Dong Oil Tea

Dong Oil Tea

　　Oil tea is a staple food of the Dong people. Whenever guests visit, oil tea is prepared to welcome them. Especially when female guests come, they often gather together, enjoying the oil tea while chatting and reminiscing, creating an atmosphere of endless joy and unique charm. On festive days, sweet wine and oil tea are served to guests first. During holidays and celebrations, oil tea is cooked to honor ancestors and entertain neighbors.

　　The main ingredients of oil tea vary with the season, festival, or occasion. On regular days, ingredients include parched rice and starchy vegetables like taro and beans. During festivals, it is commonly made with rice tofu and alkaline rice cake, and served with sticky rice cakes and fried rice as accompaniments. For celebrations, it often includes corn, alkaline rice cake, and fried rice.

　　The process of making oil tea is called "cooking oil tea." First, “yinmi” (Dong language: maoe – glutinous rice soaked thoroughly, steamed, mixed with an appropriate amount of camellia seed oil, rubbed apart, dried, pounded flat, and stored for use) is fried in camellia seed oil to make crispy rice (also known as fried rice). Soybeans, mung beans, rice beans, and corn are stir-fried until crisp. Separately, rice is charred, then mixed with joint fir tea or regular tea leaves and oil, and stir-fried. Add an appropriate amount of warm water, and once the flavor from the parched rice and tea is extracted, add salt and more water. Bring it to a boil, then add alkaline rice cake, rice tofu, or starchy vegetables like taro and beans, and cook until done. When serving, add crispy fried rice, crisp fried soybeans, golden roasted sticky rice cakes, ginger, scallions, and chili paste. The taste is spicy, crispy, and uniquely delicious. It not only satisfies hunger but also has effects such as clearing heat, refreshing the mind, improving digestion, and stimulating appetite. As a specialty of the Dong region, you must not miss it when you visit Tianzhu Dong Village!

　　　On the eastern slopes of the transition zone from the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau to the Jiangnan hills, within the river valley hills and plateaus of Guangxi, Guizhou, and Hunan, grows a unique evergreen shrub or small tree. This tree thrives in warmth and heat, typically growing in acidic red-yellow soil. Locally known as the “tea seed tree,” the oil extracted from its fruits after roasting and drying is called “camellia seed oil” or “tea oil.”

　　　　The Dong people living in the mountainous areas of Liping, Jinping, Tianzhu, Sansui, and Yuping in eastern Guizhou have long consumed camellia seed oil. The oil tea brewed with this oil is a unique branch of Chinese tea culture and a favorite among the Dong. The preparation involves first pouring a small amount of camellia seed oil into an iron pot to sauté, removing any bitterness. Then, flattened rice (made by drying and flattening glutinous rice) is added, fried into crispy rice, and set aside in a bowl. Next, spring water (villagers drink from springs or wells, not rivers) is added to the pot, the amount depending on the number of guests—usually one bowl per person. The water is brought to a boil, salt is added, and then tea leaves (either compressed tea or loose tea wrapped in cloth to prevent it from scattering) are added. After a short while, the tea essence seeps into the pot. Finally, a bowl of golden, piping hot, fragrant tea is poured over several spoonfuls of the previously made crispy rice floating on top — and the Dong oil tea is ready.

　　　　Oil tea is a pre-meal beverage served to guests by the Dong people. When honored guests arrive, oil tea is cooked first. Serving oil tea shows that the host is ready to entertain the guests for a meal. Once the guests finish the oil tea, the meal begins.

　　　　Oil tea is a purely natural green beverage with appetizing, spleen-warming, dampness-expelling, and heat-relieving benefits. The Dong people, who love oil tea, not only serve it to guests but also consume it regularly themselves. In some areas, it is even a breakfast staple. There is no fixed recipe for oil tea. With camellia seed oil and tea leaves as essential ingredients, different foods can be added to create variations. During times of food scarcity in the last century, oil tea made with “coarse grains” like corn, sweet potatoes, and potatoes was called “corn tea,” “sweet potato tea,” or “potato tea,” and served as both a drink and a main dish, helping the Dong people survive those tough years. Since the reform and opening-up, with the implementation of the household responsibility system in rural areas, the Dong people’s lives have improved, and food has become abundant. The era when “mixed grain oil tea” was a staple is over. Now, in the Dong villages rich in grain and fish, oil tea is mainly served as a beverage or snack to entertain guests.

　　　　It is said that camellia seed oil has beautifying effects, and oil tea can help lower blood pressure, reduce fat, and regulate blood sugar. In the Dong villages, cases of high blood pressure, obesity, and cancer are rare. Women are graceful and clever, men are sturdy and strong, and there are many elderly people living long lives. This may be related to their love for drinking oil tea.