Huang Xiao Cha

Harvest: Spring 2026

Origin: Huoshan, Anhui Province 

A lot of yellow teas on the market could be described as formal rather than substantive yellow teas. The formal kind is when the menhuang or yellowing step is done but the mere application of the step does not sufficiently transform the tea into something else. We are only interested in the latter, substantive yellows, where the menhuang step meaningfully contributes to the character of the tea. This need for a distinct character was our main consideration when looking for a yellow tea.

During an unsuccessful search for yellow tea in Hubei Province back in Spring, we encountered a lot of formal yellows that tasted like green tea. We fared better when looking at yellow tea from Huoshan in Anhui Province. After comparing teas from a variety of producers, including some made by ICH inheritors of Huoshan Yellow Tea, we settled on this Huang Xiao Cha.

Huang Xiao Cha, or Little Yellow, is the picking grade in between the bud-only Huang Ya and the stemmy Huang Da Cha. In our opinion Little Yellow combines the best qualities of both; the elegance of Huang Ya with the rustic charm of Huang Da Cha. This particular Little Yellow is made from qunitzhong bushes growing wild in abandoned gardens. The menhuang process has been properly executed. Yellowing combined with a charcoal bake finish has given a smooth and refined feel to what is quite robust and burly material. It’s a tea we’ve been enjoying a lot during the Autumn season. 

Suggested Brewing: 5g in a 100ml porcelain vessel with boiling water.