Tea Tasting

I offer tea, not wine, to a guest on cold night, When water boils on the stove, fire burns with flame bright. Winter Night, a poem from Du Lei in the Song Dynasty, describes the warmth and comfort of tasting tea in winter. In the cold winter, Nanjing locals prefer cooking tea around the stove. Seeing the warm fire, we're chatting with friends in the fragrance of tea. Our impetuous hearts are calmed in the curling smoke. As Wang Zengqi said, "I think the most beautiful days are to tend flowers in the morning, to cook tea at leisure, to nap in the sun, to walk in the drizzle, and to read by night light. In the light time, I have both ordinary life and poetic future."

(Photo: Cooking tea; source: stock.tuchong.com)

In China, cooking tea around the stove dates back to thousands of years ago, and has become popular in winter in recent years. In the winter of Nanjing, everything seems frozen in the cold, and time slows down like running water. In late winter, cooking tea around the stove and talking about family matters at night are the best way to find a moment of leisure in a busy life.

(Photo: Cooking tea; source: 699pic.com)

Nanjing has a long history of tea culture. The locally traditional Yuhua tea, known as the "king of tea in Jiangnan", is the treasure of stir-fried green tea. It is shaped like a pine needle, green and straight. Yuhua tea is usually picked in spring when the leaves are tender. Then follows exquisite processing technology to make the dried tea sticks tight, uniform, and tender green, with elegant and lasting aroma. The tea soup is clear and fresh, giving a lasting aftertaste. It's favored by the public.

(Photo: Yuhua Tea; source: 699pic.com)

Nanjing, an ancient capital, has profound historical and cultural heritage and famous specialty tea. Therefore, tea drinking places are locally distinctive in Nanjing.

Five Seasons · Suiyuan is one of such places. It is located in a building of the Republic of China in Hanzhongmen, Gulou District. The overall style is full of Buddhist mood, with elegant and quiet environment. In the winter of Nanjing, we cook tea around the stove and exchange ideas.

(Photo: Tea Tasting; source: 699pic.com)

Cooking tea around the stove is the luxury experience on a cold winter day in Nanjing. The haunting smell of tea, the soothing warm soup, and the full aroma of tea make this season gentle and fascinating. They are steeped in the rich history of Nanjing, refreshing and long lasting.