Lueyang Ganguan Tea

Lueyang Ganguan Tea

　　Lueyang Ganguan Tea is a traditional tea snack from Lueyang County, Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province, rich in ethnic and regional characteristics. There are various types, including water-brewed tea, oil-fried tea, and flour-based ganguan tea, among which flour ganguan tea is the most famous. As the local saying goes: "The rustic flavor of ganguan tea is never absent in Lueyang’s towns and villages; early in the morning the kettle is hung, fire built from twigs and roots; pour half a pot of water and add tea leaves, mix flour with oil, then add fennel, patchouli, and ginger; simmer while adjusting oil, salt, and tea; serve each bowl with seasonings—preserved meat, walnuts, and egg drop; toast flatbread until crisp and fragrant, filling the belly, warming the heart, and lifting the spirit." Lueyang was historically the eastern territory of the Baima Di people. Locals primarily ate beef and mutton and often lived a nomadic life. The portable ganguan pot made it easy to brew tea anywhere to quench thirst and relieve hunger. It was easily digestible and helped stave off hunger, making it especially favored. Nowadays, it is usually made by mixing white flour with patchouli, fennel, onions, tea leaves, ginger, and other ingredients, then cooking them in a ganguan pot with water until it becomes a liquid. This mixture is poured into a bowl and topped with walnuts, eggs, diced meat, and tofu, served alongside crispy flatbread. Its taste is delicious, refreshing, and leaves a long-lasting aftertaste, while also aiding digestion, stimulating the appetite, and refreshing the mind.

　　To prepare ganguan tea, the first step is to ready the seasonings. The hostess sets up a frying ladle over the hearth, pours in oil, and fries eggs, walnut kernels, twists, fried soybeans, diced tofu, diced potatoes, diced cured meat, crispy rice, and lean meat cubes—all locally produced farm specialties that are very convenient to use. Once the ingredients are ready, toast the flatbread and simmer the ganguan pot to brew tea. One pot is used to simmer tea leaves, ginger, patchouli, fennel, onion roots, and garlic. Another pot boils water, into which a pasty flour soup is poured, followed by the brewed tea, ginger, and patchouli water. Simmer gently for over 20 minutes, then pour into a bowl. The result is a thick, dark, richly colored tea—neither burnt nor cloudy—with an even reddish-brown hue. Add crispy seasonings that exude a strong fragrance. The diced meat sinks to the bottom as the first layer, eggs float as the second, tofu and potato cubes rise as the third, walnut kernels and crispy rice as the fourth, and twists and soybeans form the fifth layer on top. This creation is known as Lueyang’s Five-Layer Ganguan Tea. With each sip, you enjoy another layer, making it an endlessly delightful experience. The preparation of these seasonings is quite refined, much like a leader handling matters with precise timing. Otherwise, the seasonings may either fry too dry and float to the surface, or not be cooked enough and sink to the bottom, losing that “Five-Layer” feel.

　　Sipping the refreshing tea and chewing on the crispy seasonings, while enjoying toasted flatbread pieces, is truly a rare treat. Since the ingredients aid digestion, invigorate the nerves, boost energy, and provide warmth, it has certain health benefits. In winter, drinking ganguan tea keeps you feeling warm all day. Elderly mountain dwellers become so accustomed to the tea that if they go a day without it, they feel listless, drowsy, and weak, as if missing something essential. Young men and women, after drinking it, often have flushed cheeks and vibrant energy. When visiting experts from the State Council's Education Supervision team came to Lueyang to inspect the nine-year compulsory education project, they were so impressed by Lueyang Ganguan Tea that they spontaneously composed a poem: “Seafood from all directions is no match for Lueyang’s Ganguan Tea.” Young people who leave Lueyang often find themselves missing the rich flavors of oily tea. The moment they step off the train in Lueyang, their first stop is always the food stalls on West Street to drink the long-missed ganguan tea.