Do you want to learn about mystical Hakka Lei cha? Not to be confused with Taiwanese Tea, Hakka Lei cha is a light and nutritious blend, gruel, or beverage that can be consumed in a bunch of different ways.

This vibrant green liquid is shrouded in mystery and legend, and we are here to share a little about this dish, including how to make it.

Introduction

There are so many wonderful stories about this ground tea, rooted in the culture and tradition of the Hakka people. In this article, we will share with you a brief little history of the dish as well as how to make your very own Hakka Le cha at home. We will also cover all the ways this incredible dish can be eaten.

Taiwanese ground tea, which we will focus on here, is a blend of tea leaves such as matcha, oolong, and green tea. Added to this blend are herbs, toasted nuts, grains, seeds, and some seasonings.

The Origin of Hakka Lei Cha?

Le Cha is the quintessential dish of the Hakka people. Also known as “thunder tea” or “powdered tea”, this ground beverage or gruel is a feature of Hakka cuisine. This incredible dish dates back to the Three Kingdoms or the Han Dynasty. Shrouded in mystery and legend, this Lei cha is a real feature in the home of the people found in the Hakka regions of Taiwan, as well as in other countries like Malaysia, anywhere where there are lots of Hakka people.

Hakka people in Hakka region of Taiwan

Legend has it that the Hakka people of Taiwan originally made their way through China during the Great Southward Han Chinese Migration. The Hakka people are known to be a close community with an incredible work ethic and traditions. It’s believed that the traits were developed due to what was endured through their migrations and throughout their generations.

It is said that the Hakka population migrated to Taiwan in the 1600s, seeking access to fresh and healthy soil and to escape oppression. Today, there are about four million Hakka folks in Taiwan.

Within China, there are two kinds of Lei cha – one being Hakka Lei cha and the other Hunan Le cha. As Lei cha is also super popular with the Hunanese people in the North, they have their own wonderful variant.

How to Make Hakka Thunder Ground Tea Lei Cha

Want to know how to make your own batch of Hakka Lei Cha? We’re going to take you through exactly how to do it. Enjoy the process of making this wonderful ground tea which can be shared with friends and family. The flavor of this powdered tea is a balance of bitterness from the tea leaves and a lovely sweetness and earthy flavors from the nuts and seeds. The ginger gives it a lovely zing, and the salt balances everything,

 Ingredients

 Here are the ingredients you’ll need to collect to make your Hakka Lei Cha:

• Tea leaves; choose one or a combination of green tea, matcha, and oolong
• Toasted nuts and seeds; choose one or a combination of peanuts, mung beans, sesame seeds, soybeans, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, lentils, and lotus seeds
• Roasted grain; choose one or a combination of cooked or puffed rice. Wheat can be used.
• Herbs and flavorings; ginger, salt, sugar, Chinese medicinal herbs

Method

The process is pretty simple to make your own Taiwanese Hakka Lei Cha. It just requires the right equipment and a fair amount of mashing and bashing from your side.

• Step one: With a mortar and pestle, grind up the tea leaves into a powder. Of course, if you’re only using matcha, then there is no need to grind it up further.
• Step two: Add in the nuts and seeds and grind them until they are pulverized and have released their fragrant, lovely oils. This step could take around 10 minutes of grinding and mashing. The paste will resemble cornmeal. You can also crush everything together in a large earthenware basin using a wooden stick if you don’t have a mortar and pestle.
• Step three: add the powder or paste into a serving bowl, and add hot or “just boiled” water to it. Add a little at a time at first to loosen the paste. After that, stir in enough hot water to make a soup-like beverage.
• Step four: Check your dish for seasoning and add in salt, sugar, and a little grated ginger as required.

How to Consume your Hakka Lei Cha?

 Here are a couple of ways to consume your nutrient-rich and delicious Taiwanese Hakka Lei Cha.

• Sipped on as a light breakfast during cold winters. It is considered to restore health and is brewed as part of a wellness brew.
• Served with rice and other vegetarian side dishes like Chinese vegetables, pickled radish, or tofu.
• Considered a sweet drink or a light snack.
• Main dish: lunch or dinner.

 Wrapping It Up

So, there you have it, the road is pathed to whipping up your own batch of Hakka Lei cha! We hope that you have found this article useful and that you will be tasting your own homemade batch of ground tea in no time.