Many friends believe that ripe tea has a heating nature, and its red tea soup often leads some to assume it’s a beverage prone to causing internal heat. It might feel like drinking it in winter is adding warmth, but in summer, it’s like adding fuel to the fire. Although summer is hot and gives a fiery sensation, this isn’t necessarily the case!

First, ripe tea isn’t inherently 'hot.' Tea is originally cooling in nature, and through fermentation, ripe tea merely loses its cooling properties—it’s at most warming. Therefore, drinking ripe tea won’t make you feel hotter. So why do some people experience discomfort when drinking ripe tea in summer? Some may even experience diarrhea.

However, 'heatiness' isn’t necessarily bad. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), there’s the concept of 'expelling' versus 'suppressing.' Symptoms like internal heat, blisters, or small sores are considered part of the 'expelling' process, which is a form of healing and adjustment.

From this perspective, experiencing such reactions doesn’t mean ripe tea isn’t suitable for you. If you persist in drinking it, the toxins may be 'expelled,' and once the body balances, the symptoms will disappear. Some may also experience mild diarrhea when first trying ripe tea, similar to the 'heatiness' reaction, but this usually resolves within a day or two.

Does ripe tea taste sour?

First, the choice of raw materials matters—younger tea leaves are more prone to sourness (common in spring tea, buds, or one-bud-one-leaf picks). Second, excessive moisture during processing. Third, lighter fermentation (below 70%) increases the likelihood of sourness. Fourth, low fermentation temperature, where the pile doesn’t heat sufficiently, leading to under-fermentation.

Additionally, modern environments with widespread air conditioning have changed summer habits. People wear light clothing but are often in heavily air-conditioned spaces, making the indoor temperature quite low. In such cases, drinking overly cooling teas may not be ideal. Therefore, whether ripe tea suits you in summer depends on individual constitution, lifestyle, and work environment. Everyone’s body has its own tea-drinking rhythm.