Drinking Flower Tea in Spring
Most parts of our country have a monsoon climate, with distinct seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. In the days of spring, the spring breeze brings vitality and rejuvenation to everything, but people often feel tired and lethargic, which is known as "spring fatigue".
Drinking flower tea can alleviate the negative effects of spring fatigue. Flower tea is cool and fragrant, and it helps to dispel the cold from the winter and promote the generation of yang energy in the body, making people feel refreshed and clear-minded, thus eliminating "spring fatigue".
Flower tea is a precious tea that combines the beauty of tea and the fragrance of flowers. It uses the characteristics of absorbing flavor from green tea and other teas, as well as the characteristics of releasing fragrance from fresh flowers. Jasmine tea is the most famous flower tea because the fragrance of jasmine is gentle and the taste is mellow and pleasant. For high-grade flower tea, transparent glass cups should be used. Take 3 grams of flower tea and put it in the cup. Let the initial boiling water cool to around 90℃ before pouring it into the cup. Then cover the cup immediately to prevent the loss of fragrance. After two or three minutes, it can be enjoyed, and the fragrance will be refreshing and delightful.
Drinking Green Tea in Summer
In the hot summer, people sweat a lot and feel physically exhausted. To alleviate this, it is recommended to drink green tea. Green tea is an unfermented tea and has a cooling nature. "Coolness can clear heat", making it the best choice for removing internal heat, quenching thirst, aiding digestion, and eliminating phlegm. It also has medicinal values such as reducing blood lipids and preventing arteriosclerosis. The brewed green tea has a clear and refreshing color, a fragrant aroma, and a fresh and pleasant taste. Drinking green tea in summer helps to clear heat, relieve summer heat, and strengthen the body. Famous varieties of green tea include Longjing from Shifeng, Hangzhou, which has a jade green color and a pleasant aroma, known as the "leader of Chinese green tea"; Biluochun from Taihu Lake in Jiangsu, which has a green color and a rich aroma; Maofeng from Huangshan, Anhui, which has a fragrant taste.
To brew green tea, use water that has just boiled and let it cool slightly to 90℃. For high-quality green tea and tender famous teas, the tea buds and leaves are tender, and the aroma is mostly low-boiling-point fragrance. Therefore, it is best to use 80℃ water for brewing. When brewing, there is no need to cover the cup to avoid generating a stuffy feeling, which would affect the freshness of the tea.
Drinking Dark Tea in Autumn
In autumn, the sky is high and clear, the golden wind blows, and flowers and trees wither. The climate is dry, which leads to dry mouth and cracked lips, known in traditional Chinese medicine as "autumn dryness". It is recommended to drink dark tea during this time. Dark tea, also known as oolong tea, is a semi-fermented tea that falls between green and black tea. It has a greenish-brown color, and when brewed, the middle of the leaves appears green while the edges appear red. It is known as "green leaves with a red border". It has the fragrance of green tea and natural floral aroma, as well as the mellow taste of black tea. It is neither hot nor cold, and it has a moderate warming effect. It can moisturize the skin, moisten the throat, generate body fluids, and eliminate accumulated heat in the body, helping the body adapt to changes in the natural environment.
Common famous dark teas include Wuyi rock tea from northern Fujian, Tie Guanyin from southern Fujian, and Dancong from Guangdong and Taiwan. When brewing dark tea, it is customary to brew it strong, focusing on the taste and aroma. Boiling water at 100℃ should be used, and after brewing, the tea water in the teapot should be poured into the teacup after a moment. When tasting, the aroma will be strong and the aftertaste will be lingering.
Drinking Black Tea in Winter
In winter, the weather is cold, everything is dormant, and cold evils invade. The human body's physiological functions are weakened, and yang energy gradually declines. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that "in the cold winter, all living things are dormant, and the body's physiological activities are suppressed. The way to maintain health is to keep warm". Therefore, black tea is the best choice for winter. Black tea is warm and nourishing, and it can nourish the body's yang energy. It contains abundant protein and sugar, which can generate heat, warm the stomach, enhance the body's resistance to cold, aid digestion, and remove greasiness. During the processing of black tea, it undergoes sufficient fermentation, which oxidizes the tea tannins, hence it is also called fully fermented tea. Fresh tea leaves that have undergone oxidation form oxidized polymers such as theaflavins, thearubigins, and theabrownins. Some of these pigments dissolve in water, forming a red tea soup when brewed.
Common traditional black teas include Huhong, Yihong, Ninghong, Minhong, Taihong, and Qihong. The Qihong from Qimen County, Anhui Province is famous. When brewing black tea, it is best to use freshly boiled water and cover the cup to prevent the release of fragrance. The British have a habit of drinking "afternoon tea" and often blend Qihong with Indian black tea, and then add milk and sugar. In some parts of China, it is also common to add sugar, milk, or sesame to black tea, which not only generates heat and warms the stomach but also adds nutrition and strengthens the body.
