Yinmi Tea

Yinmi Tea

　　   Yinmi Tea boasts a rich aroma, delicious taste, and unique preparation method. It is a distinctive local snack from the Tujia ethnic mountain villages in the Wuling Mountain area of southeastern Chongqing. Known for its benefits in nourishing yin, tonifying kidneys, and stimulating appetite, this tea was even recorded in the "Shizhu County Annals" during the Qing Dynasty, becoming an established "tea scripture."

　　　　      Every winter, households in Tujia mountain villages steam, sun-dry, knead, and air-dry that year’s glutinous rice through a series of processes to make “yinmi” (literally “shaded rice”). When served, the yinmi is stir-fried and boiled with lard, mixed with sweet rice dregs, and often accompanied by several boiled eggs—resulting in what is called “Yinmi Tea.”