Experience Hakka Lei Cha DIY at Beipu Old Street
Speaking of the Hakka town of Beipu, the most famous delicacy is the traditional lei cha culture, a health drink made by grinding tea, sesame, peanuts and other nuts. After brewing with hot water, a rich aroma comes to your nose. Then scoop a spoonful of red beans, white fungus, and tapioca pearls to make a bowl of tempting and delicious dessert. Visitors to Beipu will go to the teahouse to taste this traditional delicacy.
It was our first visit, and we found the building shared by netizens on the map. The green courtyard and the exterior walls of the wooden house were covered with climbing plants, and the wooden lattice windows gave it a strong Japanese atmosphere. But when I walked into the house, I found no one! The group looked at each other, wondering if it was because they were closed on weekdays. But the open door didn't seem to be the right thing to do, so we started shouting at the top of our lungs and in low voices, "Is anyone there?". After a while, no one responded, so we had to sit back at the stone table in the courtyard and wait.
The proprietress first served the Hakka snack - mugwort mochi for tasting, and was surprised to find that one of my teammates had a skill which was "cutting mochi"? It sounds weak, but cutting mochi does require some skills, but I didn't learn it well enough.
Next on the table is the set of ingredients and utensils for pounding lei cha, which requires pounding peanuts first, followed by sesame seeds, and finally tea leaves. Lei cha is a snack that Hakka people use to entertain guests. Sesame seeds, peanuts and other ingredients are ground into powder in a ceramic bowl, and then hot water is added to make it drinkable. In addition to satisfying hunger and quenching thirst, it can also maintain health. The hostess told us that these ingredients have to be ground to the state of "oil coming out" before they can be brewed. Fortunately, we have four people who can take turns grinding. Grinding them into powder is not difficult, but when will the oil come out?