With Chinese New Year 2026 begins the Year of the Fire Horse – a cycle that, in Chinese culture, symbolises independence, precision, inner strength, and quiet intensity. In keeping with this meaningful moment, AVANTCHA brings one of China’s rarest and most misunderstood tea categories back into the light: yellow tea.
From the AVANTCHA Platinum Collection comes Huoshan Huang Ya – small-batch yellow tea from the mist-shrouded mountains of Anhui Province. Cultivated for centuries and once reserved as a tribute tea for emperors, it embodies values that resonate strongly with the Year of the Fire Horse: restraint over noise, depth over instant impact, quality over surface.
A rare category – a conscious choice
Yellow tea sits between green and white tea and owes its distinctive character to the elaborate men huang process (“sealed yellowing”). This slow, high-risk intermediate step reduces bitterness and gives the tea its exceptional softness and clarity. With the industrialisation of tea production, yellow tea nearly disappeared altogether. Today, only a handful of tea masters still command the skill required for its authentic production. Huoshan Huang Ya remains one of the most refined expressions of this almost forgotten style.
Platinum Collection: Huoshan Huang Ya
Harvested in the forested highlands of Jinzhai and Lu’an, only the most delicate shoots are hand-picked in early spring – typically a single bud or a bud with one young leaf. The leaves are gently pan-heated, then wrapped, lightly steamed, and left to rest. Under the careful supervision of tea master Mr Zhang, a controlled oxidation of around 8–10% takes place – a process that gives the tea its calm depth and fine balance.
Flavour profile: soft and mellow, with notes of honey, gentle chestnut, and a subtle hay-like undertone
Liquor: clear yellow-green, luminous and layered
Aroma: floral-hay, restrained and serene
Calming clarity for a fiery year
The Year of the Fire Horse is less about excess than about clarity, determination, and intellectual independence. Huoshan Huang Ya reflects this energy in a subtle way: low in caffeine, rich in antioxidants, and known for its calming yet focusing effect. A tea for concentration without nervousness – grounding without heaviness. Ideal for a mindful beginning to the lunar year.
How to enjoy
As demand grows for refined non-alcoholic pairings, Huoshan Huang Ya offers an elegant, premium alternative to wine. Its gentle sweetness complements oysters and their natural salinity, while its soft structure suits savoury afternoon tea dishes featuring fresh vegetables and mild cheeses. It may be served hot or cold-brewed and is equally rewarding when enjoyed on its own.
Huoshan Huang Ya is released in strictly limited quantities as part of the AVANTCHA Platinum Collection – a curated selection of the rarest and finest teas in the world.
