Yellow tea is also a slightly fermented tea as white tea. Yellow tea was evolved from green tea with its process technolgy similar to green tea. The key technique that makes yellow tea different from green tea is an unique process "yellowing by piling up". During that process, the phenol content in the leaves undergoes non－enzymatic auto－oxidation. As a result of that, the green tea leaves turn into somewhat yellow color.

Yellow tea can be subdivided into three types: yellow buds tea, yellow small leaf tea and yellow large leaf tea. Yellow buds tea is made of tenderest fresh tea leaves (single bud or one bud with one leaf), such as the famous Junshan Silver Needle, Mending Yellow Buds, and Huoshan Yellow Buds.

Huoshan Yellow bud was already well-known as a famous tea in Tang dynasty. Huo Shan yellow bud is mainly produced in the Huoshan area of Anhui province. The tea leave looks like the tongue of sparrow. The tea is fine and tender, covered by hairy tip. It produces a refreshing and somewhat chestnut-like aroma.