Laifeng Oil Tea Soup

Last updated 2026-11-10 — Laifeng Oil Tea Soup The Tujia people in Laifeng have long had the custom of drinking oil tea soup. It is a staple in their daily meals, almost always present at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Whether receiving guests or during weddings and funerals, hosts traditionally serve oil tea soup first to welcome visitors. Oil tea soup is an indispensable food and beverage in the life of the Laifeng Tujia people and is hailed as one of China’s four great tea drinks. It boasts distinctive folk flavor characteristics, as sung in a Tujia mountain song from Laifeng: “A day without oil tea soup makes even a table full of meat and wine taste bland.”