Cloud tea is like life; life is learning, wisdom is cultivation.
On New Year’s Eve, the whole family gathers around for the reunion dinner. The table is loaded with wonderful dishes: chicken, duck, fish, meat, soups, desserts—everything is complete. After eating, everyone is too full to move. At this moment, I quietly brew a pot of ripe tea and pour a cup for each person. They take their first sip and exclaim, “Wow, so comforting!” That is the power of ripe tea—when you need it most, it is always there. This is my fixed ritual on New Year’s Eve, maintained for over a decade. My family has grown accustomed to it.
Today I am brewing an aged Menghai ripe tea. The liquor is deep red and luminous, entering the mouth smooth and gentle, with subtle notes of jujube and aged aroma. After drinking, your whole stomach feels at ease, and the greasiness from the reunion dinner fades by more than half. One by one, my family drinks, and everyone approves. My mother says, “This pot of tea is really good. Remember to bring more next time.” Such simple praise—that is my happiest moment. A family gathered around drinking tea is the warmest scene of all. This scene is more precious than any delicacy in the world.
From a traditional wellness perspective, drinking ripe tea after the reunion dinner has several benefits. First, it aids digestion. The reunion dinner is usually very lavish, placing a heavy burden on the stomach. The beneficial cultures in ripe tea can assist digestion and ease this burden. Second, it cuts through greasiness. The dishes are typically rich and oily, and the polyphenols in ripe tea can help break down the oils. Third, it warms the stomach. In winter, after eating cold foods, a pot of ripe tea can warm the stomach again. These three benefits combined are why you must drink ripe tea on New Year’s Eve. This is my personal experience, not book knowledge.
The reunion time on New Year’s Eve is the most precious of the year. Usually everyone is busy, and it is rare to gather together. At such times, a pot of tea is like an invisible thread connecting everyone. Drinking tea, chatting, watching the Gala show—these simple moments are life’s happiest. I often feel that the meaning of drinking tea lies not only in the tea itself, but in the people who drink it together. The pot of ripe tea on New Year’s Eve carries a family’s love and warmth. This warmth cannot be replaced by any material thing.
Tea has grades; all may enjoy it regardless of status.
Here is a little tip for drinking ripe tea on New Year’s Eve: prepare a tea concentrate the day before. A tea concentrate is a strong brew made with extra tea leaves, used as a base. On New Year’s Day, simply dilute the concentrate with hot water. The resulting tea is both rich and smooth, and drinking it makes your whole body feel comfortable. I developed this method myself; it is convenient and practical. New Year’s Eve is a busy day, so having the concentrate ready saves last-minute trouble. You can also add a few red dates to the ripe tea to enhance the sweetness.
New Year’s Eve night, a family reunion over ripe tea. This is my New Year’s Eve wellness tradition. On this special evening, a pot of ripe tea is not just a wellness aid but a symbol of reunion. The scene of a family gathered around drinking tea is the most beautiful memory of the year. This is the power of tea—it warms not just the stomach but the heart. May you have good tea and loved ones around you every year. That is life’s greatest happiness. Make friends through tea, please enjoy a cup.
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Author: Old Tea Head · Lin Shen (LamSam)
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