Yellow tea belongs to the lightly fermented tea category. Its production process is similar to green tea, but differs by including an additional yellowing (men dui) step. This yellowing process is the main characteristic of yellow tea production and the fundamental difference from green tea.
Based on leaf tenderness and bud size, yellow tea is classified into three types: Yellow Bud Tea, Yellow Small Tea, and Yellow Large Tea.
Representative teas include Mengding Yellow Bud and Huoshan Yellow Bud:
Junshan Silver Needle—One of the finest yellow bud teas
Junshan Silver Needle, named after its registered trademark "Junshan," is a needle-shaped yellow tea. During the Tang and Song dynasties, it was called Yellow Feather and White Crane Feather due to its resemblance to bird feathers. In the Qing Dynasty, it was renamed White Tip due to its white fuzz. The current name was established in 1957. Silver Needle tea is produced on Junshan Island in Dongting Lake, Yueyang City, Hunan Province. Throughout history, it has been renowned for its color, aroma, taste, and uniqueness. In ancient times, annual production was only over 0.5kg, and current output remains around 300kg. Silver Needle tea is harvested 3-4 days before Qingming Festival each year, using only the first-picked spring tea buds—approximately 50,000 buds are needed to produce 1kg. While its processing is refined, the tea's natural shape is preserved without alteration, focusing solely on perfecting color, aroma, and taste. The finished tea features robust, straight buds with white fuzz resembling feathers and golden-yellow bud bodies, often praised as "gold inlaid with jade." It has a delicate aroma, clear apricot-yellow liquor, sweet and mellow taste, and even, bright yellow brewed leaves.
Mengding Yellow Bud—The second finest yellow bud tea
Mengding Yellow Bud, marketed under the Huangshan brand trademark (note: variations exist with "Shan" or "Ding" in the name depending on the manufacturer's registration), is produced in the Mengding Mountain area of Mingshan County, Sichuan Province. It is made from single buds with unfolded scales harvested before Qingming Festival. The finished tea has uniform, flat, straight buds with a yellow, glossy appearance and complete fuzz. The liquor is yellow with a hint of green, offering a sweet, fresh aroma and a mellow, refreshing taste. The brewed leaves are entirely tender yellow. Tea cultivation in Mengding began in the Western Han Dynasty, about 2,000 years ago. It was historically a tribute tea for emperors and was recognized as one of China's Top Ten Famous Teas after the founding of the People's Republic.
Dong Ding Oolong Tea
Produced in the Dong Ding (Frozen Summit) Mountain area, a branch of Phoenix Mountain in Nantou County, Taiwan Province, the finished tea has a semi-spherical curved shape and dark green color with a natural fresh aroma. The liquor is orange-yellow with a rich, sweet, and mellow taste, and spring tea is considered the best quality.
Huoshan Yellow Bud—The third finest yellow bud tea
Huoshan Yellow Bud is produced in locations like Jinjinshan's Jingangtai, Wulaijian, Manshuihe, and Jinzhuping in Dahuaping, Huoshan County, Anhui Province, with Jingangtai yielding the highest quality. The finished tea has straight, even buds and leaves with a yellow-green color, tender appearance, and abundant fuzz, resembling sparrow tongues. The liquor is bright yellow-green, sometimes with a yellow halo. The brewed leaves are tender yellow, offering a strong, fresh, mellow, sweet, and refreshing taste with a roasted chestnut aroma, leaving a pleasant fragrance in the mouth after drinking.