Noted as one of the fourteen most-famous teas during the Tang Dynasty, Huo Shan Huang Ya is known to have been one of the teas made tribute to the Chinese court from the Tang Dynasty (AD 618–906) to the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911).

This tea from the high mountain Da Hua Ping Tea Garden in Anhui Province is plucked in early April and then manufactured in the style of a green tea except that the leaves are covered prior to complete drying in order to produce a slightly yellow tone leaf set.

The essential third step, known as ‘piling,’ gives yellow tea its unique flavor. While hot and damp, the leaves are removed from the wok and wrapped in paper or cloth or heaped in a bamboo basket under a cloth blanket. They are left for a few hours or days to provoke a step called ‘Men Huang’ or ‘Sealing Yellow.’ During this stage, the sweltering tea undergoes non-enzymatic oxidation that transforms the polyphenols, lowers the astringency, and reduces the vibrant grassy character of the tea. Consequently, yellow tea develops a gentler, sweeter, mellow smell and flavor than green tea. After the first piling, the tea is returned to the wok for a second panning, and while still warm and damp, the tea is wrapped again to provoke the second stage of non-enzymatic oxidation. This heating and wrapping may be repeated several times. Finally, the tea may be rolled or pressed to further develop flavor before the finished leaves are dried thoroughly.