Hwangcha
황차 · Korean Yellow
Yellow
Korea borrowed the idea of yellow tea from China and then made something else out of it.
Chinese makers smother a green leaf until it turns. Korean makers oxidise theirs lightly first, closer to an oolong or a soft black tea, and only then coax the yellowing out through a slow rest they also call smothering. The result does not really belong to either category.
Most of it comes from around Hadong, in the south, where the tea gardens run down to the river. It is plum and apricot over dark chocolate, with a tangy citrus cutting through the middle of it.
- plum
- cocoa
- citrus
- Origin
- Hadong / Jeonnam, Korea
- Water
- 80°C / 176°F
- Ratio
- 3.5 g / 100 ml
- Caffeine
- Medium
- Rinse
- Not needed
Korean partially-oxidized yellow
How much leaf
Gong fu brewing is leaf-heavy and short. Set your gaiwan or pot size and this is what to weigh out.
Vessel volume
100 ml
Recommended dose
Use ~3.5g of tea
The session
5 infusions, about 4m 5s of total contact time.
- Steep 130sA soft plum, waking warm.
- Steep 235sPlum ripens into apricot.
- Steep 345sDark chocolate deepens beneath.
- Steep 41mA tangy citrus cuts across.
- Steep 51m 15sA muscatel sweetness settles smooth.
Also sold as
Balhyocha, Hwang Cha
Nearby in the family
- Balhyocha · processing sibling
Steaper times this session for you
A countdown per infusion, a gong when each one is up, and the whole library in your pocket. Coming to iPhone.
Get notified at launchThese numbers are a median of independent gong fu sources, not a law. Leaf age, vessel and water all move them. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.