Brewing Yellow Tea

Brewing Yellow Tea is quite simple. It is the most delicate and least processed of all Chinese Teas, and it is easy to ruin its wonderful flavors by improper brewing. Yellow Tea is quite rare, but it is worth the search and its wonderful fragrance and aroma leaves drinkers wanting more. When you first brew Chinese Tea, it is natural to worry about the techniques. People tend to put too much emphasis into the technical aspect of the tea that they forget to enjoy it. Although it is crucial to brew the tea properly, it is easy to do.

Water
The water used in brewing Yellow Tea is incredibly important. Fresh cool water should be used. Using boiling water can ruin the delicate flavor of Yellow Tea. The best water is spring or filtered water. Tap and mineral water will alter the taste of the tea due to the minerals and additives in it. If you use an electric teapot it is important that you do not run it on automatic because the constantly reheating of the water will also alter the taste of the tea you are drinking.

Tea ware
When brewing Yellow Tea, there are many different options of tea ware that can be used. Whichever you use is entirely up to your choice. Originally fresh leaves were picked from the tea and thrown into a pot of boiling water. Of course the process is now much more complex and the brewing ceremonies make it a wonderful way to be enjoyed.

Gaiwan In the Qing Dynasty, the Gaiwan was invented for brewing and drinking Green Tea, but it is also ideal for brewing Yellow Tea. A Gaiwan is a large lidded cup which sits on a saucer. The leaves are put directly into the cup and hot water is added. The drinker then drinks from the cup without removing the leaves, so the leaves continue to brew. This type of brewing uses far less leaves than a cup with a filter or tea ball to stop the brewing process. Using a Gaiwan is quite elegant and the lid keeps the water hot. The drawback to the Gaiwan is that you cannot watch the leaves open and dance in the water.

Glass Cup: Many Chinese now prefer to use a clear glass cup for brewing Yellow Tea. The advantage to using a clear glass cup is that you can watch the tea leaves slowly unfurl and rise and sink in the water. It is quite mesmerizing to watch the tea. Like the Gaiwan, the leaves are not removed from the water, so less leaves are used than you would use in a teapot. Now many beautiful glass cups are designed just for drinking Chinese Tea. They have an insulating layer of air to keep the cup from getting too hot to handle. In parks and tea houses throughout China you can see people sitting around with their clear glasses of tea. Most people do not finish the tea in their cup. They leave the tea surrounding the leaves on the bottom of the cup because it can get quite strong.

Porcelain cup: Another option for brewing Yellow Tea is a porcelain cup. They resemble coffee cups, except that they come with a matching lid to keep the heat in. Many of the modern porcelain tea cups come with filters so you can remove the tea leaves. This keeps the tea from getting bitter and more leaves can be used than in the glass cups, or Gaiwans.

Teapot: Many people prefer to use a teapot when brewing Yellow Tea and normally a porcelain teapot is used. This way of brewing tea is ideal because you can simply pour the tea out to stop the brewing process. Normally the teapots are smaller than English teapots because the leaves are left in the pot and if filled with water, the tea can become bitter. Some modern teapots have filters in them so that you can remove the leaves to stop the brewing process.

Brewing the Tea
Denser than other tea types, Yellow Tea needs more leaves than normally used in Green Tea. When brewing the tea you should experiment to find the taste that suits you. For a 12 ounce pot, it is recommended to use 1.5 to 2.5 Tablespoons of Yellow Tea with a water temperature of 180 to 195 degrees Fahrenheit 1-3 minutes. There are several ways to ensure that the water is at the correct temperature. One way is to use a thermometer and heat the water up to that level. Many people prefer to first pour cool water into the pot or cup before adding boiling water. Whichever way you to brew Yellow Tea, it is crucial that the water is not too hot.

Why is the water so important
Yellow Tea is easily ruined. Don’t let that scare you, it is quite easy to brew the tea, just make sure that you use the proper water and water temperature. If the water is too high, not only will the tea lose its wonderful flavors and aromas, but it will also destroy many of the tea’s antioxidants.

Brewing Times
Each tea is slightly different when it comes to brewing time. Some Yellow Teas need a longer brewing time to bring out their best flavors and aromas. Bai Hao Yinzhen needs quite a long time, anywhere from 5-8 minutes for optimal flavor, whereas Bai Mu Dan and Longevity Eyebrow need a shorter brewing time. Again, experimentation is the best way to find the optimum flavor for your tea.

The Steps for Brewing Yellow Tea
1) First you must select the type of vessel in which you wish to brew your tea.

2) Rinse the vessel with hot water to remove dust and heat the glass.

3) Pour the water over the tea leaves. It is best to pour the hot water in from a higher elevation than the cup so that the leaves can swirl in the water, which ensures that the leaves are equally brewed, and it also makes a beautiful effect.

4) Wait for the leaves to brew for 1 to 3 minutes. Adjust to meet your own tastes.

5) Enjoy the tea.

How to drink from a Gaiwan
The Gaiwan is the traditional way to brew and drink Green Tea and has a bit of ceremony and technique to it. It is fairly simple to use and after you have been using it for a while, it will feel natural in your hand you can add a bit of elegance and flourish while using it. You place a small amount of dried tea leaves into it and then add hot water. Do not fill the bowl to the top because it will inevitably spill. Fill it to below where the lid sits in the bowl. Let it sit for a minute or two and you can then drink it. Pick up the Gaiwan by the saucer with your index finger and thumb. Pick up the lid and use it to stir the tea by putting the edge of the lid into the tea and moving it from front to back. You can then use the lid to push the floating tea leaves out of the way for you to sip the tea. Some old timers can hold the Gaiwan and manipulate the cup by using just one hand. That is an art that takes many years of practice.
Note:
If you are brewing Yellow Tea without a tea ball or filter, stir the tea to ensure that the flavor is evenly mixed. To keep the leaves from going into your mouth, gently blow them out of the way before sipping.

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