The best tea to drink in winter
Winters in Amsterdam are generally harsh, accompanied by wind, rain, and sometimes also snow. While most of the Amsterdamers feel used to wrapping themselves in varied jackets for keeping warm, there might only be very few of them knowing the benefits of tea for fighting against the harshness of winters. To be brief, tea can help to warm and nourish the body, and in this way kick out the cold!
WHICH TEA FOR WINTER
- Pu’er tea is a variety of fermented tea traditionally produced in Yunnan – a southern province in China. Through fermentation, the already dried and rolled tea leaves are controlled to be slowly oxidized to reach the desired flavors. Various kinds of probiotics are also introduced to tea leaves during such a process, which help to regulate blood sugar and lower cholesterol. Pu’er tea, especially Shu Pu'er is also highly recommended in the winter for its warm property, and drinking Pu’er tea would help to nourish the stomach, get rid of dryness, and replenish the energy needed for winters.
- Wuyi tea, also known by its trade name Bohea in English, is also a premium drink for winters. As its name suggests, Wuyi tea is prized due to the distinctive terroir of the mountainsides where its tea trees have been grown. It often has a characteristic smoky flavor with notes of stone fruit due to heavy oxidization, which would feel specifically cozy at a harsh winter night. Here are some famous Wuyi Red Tea and Oolong tea names: Lapsang Souchong, Da Hong Pao, Rou Gui, etc.
- Black tea, literally called as red tea in Chinese, is one of the six major teas in China, often known for its strong flavor resulting from heavy oxidization. Scientists have found that drinking black tea can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, regulate blood pressure, and lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Black tea also has a widespread reputation for its treating diarrhea and other digestive problems, and in this way helps to warm up the abdomen and enhance the body’s resistance to the common cold.
TEA AND FOOD PAIRING
Please find the above info-graph about the various tea and food pairing that Cha Moods suggests. A graph is worth a thousand words.
In addition to introducing all the kinds of teas, we would also recommend you to add some orange peel – cut into small pieces – to the tea leaves when brewing with water. Apart from its aromatic taste and supplement of vitamin C, brewing tea with orange peel would help to restore body water, relieve a cough, nourish Yin, and more significantly, make yourself a cup of winter special!