Stove-boiled tea flourishes among young Chinese

The stove-boiled tea flourishes among young Chinese. [Photo/Xinhua]

The stove-boiled tea has become a new way of socializing and consumption for China's young people this winter. Zhu Jinwu, a senior Chinese tea artist and critic, explained that there has always been a tradition of sitting around a stove and boiling tea to ward off cold in south China.

Wei Qi lives in Beijing. She knew about the stove-boiled tea on social media and went to a small tea house to have a try. “You can select from a variety of food packages, such as milk tea, roasted sweet potatoes, marshmallows, fruits, pastries and nuts.” Wei Qi thinks boiling tea goes best with winter. “I feel relaxed and warm to sit with my friends, chatting, taking photos and drinking tea.”

The form and prices of stove-boiled teas vary by region. Li Xuan, a consumer from Hunan’s Chenzhou city, said unlike the delicate snacks popular in the first-tier cities, local tea houses sell regional foods such as oranges and sugarcane with prices ranging from 68 to 128 yuan, which are well-accepted by consumers.

The reason why the stove-boiled tea becomes popular is it creates a social scenario and merges traditional tea culture into a healthy modern lifestyle.

Source: Worker’s Daily; trans-editing by Guo Yao