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TCM

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Flame on the Back of the Wind: The Story of the Year of the Fire Horse (bing-wu 丙午)

Flame on the Back of the Wind: The Story of the Year of the Fire Horse (bing-wu 丙午)

When the Laba Festival (腊八) fades in the Chinese calendar, it is said that the New Year is already standing at the door. In the sixty-year cycle of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, the combination 丙午 (bing-wu) arrives – a year traditionally known as the Fire Horse. The Heavenly Stem “丙” belongs to yang Fire, while the Earthly Branch “午” corresponds to the Horse and is itself associated with the element of Fire within the system of 五行 (wu xing). Fire is therefore multiplied here – forming the image of a “double flame,” an energy that shines, warms, and burns.

Great Cold 大寒 – Winter Holding the Breath of Spring

Great Cold 大寒 – Winter Holding the Breath of Spring

Around January 20, when the Sun reaches 300° ecliptic longitude, the Chinese calendar enters a period known as Great Cold (大寒, Dàhán). It is the last of the 24 solar terms — the coldest point of the year and at the same time a quiet threshold of a new beginning. Winter is taking its leave; spring is only just beginning to breathe. The twenty-four solar terms arose from observing the sky, the landscape, and the rhythms of life. Much like tea. The planting, harvesting, processing, and drinking of tea naturally intertwine with these periods. Each of them gives tea a distinct character, flavor, and effect. Tea thus becomes not only a beverage, but a guide through the year.

Tea and Body Constitution in Traditional Chinese Thought

Tea and Body Constitution in Traditional Chinese Thought

Ancient texts often connect tea with health. For example, the Bencao Yanyi records a story: “Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs daily and encountered 72 poisons, which he neutralized with tea.” In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), tea is considered both a drink and a medicinal herb. Because each person’s body is different, and each tea has its own nature and flavor, choosing the right tea for your constitution is seen as a way to support balance more effectively.

Eurotium cristatum (Golden Flower)

Eurotium cristatum (Golden Flower)

Eurotium cristatum (E. cristatum), commonly known as “golden flower”, is the dominant strain in the microbial fermentation process of Fu brick tea. E. cristatum has favorable biological characteristics, including enzyme production, antimicrobial properties, immune regulation, antitumor properties, fat reduction capabilities, and weight loss benefits. With its probiotic characteristics, E. cristatum can be combined with different varieties of tea substrates to make a variety of fermented teas. More importantly, in the process of tea fermentation, E. cristatum can secrete a variety of extracellular enzymes, including some hydrolytic enzymes and oxidoreductases. They metabolize and transform various chemical components in tea through a series of reactions such as oxidation, degradation, and condensation, which significantly affect the quality of tea.

Tea and Women’s Health in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Tea and Women’s Health in Traditional Chinese Medicine

For thousands of years, tea (茶 chá) has been more than just a beverage in China—it has been a daily companion, a ritual of hospitality, and a cornerstone of Traditional Chinese Medicine (中医 zhōng yī). Within this tradition, tea is not only appreciated for its flavor or its calming effect but also for its influence on balance, vitality, and beauty. TCM looks at tea through the lens of yin and yang, warmth and coolness, stimulation and nourishment. For women in particular, tea drinking is interwoven with health advice that spans generations.

Fudan professor Li Hui 李辉 uses science to explain the meridians in tea

Fudan professor Li Hui 李辉 uses science to explain the meridians in tea

Professor Li has long dedicated himself to the study of tea. Fudan University was the first university in China to establish a Tea Studies Department 茶学系, nurturing many of the modern backbone figures in China’s tea industry. Its first director was the famed modern tea master Wu Juenong 吴觉农. Early in his career, Professor Li studied under Tan Jiazheng 谈家桢, the founding father of the Shanghai Tea Association 上海茶叶学会, pioneer of Chinese genetics, and president of Fudan’s School of Life Sciences, combining life sciences with the study of traditional Chinese tea culture.

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How to deliciously prepare Job's tears (Yi Yi Ren 薏苡仁)

How to deliciously prepare Job's tears (Yi Yi Ren 薏苡仁)

In China, a decoction of the Job's tears (YiYi Ren 薏苡仁) has always been considered very healing for seriously ill patients. Chinese medicine describes a so-called slime-like soup that reliably works for stomach and intestinal weakness, binds toxins from metabolism and supports liver function. Holistic medicine considers Job's tears to be a food that can soften and emollient, which is why they are said to help release animal fats and hardened deposits of harmful substances from the body, reduce "bad" cholesterol and women in particular will appreciate its beneficial effect on the skin, which it keeps soft and supple. According to TCM, it even protects against skin inflammation and slows down the graying of hair. During the childhood, we will appreciate its effect in treating warts.