Many people who drink tea experience stomach discomfort or even signs of overheating after trying a new type of tea. Therefore, it's important to understand whether a tea is cooling or warming in nature before drinking it, so you can choose the right tea for yourself.

A beginner tea drinker once asked me whether Tieguanyin tea is cooling or warming in nature. Let’s briefly explore Tieguanyin tea.

Tieguanyin is a famous Chinese tea, renowned for its natural orchid fragrance, which captivates many tea lovers. Whether Tieguanyin is cooling or warming depends on its processing method. On the market, Tieguanyin comes in several types: lightly fermented, aged, heavily fermented, and roasted. Due to differences in processing, lightly fermented and aged Tieguanyin tend to be cooler in nature, while heavily fermented and roasted Tieguanyin are warmer. Therefore, when choosing which Tieguanyin to drink, it’s worth considering its nature.

So, who is suitable for drinking lightly fermented or aged Tieguanyin, and who should opt for heavily fermented or roasted Tieguanyin?

Generally, most men, those prone to overheating, and individuals with a heavier build may prefer the cooling nature of lightly fermented and aged Tieguanyin, which can also aid in weight management. On the other hand, most women and those with sensitive stomachs—such as people who feel discomfort after eating watermelon or bitter melon in summer—are better suited for heavily fermented and roasted Tieguanyin. Aged Tieguanyin has an even milder nature and offers benefits like regulating digestion and reducing uric acid levels.

This classification is a basic guideline. Modern lifestyles, with their fast pace, high work pressure, and irregular routines, can disrupt endocrine balance and bodily functions, leading to symptoms that may contradict one’s natural constitution. This complicates the judgment, but with careful observation, most people can identify their own physical condition.