The dog days refer collectively to the initial, middle, and final periods of summer heat, which are the hottest times of the year. The term “dog days” suggests that the yin energy is forced underground by the yang energy. These dog days appear in the Gregorian calendar from mid-July to mid-August, characterized by high temperatures, low air pressure, high humidity, and low wind speeds.

So, what kinds of Tea are suitable for such a long, hot summer? And what kind of Teapots match best? Let's take a look today.

1. Green Tea

A popular saying goes: “Drink Black Tea in winter and green tea in summer.” Green tea is recommended more for summer consumption because it is a cool-natured tea, slightly cold. As a simple unfermented tea, green tea has been used as a daily drink by ancient people. Because the processing methods are natural, green tea retains more of the original substances found in fresh leaves. When brewed, the tea soup is bright and green, with a refreshing taste.

Matched with a Purple Clay Teapot

Green tea can be brewed using purple clay teapots made of duan mud or benshan green mud (lighter colored clays). Since green tea has a light color, using these types of purple clay teapots will make the green tea appear particularly bright and clear. This is suitable both for enjoying the tea and for nurturing the teapot. It also helps retain the natural aroma of the green tea.

2. Pu'er Tea

Some tea enthusiasts might ask: “Why drink ripe Pu'er during the dog days? Wouldn't raw Pu'er be better? It's already so hot in summer; wouldn't drinking ripe Pu'er cause heatiness?”

In fact, because the dog days are hot and humid, we should drink teas with a slightly warm nature, like ripe Pu'er.

Pu'er tea can be divided into ripe Pu'er and raw Pu'er. People with a cold stomach are suitable for drinking ripe Pu'er because it is warm in nature, warming the stomach without harming it. Those who want to lose weight in summer can drink more ripe Pu'er, as its weight-loss effect is better than raw Pu'er.

Matched with a Purple Clay Teapot

For clay choice, ripe Pu'er tea is best suited to zuni purple clay teapots with higher mesh numbers, which can more accurately reflect the quality of the tea. Normally, choosing zuni duan clay is appropriate for regular use.

For shape, brewing Pu'er tea is best with teapots that have a large neck and full body. The spout must perform well, with a straight spout or sword spout being ideal. The mouth cover should generally not be too small, as a small mouth cover is not conducive to the release of temperature inside the teapot, especially when drinking newly-made raw tea. The bitterness and astringency in purple clay teapots will increase. A mouth cover that is too large is also not good, like in the case of teapots shaped like Xu Bian. The heat dissipates too quickly during drinking, and the tea fragrance cannot be fully enjoyed. Commonly recommended teapot shapes include Jingzhou Shibo, Fagǔ, Standard Ping, and Giant Lunzhu.

3. Dark Tea

Drinking dark tea in summer not only cools and relieves the heat but also quenches thirst, aids urination, and detoxification. It can also help digest greasy foods, break down fats, prevent obesity, and is a great beverage for the stomach. Additionally, flavonoids, catechins, and vitamins C and E in dark tea have antioxidant effects, clearing free radicals, beautifying skin, and preventing aging. Moreover, the amino acids and Theanine in dark tea have excellent blood pressure-lowering effects, while the polysaccharide complexes effectively reduce the formation of blood sugar.

Matched with a Purple Clay Teapot

Dark tea has a deep color, is durable for multiple infusions, and has a rich flavor. Therefore, when selecting a purple clay teapot, consider the following:

Clay Choice: Suitable for purple clay teapots with deeper colors, which will yield the best results after nurturing;

Shape Choice: Round or square shapes are both acceptable;

Capacity Choice: Suitable around 190cc to 380cc.

4. White Tea

White tea, like green tea, is an unfermented tea. White tea is produced in areas such as Jiangsu in China, with Liyang white tea being the most famous. Compared to green tea, white tea does not undergo the processes of stir-frying and rolling. Therefore, white tea largely retains the nutritional components of the tea leaves.

Drinking white tea in summer can prevent heatstroke, as the multiple amino acids in white tea have fever-reducing and heat-clearing effects. Drinking white tea in summer also helps maintain oral hygiene and health.

Matched with a Purple Clay Teapot

White tea can be brewed using purple clay teapots made of zini, hongni, duan mud, or lüni. The key is to select the right shape, such as a larger-bellied Shoumei teapot suitable for the large leaves of white tea. This allows the tea soup to retain its original true flavor, and you should control the timing of pouring out the tea.

As the saying goes: “Drink the right cup of tea to enjoy the dog days.” Many people choose to consume cold drinks to cool off in summer, but this only provides temporary relief and is not good for the body. During such a scorching season, tea lovers can be a bit “choosy” about their tea and teapots, as this kind of “choosiness” is beneficial for our health and wellbeing.

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