Black Tea is sweet and warm, and can nourish the body's yang energy. Black tea is rich in protein, which can tonify the body, store yang energy, and is rich in protein and sugar, generating heat and warming the abdomen, enhancing the body's ability to resist cold. It also aids digestion and removes greasiness. Black tea from Qimen County in Anhui is the most famous. Drinking black tea can strengthen bones. It is recommended to have a cup of black tea daily. Adding lemon to black tea enhances the bone-strengthening effect. When brewing black tea, it is best to use freshly boiled water and cover the cup to retain the aroma. Besides brewing alone, other ingredients can be added to black tea. The following introduces several methods and benefits:

Black tea is sweet and warm, and can nourish the body's yang energy. Black tea is rich in protein, which can tonify the body, store yang energy, and is rich in protein and sugar, generating heat and warming the abdomen, enhancing the body's ability to resist cold. It also aids digestion and removes greasiness.

Black tea from Qimen County in Anhui is the most famous. Drinking black tea can strengthen bones. It is recommended to have a cup of black tea daily. Adding lemon to black tea enhances the bone-strengthening effect. When brewing black tea, it is best to use freshly boiled water and cover the cup to retain the aroma. Besides brewing alone, other ingredients can be added to black tea. The following introduces several methods and benefits:

1. Milk Black Tea

Ingredients: 3g black tea, 100g milk, 2g salt.

Preparation: 1. Put the black tea in a pot, add water and simmer for 5 minutes; 2. Filter out the tea leaves, boil the milk in another pot; 3. After the milk boils, add the tea juice and salt, and stir.

Benefits: Drinking once every morning can effectively replenish qi and blood, strengthening the body.

2. Astragalus Black Tea

Ingredients: 15g astragalus, 3g black tea.

Preparation: 1. Put the astragalus in a pot, add an appropriate amount of water and simmer for about 15 minutes; 2. Add the black tea and simmer together for about 5 minutes, then it is ready to drink.

Features and Benefits: Astragalus is sweet and neutral in nature, with benefits such as replenishing qi and yang, harmonizing the spleen and stomach, moistening the lungs and promoting fluid production, and dispelling phlegm. It mainly treats spleen and stomach weakness, spontaneous sweating and night sweats, insufficient qi, non-ulcerated abscesses, reducing swelling and expelling toxins. It effectively tonifies qi and strengthens the stomach, improving symptoms of physical weakness. It is beneficial to the central nervous and cardiovascular systems, has hypotensive effects, and also acts as a diuretic, antiviral, anti-aging, and anti-tumor agent.

3. Sugarcane Black Tea

Ingredients: 500g sugarcane, 5g black tea.

Preparation: Peel and chop the sugarcane, then decoct it together with the black tea.

Benefits: Clears heat and promotes fluid production, treats dry throat and thirst, itchy throat and cough, and overconsumption of greasy foods. It is an ideal health tea drink.

4. Glutinous Rice Black Tea

Ingredients: 50g glutinous rice, 5g black tea.

Preparation: 1. Wash the glutinous rice and put it in a pot; 2. Add an appropriate amount of water and cook; 3. Add black tea to the cooked glutinous rice, then it is ready to drink.

Benefits: Benefits qi and nourishes blood, improving symptoms of physical weakness.

Dark Tea can digest meat and fat, regulate the three major metabolisms (sugar, fat, and water metabolism). This is one reason why ethnic minorities in border areas who primarily consume meat rarely suffer from diabetes and prostate diseases. Dark tea is similar to traditional Chinese medicine tangerine peel—the older, the better. During storage, it produces hundreds of precious enzymes that can benefit the kidneys and reduce turbidity, having good effects on nephritis and diabetic nephropathy.

There are many varieties of dark tea, including Hunan Xiangjian, Hubei Old Green Tea, Sichuan Border Tea, Yunnan Pu-erh Tea, and Guangxi Liubao Tea. When drinking dark tea, a purple clay teapot is generally preferred, with glass being the second choice. Since dark tea is fermented tea, the water from the first infusion must be discarded. Here, Pu-erh tea is mainly introduced. Pu-erh tea is a famous variety among dark teas. It is usually divided into loose tea and compressed tea, with compressed tea including Pu-erh tuo tea, square tea, round tea (seven-son cake tea), thousand-tael pillar tea, ball tea, golden melon tribute tea, etc. It has effects such as clearing heat, relieving summer heat, detoxifying, aiding digestion, removing greasiness, promoting diuresis, relieving constipation, relieving cough and promoting fluid production, nourishing qi, refreshing, and resolving phlegm. It has long been regarded as a medicinal tea with both attacking and tonifying properties. Besides brewing alone, other ingredients can be added. The following introduces two common methods and benefits:

1. Chrysanthemum Pu-erh Tea

Ingredients: 2.5g dried chrysanthemum, 3g Pu-erh tea leaves.

Preparation: 1. Place the chrysanthemum and Pu-erh tea leaves in a porcelain cup with a lid and pour in boiling water. 2. Discard the first infusion of tea. 3. Pour in boiling water again. 4. After about 2 minutes, lift the lid. The chrysanthemum fragrance overflows. Drink while hot.

Benefits: Has effects such as clearing heat, relieving summer heat, detoxifying, aiding digestion, removing greasiness, promoting diuresis, relieving constipation, dispelling phlegm, relieving exterior syndromes, relieving cough and promoting fluid production, boosting energy, and prolonging life.

2. Rose Pu-erh Tea

Ingredients: 15g rose, 3g Pu-erh tea, honey as needed.

Preparation: 1. First, place the Pu-erh tea in a cup or bowl, pour in boiling water. 2. Discard the first infusion of tea. For the second infusion, add roses, then pour in boiling water to brew. When slightly cool, add honey.

Benefits: Brewing roses with Pu-erh tea creates a fragrant and pleasant drink that can relieve chest tightness and irritability, and has good effects on alleviating tension and depression.

Winter is especially suitable for drinking red date tea. Red dates have the effect of enhancing physical fitness and strengthening muscles. They contain cyclic adenosine monophosphate, which can dilate coronary arteries and enhance myocardial contractility. They also contain components like maslinic acid, which have cancer-inhibiting effects. Red dates have high sugar content and produce a large amount of heat, making them particularly suitable for consumption in winter. The brewing methods for red date tea include the following:

1. Red Date Tea

Ingredients: 5g red dates, cut with a knife and pitted, placed in a teacup.

Preparation: Brew with boiling water, drink daily as tea.

Benefits: Strengthens the spleen and stomach, nourishes the liver and blood, benefits qi and promotes fluid production. Suitable for most people, especially women and those with poor digestion.

2. Red Date and Goji Berry Tea

Ingredients: 25g red dates, 20g goji berries, an appropriate amount of brown sugar.

Preparation: 1. Put the pitted red dates and goji berries into a pot, add an appropriate amount of water and decoct. 2. After the red dates become soft, add brown sugar, mix well, then it is ready to drink.

Benefits: Can effectively prevent high blood pressure.

3. Coix Seed and Red Date Tea

Ingredients: 50g coix seed, 25g red dates, 2g green tea.

Preparation: 1. Brew the green tea with boiling water. 2. Mix the coix seed and pitted red dates, add an appropriate amount of water and cook until soft. 3. Add the green tea juice, cook together for another 3 minutes, then it is ready to drink when slightly cool.

Benefits: Helps detoxify and effectively fights cancer.

4. Ginseng and Red Date Tea

Ingredients: 25g ginseng, 25g red dates, 5g black tea.

Preparation: 1. Wash the ginseng and pitted red dates and set aside. 2. Put the above ingredients together in a pot and brew into tea.

Benefits: Improves qi and blood deficiency, enhances physical strength, and helps recover vitality.

5. Black Fungus and Red Date Tea

Ingredients: 12g black fungus, 10g red dates, an appropriate amount of rock sugar.

Preparation: 1. Put the pitted red dates and black fungus together in a cup, soak in warm water. 2. Add an appropriate amount of water and rock sugar, place in a steamer and steam for 1 hour, then it is ready to drink.

Benefits: This recipe effectively nourishes blood and improves anemia symptoms.

Red dates must be pitted because the pits are heating. Additionally, black fungus is extremely rich in nutrients, containing various vitamins and having the special function of digesting fiber. Black fungus can reduce blood clots and alleviate coronary atherosclerosis. The polysaccharides it contains are acidic heteroglucans, which have anti-cancer effects and are used to treat hypertension, fundus hemorrhage, and other diseases. In daily life, stir-fried black fungus with pork slices can be consumed as a dish, especially suitable for people who often drink alcohol.