If you purchase this product you will earn 2026 Limited Batch Huo Shan Huang Ya Yellow Tea from Jin Ji Shan
Premium Traditional Yellow Tea from the Heart of Huoshan
Huo Shan Huang Ya (Huo Shan Yellow Buds) 霍山黄芽 is one of China’s most celebrated yellow teas, with a proud history in Anhui dating back to the Tang Dynasty. The name “Huang Ya” means “Yellow Buds”, referring to the tender young buds and leaves used to make the tea.
Our 2026 limited batch Huo Shan Huang Ya Yellow Tea comes from Jin Ji Shan, a core production area in Huo Shan, Anhui. Made from tender young buds and leaves, this tea is crafted using the traditional yellow tea process, especially the important Meng Huang / smothering step, which gives the tea its smooth, mellow and naturally sweet character, with elegant floral notes, subtle orchid aroma and a light chestnut finish.
Produced in small quantities in collaboration with a trusted family farm we have worked with for over six years, authentic traditional Huo Shan Huang Ya is increasingly hard to find. Stock is strictly limited for this season’s harvest.
Tea Farm Location: Jin Ji Shan, Huo Shan, Anhui, China
Tea Tree Variety: Huoshan Jin Ji Zhong
Tasting Notes: smooth, soft and rounded mouthfeel, mellow with floral, sweetcorn, chestnut and sweet pekoe notes
Tea Liquor Colour: Bright and light yellow-green
Dry Leave Appearance: one buds and one leaves, straight, yellow-brown in colour, apparent with pekoe
Wet Leaves: Yellowish green
This year's selection - Premium "Jin Ji Zhong" cultivar from Jin Ji Shan, Huoshan
Sourced from Jin Ji Shan (“Golden Rooster Mountain”) in Da Hua Ping Town, this tea comes from the historic core terroir of Huo Shan Huang Ya. Perched at over 600 meters above sea level near Bai Ma Jian—the highest peak of the Dabie Mountains—the mountain is blessed with clean spring water, nutrient-rich soil, and a cool, mist-shrouded climate ideal for slow-growing, flavor-dense tea leaves.
Jin Ji Shan is the ancestral home of the famed Jin Ji Zhong (金鸡种) cultivar, where the 400-year-old mother tree still thrives at the heart of the garden today.
This year’s offering is a rare first-flush harvest crafted exclusively from this authentic Jin Ji Zhong variety. Because the tea garden is small and dedicated to traditional, low-yield farming, production is strictly limited each spring—making this harvest one of the finest and most exclusive expressions of Huo Shan Huang Ya available.
Taste Profile: Smooth, Mellow and Naturally Sweet
Exceptionally smooth and entirely free of astringency, this Huo Shan Huang Ya is defined by its rounded, comforting body and clean, lingering finish. The traditional smothering (menghuang) craft gently rounds off any raw grassiness, creating a deeper, sweeter, and more harmonious cup.
- Aroma: Fresh orchid blossoms & warm mountain air
- Flavor Profile: Tender sweet corn, soft floral and chestnuts notes with pekoe flavour
Mouthfeel: rounded , mellow, and naturally sweet with a silky finish
Appearance of Huo Shan Huang Ya
Huo Shan Huang Ya is usually made of buds or one buds and one leaves. It looks small, its needle-like shaped tea buds are covered in a delicate layer of fine pekoe, with slightly opened buds, like a sparrow’s tongue. The color of the dry leaves is in brownish-green , which is slightly darker than the green tea.
What set it difference: Traditional Smothering "Meng Huang" Processing Step
Yellow tea sits between green tea and more heavily oxidized teas. The most important step that separates yellow tea from green tea is Meng Huang, or smothering. After the tea leaves are heated to stop excessive oxidation, they are carefully wrapped or covered while still warm and slightly moist. In this warm, humid and low-oxygen environment, the leaves undergo a gentle transformation.
This light oxidation, usually around 10–20%, is what gives yellow tea its unique character. It gently softens the fresh grassy notes often found in green tea, reduces bitterness and astringency, and brings out a smoother, sweeter and more mellow taste. At the same time, the natural compounds in the leaves slowly change, creating a warmer aroma, rounded mouthfeel and the yellow-green colour typical of yellow tea.
This traditional Meng Huang process requires experience, patience and careful timing. It is also the reason authentic Huo Shan Huang Ya Yellow Tea tastes softer, sweeter and less grassy than green tea, while still keeping a fresh and elegant character.
Making Process of Huo Shan Huan Ya
Harvesting: The first step in making yellow tea is harvesting the tea leaves.
Withering: The freshly picked tea leaves are spread out in a thin layer and left to wither for a few hours. This process removes excess moisture from the leaves and prepares them for the next step.
Fixation/ Kill-Green: The withered tea leaves are then placed in a hot wok or pan and quickly heated to stop the oxidation process. This step is known as fixation or “kill-green,” and it helps to preserve the natural flavors and aromas of the tea.
Smothering/ Meng Huang: The rolled tea leaves are then wrapped in a damp cloth or paper and left to “smother” for a few hours. This step allows for a slow and controlled oxidation process, which gives yellow tea its unique flavor and aroma.
Baking and drying: For the final step, the tea is roasted to lift the aroma and flavour. The smothered and roasted tea leaves are then dried in a warm and well-ventilated area until they are completely dry. This step helps to remove any remaining moisture from the leaves and preserve their freshness.
How to brew
Brewing Method (Adjust with your own taste):
Gaiwan Style:
- Tea-to-Water Ratio: 1:50
- 3-4g Tea| 150-200ml water (85-90°c)
- 1-3 infusion : 10-15’s, After : Add 5’s each
Glass Style:
- Prepare a tall glass, pre-warm the glass by rinsing it
- Tea-to-Water Ratio: 1:50
- Add 3–4g of tea leaves into a tall glass.
- Pour in 150-200ml of hot water at 85–90°C.
- Steep for 30–60 seconds and enjoy.
- Resteeping: Drink down to about 1/3 of the glass, then top up with fresh hot water. Add 30 seconds for each refill (good for 3–4 infusions).
