Xitou Lei Tea

Xitou Lei Tea

　　   Xitou in Renhuai is a magical place. Long ago, in Yanhou Village here, there lived a hardworking and kind-hearted family. One day, a pair of phoenixes flew in and perched for a long time on the tung tree in front of their house. The kind-hearted mistress of the house, upon seeing them, was instantly filled with affection. She took the small half bowl of millet grains that was all she had at home to feed the phoenixes. When it came time to cook, the woman searched her home and found only a few walnuts, peanuts, and sesame seeds to bring back and place in the mortar. In a moment of inspiration, the mistress pounded the walnut kernels, peanuts, and sesame seeds into a paste, added a little tea, mixed it with water, and boiled it into a pot of Lei Tea. She felt instantly refreshed and found herself wanting to drink more and more, eventually forgetting her hunger. When asked where this came from, the mistress explained the whole story. Her husband thought that perhaps this was a gift from heaven for the land and its people, so every household began to make Lei Tea. Over time, as it was passed down, it gradually developed its own unique style. (Renhuai)