Hakka Lui Cha (擂茶)

Lei cha (Chinese: 擂茶; pinyin: léi chá; literally “pounded tea”) is a Hakka tea-based beverage or gruel consisting of a mix of tea leaves and herbs that are ground or pounded together with various roasted nuts, seeds, and grains. The tea is drunk for breakfast or on cold winters as a tasty and healthy restorative. Lei cha is very popular in Taiwan, Southern China, Malaysia as well as any locales with a substantial Hakka diaspora population.