Lei Cha (擂茶)

Lei Cha is popular in Meizhou City, Shanwei City and Jieyang City of Guangdong Province, as well as some areas in Guangxi and western Hunan. It is one of the old ways to receive guests grandly and economically. Its production method is: first put the tea leaves into the tooth bowl (a special kind of pottery with sawtooth pattern on the inner wall), after moistening, make a hammer (wooden pestle) about 3 feet long with hard wood such as pomegranate wood or lychee wood.

Stir and mash, then put the cooked peanuts, sesame, basil (also known as Jinbuhuan) into the tooth bowl to make a paste, add an appropriate amount of salt, and pour boiling water into it, so it is also called Leicha . Then the host puts big handfuls of fried rice into a bowl of salted tea, and brings them steaming hot to the guests. Everyone sits in a circle in the living room, drinking and chewing, chatting about homework, or talking about current events. The host will add salted tea, fried rice, etc. from time to time to persuade them to drink.

Lei Cha
Other names: Ground tea / Sansheng Soup / Lei Cha / 擂茶
Type: traditional specialty food
Material: Peanuts, mung beans, tea leaves, litsea cubeba, etc.
Taste road: Fragrant and delicious, crisp taste

Historical

Lei Cha originated from the Northern Song Dynasty and has a history of thousands of years. From the selection of materials, production, brewing, are unique. Regarding the origin of Lei Cha, it is said that during the Three Kingdoms period Liu Bei led the army across Dongting Lake, and the soldiers in the army contracted a strange disease, and thousands of people fell ill along the way. The team barely supported the sick and marched to the Taohua River, and was unable to move forward any more. Liu Bei had to order to be stationed on the spot, and sent people to search for medical treatment. A lot of doctors were found, but none of them worked.

One day, an old man passed by Liu Bei’s barracks. He was very moved when he saw the strict discipline of the soldiers in the army. The local people found pottery bowls and wooden sticks, and according to the old man’s ingredients and production methods, they mashed raw rice, ginger, and raw tea leaves, and poured boiling water for the soldiers to drink. The effect is really very effective, the sick recovered quickly, and the healthy ones were no longer infected.

The beater is also the grinder. Leicha is a health-preserving tea drink made by putting tea leaves, sesame seeds , peanuts and other raw materials into a bowl and then brewing them with boiling water . Lei Cha is distributed in six provinces in South China. The places where the ancient customs of Lei Cha are preserved include: Taoyuan, Linli, Anhua , Taojiang , Yiyang, Fenghuang , Changde and other places in Hunan; Hailufeng, Yingde, Luhe, Jiexi, Wuhua and other places in Guangdong Province; Jiangxi Province Ganxian, Shicheng , Xingguo , Yudu , Ningdu, Ruijin and other places in Fujian Province; Jiangle , Taining , Ninghua and other places in Fujian Province; Hezhou Huangyao , Guild, Babu and other places in Guangxi ; Hsinchu and Miaosu in Taiwan and so on.

In addition, in Hehu, Luoshan, Jiaokeng, Railway, Luoshi, Xiushi and other places under the jurisdiction of Fengcheng City, Jiangxi Province ( that is, the local Hedong area), Nanfeng County, Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province (Sangtian, Taiyuan, Taihe, etc. ) ) and other places, there is also the custom of making tea, but it is still unclear when it began to spread. Its production method is much simpler than that of the Hakka people’s Lei Cha.

Main Tea

1. Shanwei Lei Tea

Shanwei Lei Cha is divided into camellia oil and salty tea and Lei Cha usually has less materials, just some fine tea leaves (you can also use no tea leaves in some areas), peanuts and sesame (can be fried, It can also be raw), it is also the original taste, plus there are some rice Cheng, rice ding, fried rice or fried wheat specially prepared for Lei Cha, these rice seeds and wheat can be soaked in tea Drink it (if you like it, you can also fry some vegetables for tea, such as beans, red beans, kale, lettuce, lilac beans, green vegetables, etc.), such a flavor is unmatched anywhere. Lei Cha is divided into different ways to eat: pure tea,  (locally read sap, meaning boiled) tea, rice bone tea, rice seed tea, tea rice, etc.

The other is made of wild vegetables and green herbs and is called ” camellia oleifera “, also known as “raw tea”. The main materials used are fresh mugwort leaves, mint leaves , raw tea leaves, maple shoots, perilla leaves, fanxiang, fennel, chicken foot thorns, rose buds, coriander, etc. Lei Cha has the effects of promoting body fluid and quenching thirst, preventing wind and dispelling cold, appetizing and invigorating spleen, clearing heat and detoxifying, and prolonging life. In 2011, it was selected into the list of intangible cultural heritage protection in Guangdong Province.

2. Peach River Lei Cha.

Drinking Taojiang Lei tea, there is also the habit of placing “dishes”. On the quaint Baxian table, there are usually eight “dishes”, including withered shell peanuts, burnt-flavored fried sweet potato chips , sturdy pumpkin seeds, crispy Qiaoguo slices, and purple ocean nests. …all are home-made, appetizing and delicious green foods. In addition to holding large-scale tea parties on important occasions such as weddings and funerals, Taojiang people often drink tea with their families on weekdays. Since Taojiang people drink Lei tea all the year round, processing Lei tea is one of the main tasks of housewives in Taojiang area.

3. Tujia Lei Tea

Tujia Leicha, mainly distributed in the minority areas at the borders of Hunan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Hubei, is a special product of the Tujia people. It is made by beating in a special bowl, which has many functions such as rich nutrition, healthy body, stomach and face. It is the best product for the hospitable Tujia and Miao people to entertain guests and gifts. “Look at the color in the sea bowl, taste in the teacup, smell the fragrance in the wooden plate, and aftertaste in the stomach”; this is a special product of our Tujia – Tujia Leicha, please taste it.

Tujia Lei Cha originated in the Han Dynasty. According to legend, during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the general Ma Yuan led his troops to the south to fight a long-distance battle. When they passed through the Wuling area in western Hunan, it was the height of summer. Countless soldiers suffered from local epidemics. After offering it, the conditions of the soldiers improved rapidly. After that, the Tujia Leicha was widely spread among the people, and the Tujia people have always kept the habit of drinking Leicha. In the beautiful ancient city of Fenghuang, Tujia Leicha is also known as the “Three Treasures of Phoenix” together with the town’s treasures , Jiangtang and Xueba Duck.

Fenghuang Lingxiu, the eldest Xiong Xiling, gave birth to Shen Congwen, gave birth to Huang Yongyu, and gave birth to Tujia Leicha. These four masters in western Hunan: politics, calligraphy, painting, and food, are loved by people. The beauty and humanities of Phoenix are fascinated by the world, and the deliciousness of Tujia Lei tea makes people yearn for Phoenix even more. Tiankai pictures eat Phoenix Tujia Lei tea.

In Xiangxi, in terms of folk customs, there are no books to view the sky, no paintings to read landscapes, no songs to enjoy birdsong, but Tujia Leicha is irreplaceable. Leicha is used to entertain guests, and Leicha is a gift; the mellow folk customs are multiplied in Tujia Leicha. When guests and friends get together and entertain guests, only Leicha is indispensable. Emotions and beliefs are precipitated in Tujia Leicha.

In western Hunan, the ancestors of Tujia Leicha, literati and writers, have been chanting for thousands of years; in western Hunan, there are traces to follow, and the origin and history can be traced back to the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Tujia tea, in the spiritual soil of western Hunan, in the folk customs in western Hunan, in the culture of western Hunan, breaking ground in this country, contains thousands of opportunities, and has become an ancient business card of western Hunan.

Tujia Leicha, inheriting the ancient secrets of western Hunan, has the climate of western Hunan, inherits the delicious taste of western Hunan, and uses the Youshui of western Hunan, and is made in the ancient way. It has both mellow aroma and nutrition, delicate sauce, pure and pure, and elegant texture. Tujia Leicha, originated from nature, is a natural product, and it is a unique product in the drinking world.

4. Anhua Lei Tea

As the saying goes, five miles one tone, ten miles one vulgar. Although Anhua County and Taojiang County are closely related, they also like to drink Lei Cha, but the production method and taste of Lei Cha are completely different. The Lei Cha in Anhua County In each bowl of Lei Cha, there is something to chew and something to drink. After drinking a bowl, even if you don’t eat for one meal, you won’t feel hungry. Therefore, if you have the opportunity to go to Anhua County in Hunan Province and someone invites you to drink Lei Cha, you’d better go with an empty stomach.

Anhua’s Leicha is very particular about the production, and the raw materials are also varied. In addition to tea leaves, there are also fried sesame seeds, peanuts, soybeans , corn, rice, mung beans, pumpkin seeds, as well as ginger, salt and pepper. The main raw materials are rice and tea leaves. The locals grind the fried rice into powder with a stone mill for later use, and then grind the tea leaves, ginger and sesame into a paste with a mortar, and pour them into the boiling water in the pot together with the raw materials that have been ground into powder, and cook them together. When it becomes a paste, it becomes Leicha.

5. Treat guests with tea

Whenever a guest comes to visit, the hospitable host will take a bamboo spoon or a wooden spoon, fill a large bowl for the guest, and hand it to the guest with both hands respectfully. The fragrant hot air makes the guests salivate. Guests who don’t understand the mountain rules can’t wait to drink the first bowl of Lei Cha. However, as soon as the guests drink a little, the hostess with sharp eyes and quick hands will pick up the spoon and refill it for you. Therefore, there is no end to drinking.

According to the local customs, if you don’t want to drink after drinking the bowl in your hand, then don’t drink the bowl of Lei Cha in your hand, let it stay in the bowl, and wait until you leave the host’s house. Drink it in one gulp, and say goodbye.

The habit of placing “plates”

Drinking Anhua Lei Cha also has the habit of placing “saucers”. Anhua “dish” and Taohuajiang “dish” are basically the same. Eight “plates” are usually placed on the antique table of the Eight Immortals, including withered peanuts in shells; burnt fried sweet potato chips ; …are some homemade, appetizing and delicious green food.

Why are there eight dishes? The local people said two meanings:

One is that eight people sit at a table, which means that everyone has a share; the other is that the horoscope is an auspicious number, and the local people believe in the creed that “a table with eight will bring wealth”.

In addition to holding large-scale tea parties on festive days such as weddings, funerals, and marriages, Anhua people also drink tea with their family members every day on weekdays, which is generally used for lunch. Because people in Anhua drink lei cha all the year round, and the tea is thicker, a lot of raw materials are needed, and the processing is laborious and time-consuming. Therefore, processing lei cha is one of the main tasks of housewives in Anhua area.

6. Wuling Lei Cha

Wuling Leicha has a long history in the Dongting Lake area. According to legend, more than 2,000 years ago, Ma Yuan led his troops to march south and stationed in Sima Cuo City (now Changmaoling Township, Dingcheng District). There was a plague in the military camp, and an immortal offered a prescription . , Fried rice, put it into the bowl, pound it with catalpa wood into a paste, and brew it in boiling water.” After taking it, the disease was cured, and it has been introduced to the people since then.

Lei Cha has the functions of promoting body fluid to quench thirst, clearing away heat and detoxification, reducing inflammation and eliminating diseases . When drinking, it is called “Take Tea” with fried noodles with local characteristics and specially made jar dishes . There are at least a dozen kinds of tea, and as many as forty-eight kinds of tea. It is very interesting to eat and drink.

7. Yudu Lei Tea

In the past, among the people in Yudu, every household had a Lei Cha bowl, and eating Lei Cha was very popular. No matter the poor or the rich, men, women, young or old, they always drink a few bowls of rich and mellow Lei Cha after work and school. If relatives and friends come to the door, it is even more necessary to treat each other with Lei Cha. On weekdays, no matter where you go, you can almost smell the fragrant tea brewing and the sound of “sucking” tea brewing from the courtyard. There is a folk song that says: “Every family is beating tea, every household tea is fragrant; beating tea is a treasure, which is better than ginseng soup.”

The Hakka tea in the capital has been passed down from generation to generation and has a long history. Housewives have been fascinated since childhood, and making tea has become their specialty. A tea maker is highly respected by people. Look at her, a handful of fried rice, a handful of tea leaves, a handful of sesame seeds, a few slices of star anise, a few slices of orange peel, and a handful of peanuts, all put into the special pottery tea bowl with straight grooves on the inner wall. Add a few tablespoons of tea oil to the middle, and sandwich the beating bowl tightly between your knees.

Then he picked up the tea jujube made of camellia oleifera wood, with a hoe handle, two feet long, and vigorously rubbed the raw material along the wall of the bowl. But seeing the arms fluttering and twisting wildly, it is dizzying. After a while, the raw materials in the beating bowl turned into a thick paste-blue paste, which is called “tea bait” by the people. Finally, pour it into the hot boiling water, and it is a bowl of tea with a delicious taste and overflowing aroma.

So, the whole family sits around the table, you have a bowl, I have a bowl, grab a handful of fried beans, peel a few fried peanuts, live in harmony, harmony and beauty, enjoy family happiness, and talk about family fun. No wonder people who have tasted enough of the sweetness say: “I would rather have less rice than Leicha.”

Yudulei tea is not only a delicious drink, but also an appetizing umami soup for the elderly and the sick. It not only has the function of making people’s tongue rejuvenate, and after drinking it, it is fragrant on the cheeks, and the aftertaste is endless. Drink it on a hot day, quench your thirst and quench your thirst, and feel refreshed; drink it on a cold day, keep warm and warm.

Lei Cha (tea) is rich in nutrients, easy to absorb and digest, and is of great benefit to people’s physical and mental health. With the change of people’s way of life, the traditional tea making, which is labor-intensive, is mostly replaced by tea making in the Pingchou area. But the people in the remote areas of the mountain still love to eat Leicha as always. If you come to visit there, the hospitable housewives are sure to hold a bowl of steaming and fragrant traditional tea.

8. Jiexi Lei Tea

Nanguancheng was later known as Hepo Town , Jiexi County , Jieyang City , Guangdong Province . Lei Cha is still a staple food in that area. The Hakka people in Jiexi have a custom of making Lei Cha. In summer and autumn, when the weather is very hot, people often don’t feel like eating after working, so they often eat Lei Cha as lunch. At noon, when guests come to visit, the host must cook Lei Cai to entertain them.

Before a girl gets married, all the neighbors who accept the wedding candies will also cook a bowl of Xianglei tea for the bride to express congratulations. In addition, when the sickness in the family recovers, they will also cook some and invite the neighbors who have taken care of the sick to express their gratitude.

and more …

The production methods of Leicha vary from place to place, especially in the choice of ingredients. According to regions and ethnic groups, it can be divided into two categories: Hakka Leicha and Hunan (non-Hakka) Leicha.

For example, the folk Lei Cha in northwestern Fujian is made by putting tea leaves and an appropriate amount of sesame seeds in a pottery pot, grinding them into fine powder with tea sticks and adding boiling water; Qingyuan, Yingde , Shanwei City , Jiexi, The Hakka Leicha drunk by the Hakka people living in Puning and other places is to put the tea leaves into a tooth bowl (a Leicha pottery pot with lines on the inner wall) and grind it into powder, then add cooked peanuts and sesame seeds in turn, grind and grind it, and then add Add a little salt and coriander, and brew it with boiling water; there is a special custom of drinking sesame Leicha in Taohuayuan, Hunan.

It is to grind tea leaves, ginger, and raw rice in a mortar made of hawthorn wood , and then wash it with boiling water for drinking. If you can put some sesame seeds and fine salt in, the taste will be more fragrant and delicious. When drinking Leicha from the Qin Dynasty, you should first drink it while it is hot, and secondly, swallow it slowly. Only in this way can you feel the feeling of “nine bends and ileum, refreshing and happy”. Finally, brew with boiled water, and then put some sugar. Lei Cha is as sticky as a paste after it is made, the color is light coffee, the aroma is tangy, and the mouth is smooth, soft and sweet.

The preparation method is roughly the same as Taoyuan, but the eating method is different. Taojiang Lei Cha is usually sweetened with sugar, making it a “sweet drink”. Taoyuan Leicha uses salt, which is mostly “salty food”. Women in Taojiang have a special custom of drinking Lei Cha after they become pregnant. It is said that the more Lei Cha they drink, the whiter and fatter their babies will be.

Lei Cha is only used as a general drink. If it is used for medicinal purposes, such as dispelling wind and cold, relieving summer qi, clearing fire and detoxifying, it can be added such as fine leaf money, mugwort leaves , small leaf guest bowl (horseshoe gold), bansuncai ( shepherd’s purse ), yellow flower, mint, etc., with tea Beat together. Various ingredients, easy-to-cook products, chopped, put into a bowl and boiled with boiling water; those that are difficult to cook, put in a pot to cook, and washed with boiling water into the bowl.