The Milder Alternative To Green Tea You'll Want In Your Cozy Drink Rotation

Anyone who frequents dim sum spots knows the subtle power of green tea. Whether it's sipped on its own, with food, or as a digestive, the lightly vegetal brew with grassy notes and earthy flavors is a favorite among tea drinkers. As legend has it, green tea was discovered by accident in 2737 B.C., when a few tea leaves fell into Chinese Emperor Shennong's boiling cup of water. He didn't notice, drank up the brew, loved the flavor, and people are still enjoying the dietary and health benefits of green tea all these thousands of years later.

We would never be one to turn you off of your favorite green tea brand since we love the stuff ourselves, but if you're looking to switch things up, we highly recommend you try yellow tea. Often considered, "the rarest tea in the world," the simplest way to describe yellow tea is a mellower version of green tea. Like green tea, yellow tea leaves are derived from the camellia sinensis plant, but unlike green tea, yellow goes through a different processing method that contributes not only to its yellow leaves but also its sweeter, more floral flavor.

While tea-making details will vary depending on geographic location, the standard process for making elusive yellow tea starts out similar to green tea but then swings in its own direction. Much like green tea, yellow tea also begins by heating up or frying the tea leaves in order to stop oxidation. However, unlike green tea, the heating process for yellow tea does not involve as high of a heating temperature or as long of a heating process.

After initial heating, sometimes called the "kill green" process, green tea and yellow tea production split ways. With the yellow tea leaves not completely dried from the kill green process, manufacturers will take the warm, moist leaves and ferment them by wrapping the tea in cloth or paper to trap the moisture and allow the leaves to reabsorb some of what was lost during the heating process. Once the manufacturer is happy with the yellowing process — sometimes it takes a few heating and wrapping cycles — the tea will be completely dried, at which point it's ready for consumption. This added fermentation process is what gives the yellow tea its mellow, tender profile. Yellow tea is expensive and not easy to find, but the amount of skill, patience, and tradition that goes into manufacturing the cozy and delicious drink makes the price and hunt well worth it.