Skip to content
  • Blog
    • Learn
    • Sip
    • Connect
    • Travel
  • Beginner’s Guide to Tea
  • Matcha
  • Puerh
  • Tea in NYC
  • Book
  • About Me
  • Blog
    • Learn
    • Sip
    • Connect
    • Travel
  • Beginner’s Guide to Tea
  • Matcha
  • custom-logo
  • Puerh
  • Tea in NYC
  • Book
  • About Me
Learn

Tea Nerd Dictionary: Yancha

September 30, 2019March 1, 2020 7 comments
Tea Nerd Dictionary: Yancha

Yancha is a tea term that I wondered about for a long time before I knew what it was. Simply put, the name yancha translates as rock tea and it refers to oolong teas produced in the Wuyi Mountains of Fujian Province in China. The soil in this region is very rocky and the best quality teas are grown high up on cliffs. This imparts a mineral taste to the finished tea that is sometimes called yanyun, or rock rhyme.

Da Hong Pao

Da Hong Pao is arguably the most well-known variety of yancha. You’ve surely seen news articles about this tea being worth more than its weight in gold. Don’t let that price tag stop you, there are lots of other varieties to explore. My personal favorite is Rou Gui. I just love its subtle spicy note. Sampling a few different kinds is great way to better understand the region and its teas.

Wuyi Oolong Varieties
Bai XianEight Immortals
Bai Ji GuanWhite Cockscomb
Da Hong PaoBig Red Robe
Huang Guan YinYellow Goddess of Mercy
Rou GuiCassia Bark
Shui Jin GuiGolden Water Turtle
Shui XianWater Sprite
Tie Luo HanIron Arhat
Qi LanRare Orchid
The Yunnu Hill, Iconic among the Wuyi Mountains
Source: Wikipedia

True Cliff vs Half Cliff

Zheng Yan refers to teas that are grown within the national preserve. This area is carefully protected and no pesticides are allowed within its borders. The soil here is considerably rockier, making it rich in minerals. You’ll often see these teas called “true cliff”.

“Half cliff” teas are called Ban Yan. They are less desirable because they are grown outside of the innermost area of Wuyi. The mineral quality will be less noticeable. I’ve found that they also don’t last for as many infusions as true cliff teas. On the plus side, they are usually less expensive.

Da Hong Pao growing on a Wuyi Mountain Cliff
Source: Wikipedia

Yancha is a perfect example of the diversity of the oolong category. Higher oxidation and a charcoal roast give the tea a deeper, darker taste than what you might expect. They can still offer surprising floral notes and great complexity underneath all of that.

Do you have a favorite kind of yancha? Let me know about it in the comments below!

OolongTeaTea Nerd Dictionary
About Nicole Wilson

About Nicole Wilson

My name is Nicole Wilson and I love tea...a lot! I have been writing about my love of the leaf since 2008. My work has been featured on World Tea News, The Daily Tea, Tea Journey, and other publications. I am the winner of the 2018 World Tea Award for Best Tea Blog. My new book, The Tea Recipe Book, is available for sale now!

Related Posts

How to Get Started Drinking Tea – Buying Your Tea – Part 4
How to Get Started Drinking Tea – Buying Your Tea – Part 4
How to Get Started Drinking Tea – Tools of the Trade – Part 3
How to Get Started Drinking Tea – Tools of the Trade – Part 3
How to Get Started Drinking Tea- Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff – Part 2
How to Get Started Drinking Tea- Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff – Part 2
How to Get Started Drinking Tea – Drink Lots of It – Part 1
How to Get Started Drinking Tea – Drink Lots of It – Part 1

Post navigation

Fiction Books for Tea Lovers
Infused by Henrietta Lovell – Book Review

7 comments

  1. David Campbell says:
    October 1, 2019 at 4:39 pm

    Hi Nicole, nice brief overview. I must say (well, perhaps not “must” but I’l say is anyway) that I’ve never liked the Translation of 大紅袍 as “Big Red Robe” for the Chinese would never have chosen such a clunky name. If you read the first two characters as “Dahong” rather than “Da Hong” you get the far more elegant (and historically accurate, I think) translation “Scarlet Robe.” I realize I am spitting into the wind in this but I have lots of tissues.

    By the way, I find that I generally prefer “Shui Jin Gui.”

    Reply
    1. Nicole Wilson says:
      October 1, 2019 at 8:40 pm

      Thanks, David! I do tend to agree with you but “big robe” seems to have been the one that has stuck. Some vendors have started using Scarlet Robe to refer to teas that are not as heavily roasted, adding even further to the confusion.

      Reply
  2. Eustacia Tan | Eustea Reads says:
    October 1, 2019 at 9:56 pm

    Yancha is something I’m not very familiar with – I know of a store in Singapore that specialises in it, but the only yancha I have right now is a shui xian. Interestingly, when I was in Hong Kong, the people there seemed to equate shui xian with rou gui. I wonder why…

    Reply
    1. Nicole Wilson says:
      October 3, 2019 at 9:41 pm

      That is interesting.I think I’ve heard that most of the Wuyi varieties originated from Shui Xian so they might be related in some way.

      Reply
  3. Mike Loeb says:
    October 7, 2019 at 5:15 pm

    I wonder how fast tea plants grow in this rocky soil? Certainly there are good minerals to be had but probably not much organic matter. Slower growth may be part of the secret to this tea’s profile.

    Reply
    1. Nicole Wilson says:
      October 7, 2019 at 9:28 pm

      I’d imagine that they grow pretty slowly. The pictures I have seen of tea plants from this area are quite small compared to other regions.

      Reply
  4. Tea With Diana says:
    October 20, 2019 at 1:15 pm

    Fantastic overview, Nicole! Thanks! Haven’t enjoyed any of these oolongs yet but hopefully soon!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hey, there!

Hey, there!

Nicole Wilson. Tea Writer and Educator
Do you love to drink tea, but wish you knew more about it? I'm here to help! The world of specialty tea is massive so it can be a lot to take in. On this blog, you'll find over 1,000 articles and tea reviews to start your journey. I'm always happy to answer questions you might have!

Help Support This Site

Become a Patron!

My New Book!

My New Book!

Subscribe!

Subscribe to my weekly newsletter for the latest blog posts, tea news, and more!

Categories

  • Connect
  • Learn
  • Sip
  • Sponsored
  • Testimonials
  • Travel

Archives

Instagram

Amazon Rec’s

Amazon Recommendations
  • Blog
    • Learn
    • Sip
    • Connect
    • Travel
  • Beginner’s Guide to Tea
  • Matcha
  • Puerh
  • Tea in NYC
  • Book
  • About Me
Copyright © 2022 | All Rights Reserved | Designed by Little Theme Shop