Yancha needs full 100°C water to open the roast. Anything cooler and you get only the surface — the rock rhyme stays locked in the leaf.
投茶量足,浸泡時間短
For a 5g sample in a 100ml gaiwan: rinse once, then steep 8s, 10s, 15s, 20s, climbing slowly. Yancha gives 6–8 infusions when dosed properly.
讓茶葉靜置後再評判
A fresh-roasted yancha can taste ashy for the first month. Our Q3 lots have already rested through summer — but let the open sample sit a week in its tin before brewing if it travelled hard.
存放於陰涼、乾燥、密封處
Yancha keeps for years if sealed away from light, humidity, and strong smells. Re-roast is possible but not needed for these — drink within 12 months for best fruit.
聞空杯香
Pour out, then sniff the warm porcelain. Yancha reveals its aromatic top notes — orchid, cinnamon, dried longan — in the empty cup more clearly than in the liquor.
搭配合適的茶具
A thin-walled porcelain gaiwan is the honest tool for sampling. Yixing concentrates roast but masks faults — save it for production tins. See [tea.equipment](https://tea.equipment) for gaiwan picks.
Common questions
Asked, answered.
What does zhengyan mean and why does it matter?
*Zhèngyán* (正岩) is the core scenic zone of Wuyishan — the inner cliffs where mineral soil is densest. It is the most prized yancha terroir, and the source of our Rou Gui lot.
Is yancha the same as Da Hong Pao?
*Dà Hóng Páo* (大红袍) is one famous yancha cultivar and blend style. Rou Gui and Shui Xian are the other two pillars of the category, alongside Tie Luo Han and Bai Ji Guan.
How roasted are these samples?
Both lots are medium roast (*zhōng huǒ*) — toasted enough to carry depth and storage stability, light enough to keep the cultivar's floral and fruit character clear in the cup.
Can I brew yancha Western-style?
You can, but you lose most of what makes it yancha. 3g in a 200ml pot for 3 minutes works as a starter — gongfu method reveals far more. Our course at [tea.school](https://tea.school) covers both.
Is one sample enough to understand a yancha?
Honestly — a 5g cut is a taste, not a study. It is enough to decide if a cultivar speaks to you. If it does, full tins live at [shop.thetea.app](https://shop.thetea.app).
Why only two yancha this quarter?
We sample what is drinking well right now. Spring 2026 was a tight harvest in Wuyishan — these two lots cleared our cupping table. Q4 will add a heavier-roast Shui Xian.
Does the shipping cost include both samples?
Yes. One shipping fee covers any combination of samples in your quarterly order, including pick-3 selections from outside this category.
How long will an opened sample stay good?
Reseal and drink within four to six weeks. Yancha is stable but loses aromatic top notes once air gets in repeatedly. A 5g cut is two to three gongfu sessions.