Nanping Leicha (Pounded Tea) from Jiangle

Nanping Leicha from Jiangle

　　Nanping Leicha from Jiangle: Mainly composed of regular tea leaves along with rice, sesame seeds, soybeans, peanuts, salt, and tangerine peel, and occasionally some wild medicinal herbs. These are placed in a unique large mortar and pounded with a wooden stick about a foot long, creating a “rumbling” noise. The resulting leicha has a rich and aromatic flavor; drinking a few sips after meals instantly relieves any greasy feeling. On hot summer days, it also brings a refreshing sense of clarity. Research has shown that regularly drinking leicha can help prevent wind-cold, improve liver and eye health, promote urination, lower blood pressure, nourish the lungs and stomach, moisturize the skin, and enhance beauty.

　　Serving leicha to guests is the most common and grand hospitality custom in Jiangle. Whether for weddings, childbirths, housewarmings, enlisting in the military, promotions, academic achievements, or birthdays, leicha becomes an essential celebratory drink. Jiangle leicha has a long and storied history. Research indicates it was introduced during the second southern migration of the Hakka people in the late Tang Dynasty.

　　The ingredients and preparation method of leicha are distinctive. Tools used include: a ceramic pounding bowl with a 35 cm diameter and radial textures on the inner wall, a pounding stick made from a 70 cm-long tea tree branch or white snake vine, and a bamboo strainer for removing pulp residues. The main ingredients for leicha are sesame, tea leaves, and dried tangerine peel, with other ingredients such as heartleaf houttuynia, ligusticum, patchouli, and fern added according to preference. The preparation method involves placing the prepared ingredients into the pounding bowl, adding some cool boiled water, and then using both hands to grip the pounding stick. Rhythmically rotate it along the bowl’s wall to grind the contents into a fine paste. Gradually pour in hot boiling water while stirring, then strain out the residue using the bamboo strainer. Repeat the grinding process two or three times, and a bowl of refreshing and delicious leicha is ready.

　　Leicha has many medicinal benefits. After a hearty meal, drinking a cup of leicha helps eliminate greasiness and leaves one feeling comfortable and light. It has been proven that regular consumption of leicha can help prevent colds, improve liver and vision health, lower blood pressure, nourish the lungs and stomach, moisturize the skin, promote longevity, and serve as an excellent health beverage.