Winter is a season of silence for all things in nature, with bare trees shedding their leaves, rivers and lakes freezing over, and even getting up early becomes a challenge.

Yet during these drowsy winter months, Tea enthusiasts become particularly active, setting up small stoves to Brew tea. The rising steam seems to dispel the chill of winter.

“By my little red clay stove, would you care for a cup?” This line from the Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi's poem “Inviting Liu Shigiu for Wine,” has now been adopted by tea lovers.

Selecting a genuine clay stove, one can imagine: the charcoal inside burns brightly, while a clay pot, blackened on the outside, sits atop it, bubbling away with tea inside—a truly rustic experience.

Water is the soul of tea, and when brewing tea, the interplay between tea and water is crucial. While we may not be able to collect snowwater from plum blossoms like Miaoyu did for long-term storage, we should follow Lu Yu's advice: “Spring water is best, river water comes second, and well water is least desirable.”

Select slowly flowing spring water, which is clean and refreshing, with a subtle mineral sweetness. When thoroughly boiled with tea leaves, the resulting infusion will be clear and sweet, retaining its aftertaste even after prolonged boiling.

Is every type of tea suitable for brewing in winter? Traditionally, there is indeed a saying about drinking specific teas at certain times of the year.

Floral teas are enjoyed in spring, fresh and brisk green teas in summer, while fermented teas such as White Tea, ripe Pu'er, black tea, and dark tea are more appropriate for autumn and winter.

This is because, in order to generate heat, people tend to consume more oily and calorically dense foods during winter, and ripe Pu'er and dark tea both have the effect of cutting through oiliness.

Besides tea, satisfying accompaniments are also essential on the tea table.

Good accompaniments should not overpower the tea's character; sour hawthorns, sweet olives, crunchy peanuts and various nuts can enhance the tea session, while persimmon cakes and mandarins, along with various small pastries, add creative touches to tea gatherings.

The ancients said, “When guests arrive on a cold night, tea serves as wine, with bamboo stove boiling water and the fire just turning red.”

Such a scene, especially during the cold of winter, is particularly appealing: a steaming cup of tea can warm someone who has braved the icy winds, both inside and out.

Snow blankets the branches outside, while sparks flicker within the stove; the tea soup bubbles like fish eyes, and the faint fragrance of plum blossoms wafts by the window. The aroma of tea swirls in the cup, painting a delightful picture of enjoying tea on a winter day.