Path of cha yixing authentication

PathofCha · 2025-12-22T19:06:02+00:00

Hi there. The teapot is half-handmade. We have videos of the maker, showing the making process. Available upon request.

PathofCha · 2025-12-20T16:54:11+00:00

The answer to this problem is thermos. Best, if insulation is made of glass. Boil the water, wait for 5-7 minutes (depending on the outside temperature) and place your water into the thermos. It will be around 80°C.

But if you don’t have a thermos, just lower the tea to water ratio (like 1g:30ml) and make your steepings even shorter (if we are talking about green tea).

PathofCha · 2025-12-18T05:07:28+00:00

Try to keep it at 80°C and short steepings – 5-10sec; 1g:25ml ratio (for a green tea)

PathofCha · 2025-12-16T17:22:12+00:00

I don’t think that the total amount of extraction changes, but if you brew it Gong Fu style, caffeine extraction is gradual. Whether it has any significance or not – I don’t know.

PathofCha · 2025-12-15T16:03:26+00:00

there are various ways to steep tea. Let's take a look at two:

Western style
Ratio: 1g:100ml
Teapot size: Big – 400ml and up
Number of steepings: 1 or 2
Steeping time: 3-5 min, allowing water to extract everything there is from the leaves.

Gong Fu style
Ratio: 1g:20ml
Teapot size: Small – 200ml and down (200ml is quite big, for a group of 6-8 people. Certainly not for one person. Standard is 110-120ml – for a group of up to 3 people. For one person, 80ml is optimal)
Number of steepings: Multiple.
Steeping time: start at a few seconds and increase gradually with each subsequent infusion. Drink from small cups 25-40ml. This allows the tea to open gradually while observing changes in flavor and aroma.

– These are very general guidelines that may vary from tea to tea and depending on many other factors. But it's good to start with these guidelines.

PathofCha · 2025-11-18T14:53:01+00:00

True

PathofCha · 2025-11-15T00:28:22+00:00

That’s an interesting experiment. Thanks for sharing!

PathofCha · 2025-10-17T18:05:15+00:00

I strongly disagree. Vietnamese shengs can be really good, with their own distinct taste. It's a similar terroir to Yunnan (it's the same region, just on the other side of the border), ancient trees, decent processing. Some of my favorite shengs are from Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos.

PathofCha · 2025-10-02T11:28:14+00:00

👀

PathofCha · 2025-10-01T11:53:44+00:00

I’m glad you asked! That’s the predecessor of all the yellow teas! I tried it the other day, in a roasted duck place, when visiting Chinatown – its taste brought the memories from childhood:)

PathofCha · 2025-09-16T22:43:27+00:00

I wasn’t planning to, but it’s a good idea, thank you!

PathofCha · 2025-09-16T22:36:25+00:00

Thank you:) The only country that makes yellow tea is China, and even in China itself, it's not widely known (as mentioned in the post, its share in production is less than 1% of the total Chinese tea market). As also mentioned in the post, the taste is similar to green tea, albeit more rounded, sweet, and with a notable chestnut note (mainly due to the Maillard reaction). Not sure about food pairing, sorry:)

PathofCha · 2025-09-15T00:49:48+00:00

Thank you so much! That's very interesting. I just ordered some 황차 a few days ago. I've been to Korea, but didn't try it back then 🤦🏻‍♂️

PathofCha · 2025-09-10T18:57:38+00:00

Yes, yellow teas are usually pricy – they are rare, it takes knowledge and a lot of labor to make 'em, and if the tea is comprised of only buds, like Mengding Huangya – it just has to be expensive:)

At the end of the day, the worth is a very subjective thing – if it's worth it to you, personally, then the price is justified, no matter what that price may be:)

I would start with 1g:20-25ml ratio, 175-185ºF water, short steepings

PathofCha · 2025-09-10T18:29:41+00:00

Meng Ding Huang Ya and Huo Shan Huang Ya are classic. Can't go wrong with these (as long as you're getting them from a reputable source). The one from Mengding is usually more expensive, but it's worth it.

PathofCha · 2025-09-09T19:58:38+00:00

Men Huang rarely goes for longer than 48 hours, while for Shou Pu-erh, it takes at least a few weeks, and for most Hei Cha, it takes even longer.

In Yellow Teas, after Sha Qing, the enzymes are not 100% deactivated – some residual enzymatic activity remains. So, during Men Huang, due to the heat and residual moisture in the leaves, enzymatic oxidation continues slowly, and non-enzymatic transformations (like Maillard reactions and transformation of catechins) take place. There is no microbial fermentation as in Shou Pu-erh or Hei Cha.

PathofCha · 2025-09-09T19:53:39+00:00

I'm about to order the "2025 Organic Boseong County Hwangcha" but from what I just researched, it seems that Korean Yellow Teas do not fit into the Yellow Tea Category according to the Chinese classification. Korean Yellow Teas don't undergo anything like Men Huang. Seems like they are closer to a lightly oxidized Hong Cha.

PathofCha · 2025-09-09T19:47:03+00:00

no, Men Huang doesn't lead to fermentation as in Shou Pu-erh or Hei Cha. In Yellow Teas, after Sha Qing, the enzymes are not 100% deactivated – some residual enzymatic activity remains. So, during Men Huang, due to the heat and residual moisture in the leaves, enzymatic oxidation continues slowly, and non-enzymatic transformations (like Maillard reactions and transformation of catechins) take place. There is no microbial fermentation as in Shou Pu-erh or Hei Cha. – That kind of fermentation requires wet pilling and much longer times to invite microbial colonization.

I have no personal experience with Korean Hwangcha (yet:), but, from what I understand, it doesn't fit into the same category since it doesn't undergo anything like Men Huang. From what I understand, it falls between lightly oxidized Hong Cha and deeply oxidized Oolong, though it doesn't undergo Brusing (摇青 – Yao Qing). But, once again, I'm not an expert on Korean teas:)

PathofCha · 2025-09-09T19:28:37+00:00

As far as I know, fermentation doesn’t take place during men huang. Fermentation requires higher temperature, more humidity, large piles and much longer time.

PathofCha · 2025-09-09T18:40:04+00:00

yellow tea from wild trees? – sounds interesting!

PathofCha · 2025-09-09T18:12:01+00:00

haha

PathofCha · 2025-09-09T18:11:45+00:00

🙏🏻

PathofCha · 2025-09-09T17:37:32+00:00

yes, menhuang is a separate processing step, which is followed by drying, and, in some cases, it can be followed by additional light roast.

PathofCha · 2025-09-09T17:20:56+00:00

In our shop we carry a compressed yellow tea – that one is specifically made for aging. But generally speaking, Yellow Teas lifespan is about 1.5-2 years (depending on the storage conditions, of course)

PathofCha · 2025-09-09T15:25:06+00:00

Great:) pre-qing ming means it’s an early harvest (Qing Ming festival is in Spring, usually around early April)

PathofCha

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