Where is Lei Cha from?
Taiwan
History. The custom of Lei cha began in the Three Kingdoms period or even Han Dynasty. It is very prevalent among Hakka people in Hakka regions of Taiwan. It is brought by Hakka people to Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and any locales with a substantial Hakka diaspora population.
Why is it called lei cha?
While commonly known as “Thunder Tea Rice”, lei cha got its name from the act of grinding tea leaves and herbs to make the tea-based soup which accompanies the rice bowl dish. “In Hakka, ‘lui’ means grind – so lui cha means to ‘grind the tea’,” she said.
Is Hakka Lei Cha healthy?
Lai opined that the increasing popularity of Lei Cha among the Chinese and non-Chinese was due to it being a delicious and healthy dish. “Apart from the cooking oil used to sauté the vegetables, the dish has zero calories. It is certainly a stomach filling dish that also helps the body’s digestive system.”
What is Lei Cha made of?
Lei Cha, as it is known and enjoyed today, is commonly made from oolong tea, various roasted nuts and seeds, mung beans and crushed puffed rice. It is commonly enjoyed with an array of side dishes made from leek, long beans, kale, string beans, cabbage, dried radish and aduki beans.
How do you eat Hakka Lei Cha?
To eat it, you will drenched the rice and everything else in that tea soup. Lei Cha literally translated to pounded tea. Another name for this tea is “咸茶“ or savoury tea as the tea is slightly salty in flavour.
Is Lui Cha healthy?
Usually high in oil and carbs, and containing very little in the way of vegetables, it’s not something you should be eating on a daily basis if you want to keep healthy. Unless you’re having some Lui Cha – arguably the most healthy hawker food around. Brown rice, nuts, tofu, and lots of vegetable.
What is Hakka style food?
Hakka food is characterized as salty, fragrant, and umami. Rice, pork, tofu, and soy sauce are staples of the cuisine, while rice wine, ginger, garlic, and salt were used to preserve and flavor the food. Historically, Hakka people often had to labor hard to live off the land.
Is Hakka Thunder tea rice healthy?
Thunder tea rice is said to offer health benefits such as lowering cholesterol, detoxifying the body, improving digestion and helping weight loss.
What the heck is Hakka?
The Hakka people are a subgroup of Han Chinese with their own culture, language and distinct cuisine. In general, Indian-Chinese food combines Chinese cooking styles (and often ingredients) with Indian spices.
What is inside thunder tea rice?
Thunder Tea Rice was once a special dish commonly prepared among the Hakka Chinese. Its name comes from the spice blend that goes into making the dish that includes green tea, mint, mugwort, coriander & basil. Plated with the rice is an assortment of vegetables, tofu, shrimp and peanuts.
How do you eat lei cha?
