Gottatea Blog

For many health conscious tea lovers in Western countries green tea is considered to be a number one choice for maintaining good health. But, do you know that you can get the same health benefits as green tea delivers from a tea that has a much milder flavor and delicious taste? All this refers to Chinese yellow tea - a little-known variety of tea, which has only start gaining recognition in the Western world.

While being surrounded by an air of mystery, natural yellow tea is the rarest tea type made from the camellia synthesis plant and produced only in China, where it has long traditions. Originally, Chinese yellow tea was a very luxury item served at the Imperial court. For a long period of time the receipt of yellow tea had been kept in a secret from foreigners. Actually, later organic yellow tea also didn't have a broad market presence being produced in tiny volumes just in the Hunan, Sichuan and Anhui provinces.

Natural yellow tea is in the same category with green tea because it is only lightly oxidized. However, the process of making Chinese yellow tea is complex, tedious and time-consuming as it includes a slower drying phase, where the damp tea leaves are left to take on a light yellow color, and, in addition, yellow tea is fermented for longer than green tea but not completely oxidized like black or oolong tea. As a result, the taste of organic yellow tea loses the grassy aftertaste of green tea becoming milder and sweeter.

There are only three-four kinds of natural yellow tea available on the market today. The most popular types of Chinese yellow tea are: Jun Shan Yin Zhen (a Silver Needle yellow tea from the Hunan province) and Huang Ya (Yellow Bud from the Anhui province). As the name suggests, organic yellow tea has a natural yellow, golden appearance a smell different from both white tea and green tea. Actually, the subtle and fresh taste of Chinese yellow tea is easier to get used to and enjoy.

As Chinese yellow tea is made only from the highest grade leaves, this makes it a great drink to refresh you on a hot day, clear the mind and boost concentration. Since yellow tea is often harvested early in the year, when the leaves are still very young, it contains even more antioxidants than green tea. That's why natural yellow tea is believed to give beneficial effects on human's physical health. Moreover, organic yellow tea has cancer-preventing properties as well as prevents heart disease and strengthens the immune system against colds and flu. Chinese yellow tea is a truly remarkable beverage for those tea connoisseurs, who highly estimate amazing health benefits of tea and wonderful delicious taste.