Yellow tea is the rarest of China's six tea types. Most people never tried it.
It's made a little like green tea, but with one extra step that makes it softer, mellower and never grassy.
We carry two classic Chinese yellow teas, both bought as new-season loose leaf and shipped fresh from Sydney.
Yellow tea (黄茶) sits between green and lightly oxidised teas.
It goes through an extra stage that green tea doesn't: a slow, gentle step called "sealing yellow" (闷黄, mēn huáng). The warm, damp leaves are rested under cover so they mellow slowly.
That step rounds off the sharp, grassy edge of green tea. What's left is smoother and sweeter, with a soft yellow tone in both the dry leaf and the liquor.
It's skilled, slow work, and few regions still make it well. That's part of why real Chinese yellow tea is so uncommon.
Think of it as a gentler green tea.
The taste is light, fresh and lightly sweet, with none of the bitterness or "green" edge that puts some people off green tea.
There's a clean, refreshing aftertaste, and a soft aroma that leans a little towards black tea.
If green tea sometimes feels too sharp for you, yellow tea is worth a try.
We carry two of China's most respected yellow teas.
Jun Shan Yin Zhen — the most famous and prestigious Chinese yellow tea, from Junshan in Hunan. Made from tip buds alone. Once reserved for Chinese emperors.
Huoshan Huangya — a premium yellow tea from Huoshan in Anhui, with around 500 years of history. Sword-shaped leaves and a light, sweet cup. Easy to enjoy, even if yellow tea is new to you.
Yellow tea is close to green tea, so it carries similar antioxidants (catechins).
The gentle "sealing yellow" step makes it easier on the stomach than some green teas — a little softer to drink.
It has caffeine, as all real tea does, but generally less than coffee. A light, everyday cup rather than a strong one.
Is yellow tea the same as green tea?
No, but they're close. Yellow tea has one extra step ("sealing yellow") that green tea doesn't, which makes it smoother and less grassy.
Does yellow tea have caffeine?
Yes, but usually less than coffee. It's a light, everyday tea.
Why is yellow tea so rare?
The extra step is slow and skilled, and few regions still make it well. That's why it's the least common of China's six tea types.
How do you brew yellow tea?
Gently, with water below boiling — much like a fine green tea. Each product page has full brewing guidance for that specific tea.
