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The historical background of Lei Cha

Jiexi Leicha has a relatively long history. Lu Yu’s “Tea Classics” Volume 3 “I heard that there was a sleepy Shu woman in the south who sold tea porridge”. Combined with the legend of He Po’s place name, this Shu woman may refer to He Po. Lu Yu was a native of the Tang Dynasty, with a history of more than a thousand years. The tea porridge he said was to crush tea leaves into fine rice, add rice flour, oil and salt, and make tea balls or tea cakes. Onion, ginger, pepper, cinnamon and other seasonings are steamed with water to make a large pot of tea porridge for everyone to eat. This is the original Lei Cha.

From the perspective of social background, the Hakkas migrated southward from the culturally developed and economically prosperous Central Plains due to various reasons such as wars and famines. This kind of southward migration was not only one time, but has been carried out many times. The southward migration system gradually advanced, and most of them stayed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River at the beginning. In this area, the custom of eating tea porridge has been particularly prevalent since the Southern and Northern Dynasties. This custom is passed down.

Later, more groups of immigrants migrated to the borders of Fujian, Guangdong and Jiangxi. The main body of these immigrants was ordinary working people. Therefore, the custom of drinking salt and Jiang Rong in the north was naturally brought here, and under the relatively isolated natural conditions, the next generation passed on. Passed down from generation to generation.

From the perspective of economic background, although the style of “fighting tea” has gradually prevailed since the Northern Song Dynasty, and bud tea has gradually gained power after the Ming and Qing Dynasties, these teas are exquisitely made, the tea art procedures are very complicated, and the prices are astonishingly expensive. Except for the nobles, the wealthy, the poets and the famous ladies, etc., the ordinary working people dare not care about them.

According to the Wuyi culture series “Fragrance of Jiaming”, there are 27 tea ceremony procedures in Wuyi alone, and 18 are easy to perform. They are: burning incense to calm the air; burning sandalwood to create a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. Ye Jia entertained guests: Show Wuyi rock tea for guests to watch. Su Dongpo once wrote “The Biography of Ye Jia”, “Ye Jia” means beautiful tea.

Boil mountain springs alive; mountain stream spring water is the best way to make tea, and it is advisable to use running water to boil until the first boil. Mengchen Mulin: That is to scald and wash the teapot. Mengchen was a famous maker of purple sand teapots in Ming Dynasty, and later generations referred to teapots as Mengchen.

Oolong into the palace: Put oolong tea in a purple sand pot. Hanging pot with high flushing: raise the flushing of the long-mouthed pot in full bloom, and the high flushing can turn the tea leaves.

Spring breeze blowing: Gently scrape off the white foam on the surface with the lid of the pot to make the tea fresh and clean.

Re-washing beauty: pouring boiling water on the teapot not only cleans the surface of the teapot, but also increases the temperature of the teapot.

Kuchen comes out of the bath: that is, scald the teacup. Lao Chen was born in the early Qing Dynasty and was famous for making teacups. Later generations called the teacups Ruochen.

Yuye return to the pot: Pour the tea that has been poured out into the pot again to make the tea more even.

Guan Gong tours the city: pour tea back and forth to each cup in turn.

Han Xin ordered soldiers: When there is not much tea in the pot, pour more into each cup to make each cup even in shade.

Three Dragons Protecting the Tripod: Hold the cup with your thumb and index finger, and hold the cup with your middle finger. This method is both stable and elegant.

Appreciate the three colors: carefully observe the three colors of the tea in the cup.

I like to smell the fragrance: the faint tea fragrance immediately permeates the heart and spleen.

Taste strange tea for the first time; only after seeing the color and smelling the fragrance, can you begin to taste the tea.

Playing with the dragon: choose a fine dry tea and put it in the forest, fill it with tea, just like an oolong playing in the water.

Thank you for the cup of tea: get up and drink all the tea in the cup to thank the mountain people for their grace of planting good tea.

Judging by the degree of modern civilization, it is not very difficult to practice these tea arts, but from a historical point of view, such expensive bud tea, such exquisite production methods, such elegant tea sets, and so many complicated tea arts are very important for the sunrise. It is indeed unaffordable for the working people who work, return home at sunset, and face the loess with their backs to the sky. Their first need is to fill their stomachs, and they dare not have excessive demands for others. They can only maintain the tradition of simplicity, hard work and frugality from generation to generation.

As far as drinking tea is concerned, Lei Cha is the only one that can be harvested and made by oneself. It can satisfy hunger and quench thirst without losing the interest of the tea ceremony and avoiding financial troubles. Therefore, Lei Cha can be passed down in the Hakka area for a long time. Fourth, from the perspective of natural conditions, the Hakka settlements are mostly steep mountains, and miasma is prevalent.

According to the “Chongyi County Chronicles” of the Ming Dynasty: “If the husband’s miasma… In January and March, it is called green grass miasma, in May and June, it is called yellow bud miasma, in September and October, it is called Xinhe miasma. After the beginning of winter, the cold air gradually subsides. The mist begins to decline, and the miasma is gone.” Under the harsh natural conditions of half a year of miasma in this year, in order to survive and develop, the Hakka people will naturally find ways to take various preventive and treatment measures, and spices containing salt, ginger, and herbs Lei Cha just has the effect of preventing miasma and eliminating disease.

In addition, according to Zhou Hui’s “Tingbei Leicha”: the local people believe that Leicha can get rid of evil poison. Some people have a persistent fever, which is called Sha syndrome, and they will make lei tea for them to eat, drink two bowls of hot water, sleep, sweat profusely, and the disease will be cured. If you have a cold, flu, or loss of appetite, you can also make Lei Cha and eat it, and the effect is also very good. In short, Lei Cha has the functions of promoting body fluid and quenching thirst, cooling and relieving heat, eliminating phlegm and qi, invigorating spleen and stomach, nourishing longevity, preventing and treating malaria and many other diseases. Others may regard it as vulgar and superficial, but the Hakka people have always regarded it as a good drink. This is another important reason for the Hakka people to inherit Lei Cha culture.