The Lantern Festival, also known as the "Shangyuan Festival" or Spring Lantern Festival, is a traditional Chinese folk holiday. It is customary to eat yuanxiao (sweet rice balls) during this festival. Nowadays, the varieties of yuanxiao are becoming increasingly diverse and delicious. However, these sweet, greasy, and glutinous tangyuan can be difficult to digest for gourmands. At this time, drinking tea can help promote digestion. So, what kind of tea is best to drink during the Lantern Festival?

【Qingzhuan Tea】

Common tangyuan often have fillings like black sesame, which are high in sugar and calories. Qingzhuan Tea has effects such as lowering lipids, aiding weight loss, and helping digestion. It particularly inhibits compounds like lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, and uric acid in the human body to varying degrees. Drinking a cup of Qingzhuan Tea after eating tangyuan is both refreshing and healthy.

【Oolong Tea】

The caffeine and flavanol compounds in Oolong Tea can enhance digestive tract motility, thus aiding food digestion and helping prevent digestive organ diseases. Therefore, drinking tea after a meal, especially after consuming a larger amount of fatty foods, is beneficial. Oolong Tea has a unique ability to break down fats, so when eating a significant amount of animal or plant-based fatty foods, it helps expel excess fat from the body.

【Barley Tea】

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine: barley has the effects of strengthening the spleen, aiding digestion, relieving heat and thirst, and promoting diuresis. Barley Tea is mainly used to detoxify, strengthen the spleen for weight loss, clear heat and relieve summer heat, remove fishy and greasy tastes, aid digestion, and moisturize the skin and darken hair.

【Black Tea】

Nowadays, fruit-filled tangyuan are popular. This type of tangyuan is relatively low in fat and sugar. When eating such tangyuan, drinking Black Tea is a perfect match. The mellow aroma of black tea pairs wonderfully with the sweet and rich taste of fruit-filled yuanxiao. Black Tea can also enhance gastric motility and has antibacterial effects, helping to alleviate gastrointestinal discomfort caused by overeating tangyuan.

【Tea-Infused Tangyuan】

If you want to eat tangyuan but are afraid of greasiness, you can simply make your own tea-infused tangyuan. Wrap tea leaves into the filling or cook tangyuan in tea broth for a unique flavor.