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White dew tea: the first cup of tea in autumn
CGTN

White Dew, the 15th of the solar terms on the Chinese calendar, falls on September 7 this year. During this solar term, tea lovers are in for a treat: White dew tea is finally ready to be tasted.

Unlike spring tea, which is tender and light, or summer tea, which is dry and bitter, white dew tea has a distinctively mellow taste. This fresh taste is inseparable from the weather characteristics of the White Dew term.

Dew can always be found on tree leaves and blades of grass in the early morning during this time of year. /CFP

Dew can always be found on tree leaves and blades of grass in the early morning during this time of year. /CFP

White Dew is the dividing line between hot and cold: from this point on, the summer heat fades, and the difference in temperature between day and night gradually widens. As a result, dew can always be found on tree leaves and blades of grass in the early morning during this time of year.

The White Dew term is an excellent growth period for tea after the intense heat. And since people are in the habit of gathering morning dew at this time of the year, the tea brewed with this dew has the fragrance of plants and flowers. Not as light as spring tea, nor as bitter as summer tea, the layered taste makes it a favored treat for tea lovers.

A cup of mellow white dew tea and a piece of sweet mooncake are unique autumn enjoyments for the Chinese. /CFP

A cup of mellow white dew tea and a piece of sweet mooncake are unique autumn enjoyments for the Chinese. /CFP

White dew tea not only tastes good, it is also good for your health: Drinking it can help with digestion, if you have eaten too much greasy food. 

Tea is believed to have the ability to make you lose weight, but drinking too much strong tea may cause anemia. The relatively light white dew tea is a much better alternative. 

As China's traditional Mid-Autumn Festival now approaches, a cup of mellow white dew tea and a piece of sweet mooncake are unique autumn enjoyments for the Chinese.

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