Wenzhou Yellow Tea

Wenzhou Yellow Tea

　　Wenzhou Yellow Tea is produced in counties such as Taishun, Pingyang, Rui'an, and Yongjia in southern Zhejiang, with the best quality coming from Dongxi in Taishun and Beigang in Pingyang (in the Nan Yandang Mountain area). The tea dates back to the Qing Dynasty, with a history of over 200 years.

　　Wenzhou Yellow Tea is harvested before the Qingming Festival, and the picking standard is tender, downy one-bud-one-leaf and one-bud-two-leaves in early unfurling stages. The leaves must be uniform in size.

　　The production of Wenzhou Yellow Tea involves five processes: fixation, rolling, pile fermentation, initial drying, and pile drying.

　　Fixation: The pan temperature is around 160°C, and the leaf input is 1–1.2 kilograms. The goal is to fix evenly and thoroughly until the leaves become soft and their color turns dark green, at which point they can be rolled and stirred.

　　Rolling: This continues in the fixation pan with reduced temperature. The leaves are rolled until they are mostly shaped into strips and have lost 50–55% of their weight, then removed from the pan.

　　Pile Fermentation: The rolled leaves are spread out layer by layer on bamboo trays, about 20 cm thick, covered with white cloth, and left to rest for 48–72 hours until the leaf color turns yellow, ready for initial drying.

　　Initial Drying: This is done using a drying basket. About 1.2 kg of pile-fermented leaves are placed in each basket and dried for roughly 15 minutes. They are taken off the basket when about 70% dry.

　　Pile Drying: After initial drying, the leaves are cooled slightly and collected in cloth bags, 1–1.5 kg per bag. The bags are placed on the drying basket for pile drying. The leaf temperature is maintained around 30°C. After 3–4 hours, the leaves reach about 90% dryness. They are then sifted to remove broken pieces and undergo final drying to full dryness before packaging.

　　The quality characteristics of Wenzhou Yellow Tea include tightly rolled, slender and delicate strips, a yellow-green color with abundant down, bright orange-yellow liquor, a clear and lofty aroma, a fresh and mellow taste, and an even, bud-and-leaf set leaf base.