Jiangkou Youcha

Jiangkou Youcha

　　 Youcha

Youcha is not "tea." In Jiangkou, when a local family has a daughter getting married, the night before the wedding, they host a flower banquet and sing bridal chamber songs. To thank the guests and relatives, the hosts spend several hours preparing a late-night porridge after dinner. Out of modesty, they refer to it as "drinking tea," hence the name "Youcha."

The main ingredients of Youcha are corn, mung beans, soybeans, rice, bone broth, pepper, Sichuan peppercorn, ginger, and scallions. The corn is boiled in water until thoroughly cooked, then rinsed and the husk is rubbed off. The mung beans and soybeans are stir-fried until yellow, then sautéed with oil. After about 10 minutes, all the ingredients are mixed together and simmered in bone broth. Around half an hour later, it’s ready to serve.

Although Youcha looks like porridge, it boasts the fragrant aroma of bone broth along with the fresh scent of grains. It tastes absolutely delicious. Nowadays, any visitor staying at a hotel or rural homestay in Jiangkou can enjoy a bowl of this tasty Youcha.