Yancha
Definition
Wuyi rock tea, a category of heavily oxidized and traditionally charcoal-roasted oolongs grown on the cliffs of the Wuyi mountains in Fujian, China. Famous styles include Da Hong Pao, Rou Gui, and Shui Xian.
Why it matters
Yancha, literally rock tea or cliff tea, refers to oolongs grown within the protected Wuyi Mountains origin zone of northern Fujian. The category covers a wide range of cultivars, including the legendary Si Da Ming Cong (Four Great Bushes) such as Da Hong Pao, as well as the broad commercial cultivars Rou Gui and Shui Xian. Yancha is defined as much by processing as by location. After plucking, leaves undergo extensive yaoqing, oxidation typically in the 40 to 70 percent range, and rolling, followed by one or more rounds of hongbei charcoal roasting that can span weeks. The result is a dark, twisted leaf that brews into a deep amber liquor with roasted, fruity, floral, and mineral notes. The defining sensory signature of authentic yancha is yanyun, the mineral rock rhyme attributed to the unique cliff terroir. Yancha is traditionally brewed gongfu style in small porcelain or yixing pots, and many examples reward 10 or more infusions.