Winter tea
- Written by En Jie Rudd
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Not all teas are equal. Some teas are more suitable for summer time and the others provide warm comfort for cold winter days.
Fermentation plays a big part in the tea processing. If we can look at the tea range as a spectrum, the two ends are:
- Green teas: unfermented, light and refreshing
- Black teas: fully fermented, dark in colour, smooth in texture and known to aid in digestion
With this in mind, it is not hard to imagine that the fermented teas are more suitable for colder weather and the green teas are ideal for summer time.
Coffee vs tea
I have recently given up on coffee drinking. I never used to drink coffee when I was growing up in China and only took it up after I arrived in Australia and married to a coffee drinker.
After drinking my regular cup of coffee in the morning for more than 10 years, I found myself in a situation where it did not do much for me anymore in terms of kick-starting the morning. If I however missed one, I would be left with a severe headache until I had my next ‘fit’.
I used an opportunity of visiting China a few months ago to ‘wean’ it off and it wasn’t hard as I was drinking teas throughout the day.
What do I use to replace my morning cup of coffee now?
A cup of black tea or ripened & aged Pu-erh tea, no milk no sugar.
It serves as the morning kick start just as well as a coffee, without any ‘withdraw’ symptoms. Since I only drink loose leaf teas, I top up the cup/pot and sip through the whole morning, warm and comfortable.
After lunch tea
I personally love a cup of Oolong tea (semi-fermented) such as Wu Yi Oolong, or aged raw Pu-erh after lunch in winter time. In comparison to the fully fermented black teas or ripened Pu-erh tea, they have a bit more edge in terms of being refreshing. To have a cup after lunch flushes/naturalizes all the excessive flavours and cholesterols that have been consumed, especially those strong flavoured foods from the take away outlets. They offer a sense of freshness, calm and warmth.
After dinner
My flavour after dinner teas are Taiwan high mountain Oolong or mature raw Pu-erh tea. Incorrect in theory, dinner is the only main proper home prepared meal in our family due to school and work commitments. To assist to digest all the ‘high food’ from the dinner plates before bed time, a cup of these teas feels ‘just what I need’ to settle the full stomach, and the day’s activities.
En Jie Rudd
The founder and owner of Valley Green Tea
I grew up in the Fu-Jian Province – the tea country of China. Tea drinking has been part of our daily life for as long as I can remember.
While I was working as a public health researcher a few years ago, I read many research reports conducted over the last 30 years about the health benefits of green tea in fighting certain life style related challenges such as cancer, obesity, cardio-vascular and inflammatory diseases etc.
From my research, I realised there is a significant gap between what people consume (i.e. commercial tea bags) for assumed health benefits and the actual benefits that have been enjoyed by the Chinese for a long history from the premium loose leaf teas.
As well as being potentially beneficial to health, the premium loose teas (green tea being the biggest group) are most enjoyable beverages with a fascinating history, colourful culture and holistically dynamic in every aspect.
It is my passion to share, not only the products, but also the whole culture dynamics around the premium teas with the tea enthusiasts, here in Australia and around the world.
Valley Green Tea currently supplis a diverse range of premium loose teas to the tea drinking community that suit all tastes and all cultures and to pass on a deep understanding of the history and benefits of this wonder beverage.
Website: https://www.valleygreentea.com.au