Zhongshan Oil Tea

Zhongshan Oil Tea

　　Zhongshan Oil Tea is one of the main specialties of Hezhou, Guangxi. As the name suggests, "Zhongshan Oil Tea" is a unique beverage made with oil and green tea. It originally became popular in the two ethnic minority towns of Honghua and Liangan in Zhongshan County. It is said that the area is located in high-altitude mountainous regions, which tend to be cooler, and the locals drink spring water from the mountains that has a cooler nature. To combat the cold, people began making oil tea using locally grown tea leaves along with ginger, garlic, and other ingredients to warm themselves up. Unexpectedly, this oil tea not only warms the body but also invigorates the spirit, so it gradually gained popularity. Now, it has become a distinctive beverage in Zhongshan and even a leisurely lifestyle for the locals.

　　Preparation Method

　　1. Heat oil in a tea pot, add prepared ginger, and stir-fry while gently hitting it to release the ginger flavor (if you don’t have a tea pot, you can use a regular cooking pot—just don’t break it!).

　　2. Add prepared tea leaves and stir-fry while hitting them, adding a bit of water in between to prevent burning. After a while, add minced garlic, garlic bulbs, and green onions (these can also be omitted), and stir together to form a tea paste.

　　3. Finally, add broth (or plain boiling water), salt, bring to a boil, strain out the residue, and the oil tea is ready. Serve with some chopped scallions, fried rice, and your favorite snacks.

　　4. Then heat the pot again, add oil, and put the previously strained tea residue back into the pot. Re-add the ingredients from steps 1 to 3, and repeat the process. Cycle through this until you’ve had your fill.

　　The method of making oil tea is quite unique: heat an iron pot, add a small amount of vegetable oil, and once the oil is hot, add ginger and garlic to sauté until fragrant. Then add green tea that has been lightly soaked in water. The so-called “pounding oil tea” must indeed involve pounding—use a wooden mallet to repeatedly strike the mixture to fully bring out the flavors. Once fully pounded, add the broth and an appropriate amount of salt, bring to a boil, pour into small bowls, and top with chopped scallions, cilantro, and some roasted peanuts. The aroma is rich, the tea color resembles coffee, with flecks of red and green throughout—it’s truly enticing. According to friends, the first cup of oil tea shouldn’t be drunk because it tends to be bitter. The second cup is okay, but the third and fourth cups are when you get the best oil tea.

　　The Yao people in Zhongshan County have a history of drinking oil tea for over 600 years. Since Yao-style oil tea is genuinely a green food, it offers many health benefits, particularly in aiding digestion, strengthening the stomach, and refreshing the mind. As a result, more and more people have come to enjoy Yao-style oil tea, and the spread of its tea culture has become increasingly widespread.