days — up to 181 per year. Diurnal temperature range — 8–10°C — the most important factor for accumulation of aromatic substances and amino acids. Forest cover — 75.1%. Foziling (佛子岭) and Mozhitan (磨子潭) reservoirs in the upper reaches of the Dongpi River additionally moderate the microclimate.
• Features: The Huoshan Arc creates many microclimates, explaining significant taste variability: tea from Jinjisha Mountain (金鸡山) — thicker, more oily; from Wumijian (乌米尖) — more mineral, stricter; from Mozhitan (磨子潭) — more tender, more floral. Huoshan is located on the northern border of the tea-producing zone of Eastern China (我国东部茶叶产区的北缘), which further enhances the “borderland” character of the tea — slow growth, late awakening, maximum accumulation of flavor substances.

5. Production Technology:

The technology of Huoshan Huangya differs from other yellow teas in the yellowing method: here “tan-fang huangbian” (摊放黄变, “spreading for yellowing”) is used instead of wrapping fermentation (as with Mengding Huangya) or pile wo dui (as with Haima Gong Cha) — the leaf is simply spread in a thin layer and allowed to slowly yellow at room temperature. This is the most “contemplative” method of menhuang. The full cycle includes:

• Spreading (摊放 — tān fàng): Fresh leaves are spread on bamboo sieves (竹制簸箕). Time — 1–2 hours. Partial moisture evaporation, beginning of aroma formation.
• Kill-green (杀青 — shā qīng): Two-stage pan-firing:
  • Shěng guō (生锅, “raw wok”): Temperature ~150°C. Quick high-temperature treatment to inactivate enzymes.
  • Shú guō (熟锅, “cooked wok”): Temperature ~130°C. Shaping — giving the leaf the characteristic “sparrow tongue” shape (雀舌形, quèshé xíng): straight, slightly unfolded strands. Traditional masters use wood fire on oak charcoal (青杠木炭) — it is believed that such fire gives a cleaner aroma without smoky taste.
• Initial drying / Chū hóng (初烘 — chū hōng): Temperature ~100°C. Drying to ~70% dryness.
• Spreading for yellowing / Tan-fang huangbian (摊放黄变 — tān fàng huáng biàn): Key and unique stage. The partially dried leaf is spread in a thin layer and left at room temperature for 1–2 days. This is “dry sealed yellowing” (干闷, gān mèn): the leaf yellows slowly, without forced heating and increased humidity. Gradual destruction of chlorophyll, non-enzymatic oxidation of esterified catechins, formation of yellow pigments and characteristic softness occurs. Some masters extend this stage to 10 or more days for maximum depth of “yellow character.” Others alternate “dry” and “wet” (湿闷) sealed yellowing — when the leaf is piled immediately after shaqing while still moist.
• Re-drying / Zú huǒ (足火 — zú huǒ): Temperature ~90°C. Bringing to ~90% dryness.
• Second spreading (摊放): Another cycle of moisture equalization and completion of yellowing.
• Sorting (拣剔 — jiǎn tī): Removal of non-standard leaves, stems, foreign inclusions.
• Final drying / Fù huǒ (复火 — fù huǒ): Temperature 100–120°C. Bringing to complete dryness. After this, tea can be packed in bamboo baskets by the “cai tong” (踩筒) method — tamping for compact storage.

6. Organoleptic Characteristics:

• Dry leaf appearance: Straight, slightly unfolded strands resembling sparrow tongues (形似雀舌, xíng sì quèshé). Uniform in size, gathered in neat “bouquets” (匀齐成朵). Color — tender green with yellowish tint and oily luster (嫩绿披毫, nèn lǜ pī háo). Abundant white or golden down.
• Dry leaf aroma: Clean, persistent, with pronounced roasted chestnut note (板栗香, bǎnlì xiāng) — the main aromatic signature of Huoshan Huangya. Also present is a light hint of boiled corn (毫香, máo xiāng — down aroma), floral and honey nuances.
• Liquor aroma: “Qingxiang chijiu” (清香持久) — clean, persistent, refined. Chestnut note is the base; in subsequent infusions floral and fruity tones unfold. The aroma of Huoshan Huangya is more “northern,” more restrained and mineral than southern yellow teas.
• Taste: “Xianchun nonghou” (鲜醇浓厚) — fresh, mellow, rich, oily. Sweet, refreshing. Characteristic duality: initial astringency (more pronounced than Mengding Huangya or Pingyang Huang Tang) is replaced by deep, prolonged returning sweetness (回甘). Bitterness is minimally expressed. Light “clean coolness” (清凉感), attributed to high selenium content in soils. Taste is the most “mineral” and “structured” among the four great yellow teas. Amino acid content ≥5.2%, polyphenols ≥28%.
• Liquor color: “Huanglü qingche” (黄绿清澈) — yellow-green, transparent, with clear luster and golden tint. In highest grades — pure, luminous.
• Spent leaves (wet leaves): Tender yellow, elastic buds and leaves, gathered in neat “bouquets” (嫩黄明亮，匀齐成朵). Whole, tender, full.

7. Chemical Composition:

• Polyphenols: ≥28% of dry matter — high indicator among yellow teas. Prolonged “dry” yellowing transforms part of esterified catechins into softer forms, but preserves a significant portion of native compounds, which explains the more pronounced astringency compared to other yellows.
• Amino acids: ≥5.2% of dry matter. L-theanine is the dominant component. Provides pronounced sweetness and “umami” in the aftertaste. Cultivar Jinji Zhong with amino acids 4.97% — already at the raw material level creates the basis for softness.
• Alkaloids: Caffeine — standard content. Synergy with L-theanine provides gentle stimulation.
• Vitamins: Vitamin C, B-group vitamins, vitamin E.
• Minerals: Potassium, magnesium, zinc. Fluorine — content up to 246 mg/kg (high indicator, significant for dental and bone health). Selenium (Se) — characteristic feature of Huoshan soils on glacial tillite.
• Tea polysaccharides (茶多糖, cháduōtáng): Significant content, providing immunomodulating activity.

8. Health Properties:

• Lipid metabolism support: High polyphenol content (≥28%) provides effective assistance in fat breakdown. Effectiveness is estimated at ~1.8 times higher than green tea from similar raw material.
• Dental and bone health: High fluorine content (246 mg/kg) contributes to tooth enamel strengthening.
• Immunomodulation: Tea polysaccharides activate macrophages — immune system cells.
• Antioxidant protection: Double system — polyphenols + selenium — provides powerful antioxidant activity.
• Gentle stimulation: L-theanine + caffeine — classic combination for calm alertness. Promotes relaxation and stress relief without drowsiness.
• Gentle stomach impact: Despite higher polyphenol content, prolonged yellowing (1–2 days and more) softens catechin aggressiveness. However, drinking on an empty stomach is not recommended due to residual tannin content.
• Vision support: In traditional Chinese medicine, yellow tea is considered beneficial for the eyes.

9. Brewing:

• Water temperature: 80–90°C. It is recommended to boil water and let it cool for ~2 minutes. Too hot water can “burn” tender buds and provoke bitterness.
• Tea amount: 3 g per 150 ml of water.
• Teaware: Glass cup — for observing liquor color and aesthetics of unfolding buds. White porcelain gaiwan — for maximum aroma development.
• Process:
  1. Warm teaware with boiling water, drain.
  2. Add 3 g of tea.
  3. Pour 80–90°C water to one-third volume. Moisten all leaves, wait 30 seconds. Do not drain the first infusion — it contains maximum down aroma (毫香) and chestnut notes; draining means losing the main “first freshness.”
  4. Add water to 7/10 volume. Steep 1–2 minutes.
  5. Observe “spring shoots sprouting” (春笋出土): buds vertically sink to the bottom, resembling bamboo shoots breaking through the earth. The liquor should be yellow-green, transparent.
  6. Subsequent brewings: up to 3 infusions, increasing time by 15–20 seconds.

10. Storage:

Optimal — airtight packaging in foil bag or tin/porcelain container. Refrigerator (0…+5°C) or freezer (−10…−18°C). At room temperature — in a dark, dry place, away from odors; consume within 6 months. Tea enemies: light, heat, moisture, foreign odors, oxygen. Traditional storage — in bamboo containers; contact with metal (especially iron) utensils is undesirable.

11. Market and Price Range:

Huoshan Huangya is a rare and expensive tea with a wide price range. Special first grade from the core zone Jinjidan (~720 m, area ~3 mu, annual volume less than 50 kg) — from 2000 yuan per jin (500 g) and significantly higher. Special first from Dahuaping — 800–1500 yuan. First and second grades — accessible categories for daily consumption.

• How to avoid counterfeits:
  • Main problem: a significant portion of “Huoshan Huangya” on the market is actually green tea without full menhuang (闷黄) stage. Real yellow Huangya has a distinct yellowish (not bright green) tint of leaf and liquor, as well as chestnut aroma with corn overtone. The “green” version is fresher, sharper, without “yellow” softness.
  • Shape — “sparrow tongue” (雀舌): straight, slightly unfolded strands with abundant down, not twisted or flat.
  • Liquor — yellow-green (黄绿), transparent, with golden tint, not bright green.
  • Purchase from reliable suppliers with “National Geographical Indication” marking and indication of specific producing township.
  • Too low price is a sure sign of counterfeit or absence of full yellowing stage.

12. Interesting Facts:

• Huoshan Huangya is the only yellow tea mentioned (under the ancient name “寿春黄芽”) in Sima Qian’s “Records of the Grand Historian.” This fact makes it one of the teas with the longest documented lineage — more than 2000 years.
• Huoshan Huangya is called the “tea of three freshnesses” (三鲜茶) for triple freshness: of aroma, taste, and liquor color. This is simultaneously a marketing definition and an accurate description of the sensory experience.
• In 1972, during technology restoration, six jin of experimental tea were sent directly to the State Council of the PRC — one of the rarest cases in history when tea was “presented to the government” in the very first year of revival.
• Legend of the Golden Rooster: on Jinjisha Mountain grew a magical tea tree guarded by a pair of golden roosters. The tree was invisible to most people, but once a year, at the first rooster crow at dawn before Guyu, it became visible, and only one lucky person could pick its leaves. Once a young man who came to rebury his ancestor’s remains chased the golden roosters — they fell into a stream, and since then the stream is called “Luojihe” (落鸡河, “River of Fallen Roosters”), and the clearing — “Jinjidan” (金鸡凼).
• Huoshan Huangya is the only yellow tea that received the Gold Medal at the Panama World Exhibition (1915). The laureate brand “Bao’er Zhongxiu” (抱儿钟秀) still exists.
• In the Ming era, the imperial tribute quota from Huoshan was 175 bags out of 200 total — that is, 87.5% of all “Lu’an tea” was actually from Huoshan. This is a historical paradox: the tea was famous under another name (六安茶, “Lu’an tea”), and only after Huoshan’s separation into an independent county was justice partially restored.
• “Nutty” aroma (板栗香, banli xiang) is the signature of Huoshan Huangya, distinguishing it among all yellow teas. It is formed by a combination of two factors: characteristics of the Jinji Zhong cultivar and prolonged “dry” yellowing.
• The entire production process is conducted without contact with iron (全程忌铁器) — only bamboo, wood, and ceramics are used. This is one of the few teas where the iron prohibition is maintained as an active rule, not a museum detail.

13. Comparison with Other Yellow Teas:

• Méngdǐng Huángyá (蒙顶黄芽): Both are “huang ya cha” from buds, both are historical imperial teas with ancient lineages. Mengding is sweeter, more honeyed, sword-shaped, with “three firings — three paper wrappings” technology. Huoshan is more mineral, more structured, with “sparrow tongue” and “dry spreading.” Mengding is a romantic with the legend of Daoist Wu Lizhen; Huoshan is an intellectual with a quote from Sima Qian.
• Píngyáng Huáng Tāng (平阳黄汤): Pingyang is maritime, corny, apricot-yellow, twisted. Huoshan is mountainous, chestnut, yellowish-green, straight. Pingyang — “nine dryings, nine sealed yellowings” over 72 hours; Huoshan — “dry spreading” over 1–2 days (sometimes up to 10). Pingyang is smooth and enveloping; Huoshan has “backbone” and mineral structure.
• Jūnshān Yín Zhèn (君山银针): Both are “huang ya cha,” both in the “great four.” Junshan is oily, silky, needle-shaped; Huoshan is drier, more astringent, “tongue-shaped.” Junshan is lacustrine, with humid Dongting Lake climate; Huoshan is mountainous, with sharp temperature fluctuations.
• Huòshān Huángdàchá (霍山黄大茶): “Elder brother” of Huangya from the same county. Huangdacha is large-leaf yellow tea (一芽四五叶), with roasted, “bread-like” character and note of burnt rice crust (锅巴香). Local tea growers’ saying: “Leaf big — can wrap salt, stem long — can prop a boat” (叶大能包盐，梗长能撑船). Huangya is tender, chestnut, from buds; Huangdacha is coarse, roasted, folk.

In conclusion:

Huoshan Huangya is a tea with the character of the mountain range on which it grows. Dabie Mountains divide Northern and Southern China, and in a cup of Huoshan Huangya both sides are heard: northern mineral directness and southern gentle sweetness, astringency of the first sip and honey return of the aftertaste, strictness of chestnut aroma and softness of corn whisper. Its technology is the most “unhurried” among yellow teas: the leaf is not wrapped, not pressed, not stewed in a pile — it is simply spread and waited for, day after day, until it yellows by itself, in its own rhythm. “Tea of three freshnesses” — freshness of aroma, taste, color — and simultaneously tea with the longest memory: from Sima Qian to the Panama Exhibition, from Tibetan tents to the State Council of the PRC. Perhaps this is precisely why the “Records of the Grand Historian” said: “In the mountains of Shouchun there are yellow buds — with long consumption one will attain immortality.” Immortality is a debatable question. But the patience that Huoshan Huangya teaches is quite real.