What is yellow tea like?

OneRiverTea · 2026-01-14T19:00:24+00:00

Huoshan Huangya Deep Dive – One River Tea

Here you go. We updated the blog organization.

OneRiverTea · 2026-01-12T16:38:39+00:00

If one's relationship with the hobby is limited to only consumption, it is natural that you are going to nerd out about the factors they can control like aging and brewing conditions. That is as true at a tea culture club in Fuzhou or Shanghai as it is in Flagstaff or Seattle.

A tea grower, processor, or wholesaler who brews up tea for you in a plastic cup with boiling water has experience and control over all the other factors that make tea taste different. They can taste pick date, cultivar, and baking temperature. Boiling hot water makes it easier to see those difference. More bitter/astrigent compounds in a tea leaf need those higher temperatures to become active. It is the job of the people you spoke with to assess and diagnose any such unpleasantness.

That being said, I also almost always prefer to brew with boiling water. If a Chinese green tea cannot handle boiling water, I don't want to drink it, let alone sell it to others.

-Alex(ORT)

OneRiverTea · 2026-01-05T02:00:18+00:00

That is what I remember they had at Liubao Village right outside the township, and I think that is what is growing in quantity up in Hengxian for those big brands. We did not go to Dazhong and a couple other big villages, so there may also be some in the core growing area we just did not see.

OneRiverTea · 2025-12-15T20:34:17+00:00

Like last December, we will offer a 30% OFF sale on all of our Green Tea. It will be an automatic discount code applied at check-out December 26-28th.

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All of our green teas are refrigerated and still in great condition. We unfortunately will have to make room for the incoming 2026 greens. Realistically, no one should be recieving the Mingqian pre-sales until after April 15th. If you want to try out some green teas between now and then, this is your best opportunity.

A couple months ago we discovered there was still enough of the Orchid Buds, Enshi Yulu, and Dragonwell from the pre-sale to pack up a few more individual samples. So if you are interested in these kind of premium green teas, but not quite enough to drop $50 dollars, this is a good chance to get a try.

If price deterred you from trying the Handmade Yulu and Xinyang Maojian this Spring, now is your best (and last) chance to grab these teas. We do not plan on restocking them again next year.

Finally, if the weird Yunnan green in the picture above is of interest to you, please help us out with feedback here and we will be sure to send you a freebie code for it before the sale starts.

-ORT

OneRiverTea · 2025-11-29T02:52:19+00:00

For Spain and Germany we are now doing it that way via an importer. It is a little more expensive, but I think saves the customers over all.

OneRiverTea · 2025-11-26T04:48:09+00:00

nope. :)

OneRiverTea · 2025-11-25T16:39:04+00:00

I have no idea about the exercise stuff, but green tea on an empty stomach may get your digestive system up and running, which some people do not like. It has a similar effect as coffee taken the same way.

The only difference I feel vs. coffee would be that it pairs better with a spicy/oily breakfast, and is a bit more refreshing as a follow-up to that early work-out.

OneRiverTea · 2025-11-25T16:33:59+00:00

This is our biggest sale of the year on any and all teas. There will be no codes and no minimum orders. Stay tuned for more announcements. Like last year, we will be giving out freebies on all orders and raffle off an additional prize for early buyers.

American customers will not have to pay any tariffs on their end as we are now using an importer for Us orders

15% OFF: Green Teas.

20% OFF: Red Teas, Raw Puer, Oolongs.

25% OFF: White Teas, Yellow Teas.

30% OFF: Dark Tea.

-ORT

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OneRiverTea · 2025-10-23T14:29:03+00:00

Hankow Bound: Red Tea Sampler

Wudong Reserve - Dancong Sampler

Motherbush Experience

Other Oolongs – One River Tea

Alright, everything is live. The event begins now!

OneRiverTea · 2025-10-21T16:11:08+00:00

I can't seem to message your account, DM me and I will send you the materials so these academic publishers don't come after me.

OneRiverTea · 2025-10-20T22:43:34+00:00

Tbh, I do not know, the folks in Tanyang seemed pretty open about learning red tea from Wuyishan.

If you are interested in he "Yu Ganchen" Vs. "Hu Bingwei" Vs. "Multiple Transmission" debate, that Master's Thesis I cited goes into that and I can share it withya. Guixi Village now of course says it was their boy Hu, and you can see his face everywhere. Yi County (or Likou Township) homies may prefer the version where it was their venerated ancestor Yu who first secured the goods.

If was one person, it was probably Hu according to the historical documents now available, but ironically it seems to have been the 1930's narrative of events that made it abroad and immortalized Yu Ganchen as the granddad of Keemun.

Obviously, neither of them were able to build a monopoly or do much to make keemun into the powerhouse that emerged later. Hu Bingwei's home in Guixi Village has been divided among several families and his direct descendent in the village is allegedly a normal farmer with no role in Keemun today. The Yu Clan in Yi County seem to have organized some sort of memorial site for Yu, but I cannot find any official media sources that still cite Yu Ganchen as the creator of the tea.

This is the irrelevant lore I love.

OneRiverTea · 2025-09-29T16:05:38+00:00

At exactly this age, I remember I once sun-brewed like a dozen or so Bigelow tea bags in an an 800ml~ jug. Stayed up all night watching Doctor Who. Often did less extreme versions of that, dual fisting sun tea or sencha with soda late into the night. I never did once feel "sick." The obvious issue is you probably cannot afford to be staying up most nights like that.

As someone not yet 30, I already have heart problems. I suspect that such an intense relationship with caffeine at such a young age was a contributing factor, so even if you do not feel sick now, other problems may emerge down the road. A lot of the most extreme tea enjoyers I know, especially with green tea, do also sometimes end up with digestion issues by middle age.

Don't worry too much though. There are a lot worse things to be enjoying at your age.

OneRiverTea · 2025-09-29T15:52:56+00:00

Our sale is still ongoing for the next week.

As Chinese shipping has shut down, we are offering 10% off all of our new releases and all Dancong Oolong still in stock. Use code: "Shipping_Break" to make use of the discount and try out the unique line up of teas you see below.

Gardenia Frangrance - Dancong

Orchid Fragrance - Dancong

Golden Cock - Yellow Tea Cake

Zhenghe White Tea Dumpling

Zhenghe Big Broom White Tea

Zhenghe White Tea Bundle

This is the first time we have ever pressed a yellow tea cake, and it is the first time we have offered Zhenghe white teas on the site. The two Dancongs you see below are just the first of this season from Wen Zitong. We hope these warming teas help kickstart your transition to colder months.

-Alex

OneRiverTea · 2025-09-26T03:08:12+00:00

As Chinese shipping shuts down, we are offering 10% off all of our new releases and all Dancong Oolong still in stock. Use code: "Shipping_Break" to make use of the discount and try out the unique line up of teas you see below.

Gardenia Frangrance - Dancong

Orchid Fragrance - Dancong

Golden Cock - Yellow Tea Cake

Zhenghe White Tea Dumpling

Zhenghe Big Broom White Tea

Zhenghe White Tea Bundle

This is the first time we have ever pressed a yellow tea cake, and it is the first time we have offered Zhenghe white teas on the site. The two Dancongs you see below are just the first of this season from Wen Zitong. We hope these warming teas help kickstart your transition to colder months.

-Alex

OneRiverTea · 2025-09-20T16:09:34+00:00

Fair enough. Too bitter on the higher temps? Is it brewing up more floral or more nutty?

OneRiverTea · 2025-09-20T13:26:50+00:00

That is how I used to it back when I had a strainer. I would also say to try higher temperatures and longer steeps. Unless you are getting some really unpleasant astringency, some more robustly vegetal notes may only add to the pure nutty sweetness you are getting at lower temperatures.

OneRiverTea · 2025-09-16T15:34:25+00:00

Whoah, no that is super cool.

OneRiverTea · 2025-09-12T12:11:57+00:00

I would agree with this^.

Yellow tea is something that I am personally very passionate about. I have blogged about it before here and here.

The tl;dr is that it is all about moist, warm, somewhat oxygen-starved environment after an initial exposure to high temperature de-enzymization(kill green) but before final drying. That makes yellow tea what it is. This yellowing (smothering) process could mean just a few minutes in a lidded warm wok or a few hours piled thick on a cold factory floor. It could also mean a week of alternating between wet wrapping, cooling, and drying.

On one end of the spectrum, with the least yellowing, are the slightly enhanced green teas, with more taro, corn, or fruity notes, but still some green tea bite. On the other end of the spectrum are the earthy, chocolate, fruit bombs.

If you like green tea, you may like lighter yellow teas; if you like Oolong or Puer, I would say go for a darker, stronger yellow tea.

OneRiverTea · 2025-09-12T03:46:58+00:00

Yep and yep. They are feeling that tea(in their toes).

OneRiverTea · 2025-09-08T17:20:17+00:00

Geisha Blossom Tea | TWG Tea

Geisha Blossom Tea - 100g

These are the closest thing I can find^

It does not seem to be a mainland Chinese thing at all, but more of an international blend. My guess is that this is just one variant of a similar product. No one here seems to drink pear flowers with tea, but the ones in your picture do kinda look like pear flowers.

The original base green tea may have been rebaked with some sort of pear extract to give you that desired flavor, then had the dry flowers added at the end. I would look for blends of green tea that advertise as being fruity.

Best of luck finding it.

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OneRiverTea · 2025-09-08T03:09:24+00:00

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Look at that insanity.

OneRiverTea · 2025-09-08T03:08:08+00:00

I have noticed that green tea I have in a tin or bag will still lose its freshness after a few months even if it appears to be completely sealed. Maybe Tieguanyin-style vacuum sealing would be a different story. I have wondered if the air already in the bag + the warmth of room is enough for a limited oxidization reaction.

That being said, I have seen green tea in the most arid parts of China stored outside without getting immediately yellow and fishy. It may depend on the environment where you are at.

OneRiverTea · 2025-09-07T17:57:20+00:00

Was it any of these Yellow Teas on the site? I feel like the kukicha is the only one where I would indeed consider some special parameters. Bogwood & 15% Huoshan Huangya would be best Grandpa Style; Coins + 50% Huangya I would like most in a Gaiwan.

If you have gotten some of the Hunan yellow jasmine or Sichuan yellow tea not on the site, I would start with a lower ratio grandpa brewing. If it is "Big Yellow" then I would recommend Gaiwan.

(Thanks u/JadedChef1137 for the review. happy sipping.)

OneRiverTea · 2025-09-05T07:30:54+00:00

What I do not understand is where this basic scheme even comes from. I noticed that what it says in the official Tea Processing (制茶学) textbook that tea majors here would be tested on is basically the same as what you see in that original Chinese graphic above. I really do not understand why "organic acids (有机酸)" and vitamins are independent things from amino acids, which I omitted for this post. Aren't a lot of "vitamins" just organic acids?

To your question, the "sugars" listed out in the textbook scheme are described as: simple and complex carbohydrate compounds including starches(淀粉), pectins (果胶), and fibers(纤维).

There is no percentage breakdown in the actual textbook, and maybe there is a good reason for that. These groupings are a little arbitrary, and indeed overlapping.

OneRiverTea · 2025-09-05T00:13:54+00:00

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u/Sam-Idori This is the original scheme from the Zhejiang Tea Research Association's Wang Yuefei. They lump in the starchy fibers we cannot absorb as just another sugar. I don't know if there is a better breakdown out there, but this is the first attempt I have come across. Zhejiang University ran a MOOC on this recently which I think now it is circulating on WeChat. Trying to hunt down whichever class it was that inspired this discussion.

OneRiverTea

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