# Huoshan Huang Ya (霍山黃芽)

*Huò Shān Huáng Yá · Yellow · Earth*

**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

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

## Questions and answers

### How do you brew Huoshan Huang Ya?

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.

### 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

## Related teas

- [Junshan Yin Zhen](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/jun-shan-yin-zhen)
- [Mengding Huang Ya](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/meng-ding-huang-ya)
- [Yellow](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/class/yellow)