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| Lei cha | |||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 擂茶 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 擂茶 | ||||||||||
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Lei cha (Chinese:擂茶;pinyin:léi chá;lit. 'pounded tea'; pronounced[lěɪ ʈʂʰǎ]) orground tea is a traditionalSouthern Chinesetea-basedbeverage orgruel inHakka cuisine.[1]
The custom oflei cha began in theThree Kingdoms period or even in theHan dynasty. It is very common amongHakka people in Hakka regions ofTaiwan. It was brought by Hakka people toTaiwan,Indonesia,Malaysia, and any locales with a substantial Hakkadiaspora population. Besides Hakkalei cha,lei cha is also traditional amongHunanese people in northernHunan.
Lei cha is not the same asTaiwanese tea because there are always other ingredients. Ground tea consists of a mix of tea leaves andherbs that are ground together with various roastednuts,seeds,grains, and flavorings.
Althoughlei cha can be bought commercially prepared and prepackaged, the drink is usually made "from scratch" just as it is about to be consumed.
Ground tea is a varying mix of:
The ingredients are ground in afood processor, or with amortar and pestle, or in a large earthenware basin with a wooden stick. The mix should be reduced to a powder that resembles finecornmeal.
The powder is then placed into a serving bowl and hot water is stirred into it to produce a thinsoup-like beverage.
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The tea is drunk forbreakfast or on cold winters as a tasty and healthy restorative.
Lei cha may also be taken as a dietary brew. In that case, it is served with rice and other vegetarian side dishes such as greens, tofu, and pickled radish. A variety oflei cha popular askhai lang lei cha is sold as street food inMalaysia.
Traditionally, lei cha is a savory brew; however, in contemporary interpretations it is often consumed as a sweet drink.
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