China Kekecha – Yellow Tea

The most populous province of the People's Republic of China, Guandong is a region of many forms. From the near-tropical climate near the South China Sea to the cool areas around the massive mountain ranges. It is the varied climate and year-round abundance of moisture that contributes to some of the most famous and best teas coming from here.

It might be true that Kekecha will not be one of the most famous ones, but that's only because the Chinese guard it like a treasure and are reluctant to let it cross the border. The complexity of its production and refined taste make it such an exclusive tea, that for a long period of time it was only the privilege of Buddhist monks to drink it.

Today, anyone can enjoy it, but a major restriction is the limited amount that's produced each year. The problem with yellow tea is not the growing or harvesting of its buds and leaves, as is the case with other types of tea. The difficulty comes in processing them. This is where a true tea master with many years of experience and precise knowledge of the process is needed.

Despite the great onset of mechanization in the tea industry, human hands still play a major and indispensable role in the production of yellow tea. During Men Chuan, as the production is called, the freshly harvested leaves are heated in large pans and then covered with a special rug or transferred to sealed tin containers. This causes the so-called yellowing process, whereby the tea that is "stewed" in this way reabsorbs its own aromatic substances over a period of several hours.

An experienced master carefully monitors the whole procedure and instructs how long the leaves should be covered for and how many times this step should be repeated. Stopping the oxidation at the right moment is the most important step. This is the only way to obtain a true yellow tea of the highest quality that will absolutely enchant you and, thanks to its very low caffeine content, will not deprive you of a good night's sleep.