Huoshan Huang Ya (霍山黃芽)

archetype: Little Buddha

A little Buddha sits in lotus and smiles: a rounded softness, a warm porridge, a simple joy.

History

Huo Shan Huang Ya — 'yellow buds from Mount Huo' — is an ancient yellow tea from Anhui. Known since the Tang dynasty; in the Qing it was 'gong cha' (tribute tea). Made almost entirely from buds and one neighbouring leaf; the 'men huang' technology — slow steaming under damp cloth — removes the green sharpness and gives the characteristic rounded sweetness. Revived in modern form in 1971.

In the Dabieshan mountains there lived a young novice so kind the elder monks called him 'little Buddha'. When he smiled, the temple grew warm. One day he carried his lunch — a bowl of porridge — into the mountains and never returned; on the spot where the bowl was found a bush grew with rounded buds. Its leaf smelled of boiled millet and a warm sweetness. Thus Huo Shan became 'the tea of the little Buddha'.

Terroir

500–900 m. weathered slate and quartz. dense mists, cool nights, frequent rains. The standard is the buds from the Jin Ji and Tai Yang mountains; the 'imperial' Huang Ya is made only before Qingming.

Leaf

dry leaf: rounded yellow-golden buds with a fine white down

warmed: the warmed bud — boiled millet, acacia, a warm porridge

after pour: after the infusion — millet, acacia, a soft sweetness, a warm earth

taste: boiled millet, acacia, a soft sweetness, a warm earth

finish: long, rounded, leaves a 'smile' in the throat — a soft sweet echo

Properties

TCM: neutral-warm; nourishes spleen and stomach, gently warms the middle

Modern: rich in natural sugars and amino acids; very mild, suits almost everyone

Cha qi: even, warm, at the centre of the chest; felt as 'a smile from within'

Caffeine: low to moderate (25–40 mg)

Brewing ritual

a 200 ml glass; 82 °C; 4 g / 200 ml. 35s — the first frame: warm porridge, acacia; 50s — the peak: boiled millet, soft sweetness; 80s — a long warm note; 120s — the finale — a rounded earth trail.

When to drink

day and early evening. spring and autumn. for domestic joy, for an even day, for a family table. acacia, boiled millet, a light porridge, white cheese, baked apple. a family breakfast; guests with children

Tea meditation

Smile, like the little Buddha.
A simple joy is the hardest.
Drink to the bottom. Leave no emptiness.

Questions and answers

How do you brew Huoshan Huang Ya?

What does Huoshan Huang Ya taste like?

boiled millet, acacia, a soft sweetness, a warm earth

How much caffeine is in Huoshan Huang Ya?

low to moderate (25–40 mg)

What are the effects of Huoshan Huang Ya?

rich in natural sugars and amino acids; very mild, suits almost everyone