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The origin of Lei Cha

Lei Cha, popular in Shanwei City, Jieyang City, and some areas in Guangxi and western Hunan, is one of the ways to receive guests grandly and economically in the old days. Hakka Leicha is one of the traditional food cultures of the Han nationality. According to historical records, Leicha was popular in the Central Plains in the Song Dynasty. In the rich and colorful food culture of the Hakka people, Leicha is the most representative delicacy. Its production method is simple and elegant. It fully demonstrates the Hakka people’s inheritance of Han traditional culture.

Leicha is the most common and solemn etiquette of hospitality for Hakka people. Hakka Leicha is one of the oldest tea ceremonies preserved in China. Hakka Lei Cha is a traditional food custom. The Hakka people are warm and hospitable, and it is a traditional etiquette to treat guests with Lei Cha. Whether it is a wedding celebration or a visit from relatives and friends, please drink Lei Cha. Hakkas make lei tea, especially women.

The custom of Lei Cha is preserved in six provinces in South China. The places where the ancient customs of Lei Cha are preserved include: Jiexi, Puning, Luhe, Qingyuan, Yingde, Haifeng, Lufeng, Huilai, Wuhua and other places in Guangdong Province; Anhua, Taojiang, Taoyuan, Changde, Yiyang, etc. in Hunan Province; Quannan, Ganxian, Shicheng, Xingguo, Yudu, Ruijin, etc. in Jiangxi Province; Jiangle, Taining, Ninghua, etc. in Fujian Province; Guangxi Hezhou Huangyao, Guild, Babu and other places in Hezhou; Hsinchu, Miaosu and other places in Taiwan.

Origin Statement One

Regarding the origin of Lei Cha, one of the current theories is that it is a street snack sold by the old lady He Po in Nanguan City, Hepo Town, Jiexi County, Jieyang City, Guangdong Province.

At that time, Nanguan City was the only way for Chaoshan and Huizhou to do business, and He Po’s Leicha relieved the fatigue of businessmen, so its reputation spread far and wide.

Nanguancheng was later known as Hepo Town, Jiexi County, Jieyang City, Guangdong Province. Lei Cha is still a staple food in that area. The reason why it was later changed to He Po Lei Cha may be because there is a big river in the town, or to commemorate that Po He.

Origin Statement Two

Lei Cha has a long history. There is a story in Hunan that “Zhuge Liang’s army marched into central Hunan and encountered a plague, and an old woman made tea to cure the disease”. Relevant literary records are also scattered in some ancient books, such as the poem “Gantai Family House” contained in Huang Sheng’s “Yulin Shihua”, which says: “There are two or three thatched huts by the roadside, and guests are brewing Ma Xuanzu tea. It is gradually approaching the Central Plains pronunciation. Well, I don’t know that the Huai River is the end of the world.”

It is a custom in Jiangnan at that time to study hemp and make tea for hospitality. In addition, Mr. Wang Zengqi quoted “Ji Sheng in the Capital, Tea House” “both selling lei tea in winter” and “selling seven treasures lei tea in winter moon”; The Southern Song Dynasty was peaceful, with a large population, and Leicha was quite popular, and even consumed a lot of wooden jujube pestles every day.

Allusion

According to legend, during the period of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei led troops to station in the south of the Yangtze River. It was very hot, and the soldiers refused to accept the water and soil, vomiting and diarrhea one by one, and the barracks became wards. This made Liu Bei anxious, and he sought medical treatment everywhere to no avail. When an old lady heard about this, she showed great kindness and went from house to house to mobilize all the villagers to use the “Three Treasures of Lei Cha” to make a large amount of Lei Cha, which greatly relieved the illness of Liu Bei’s soldiers after drinking it, and Lei Cha became famous far and wide.

Making Hakka Lei Cha requires scientific and reasonable ingredients. In addition to using good tea and sesame as the main raw materials, the ingredients can be changed at any time. In hot and humid spring and summer, young mugwort leaves, mint leaves, and coriander can be used; in dry autumn, calendula, white chrysanthemum, and honeysuckle can be used; in cold winter, cinnamon, pepper, cinnamon seeds, and Chuanxiong can be used.

It can also be mixed with different ingredients according to people’s needs to form a variety of “lei cha”. For example, add Yinchen, Baishao, and licorice to make “heat-clearing Leicha”; add Houttuynia cordata, Huoxiang, and tangerine peel to make “heatstroke-preventing Leicha”. It has been proved by medicine that Lei Cha has a unique effect of exorcism and fitness for the Hakka people who live in the mountains and valleys with severe miasma all the year round. Don’t you see that Hakka old men and women are energetic, less sick and less painful, which cannot be said to be due to the frequent drinking of Hakka lei tea.

Whenever the Hakka people come back from work, as soon as they enter the guest house, they will drink a bowl of Lei Cha first, and then talk about eating to relieve their hunger. Hakka people also often use glutinous rice to make glutinous rice cakes, or use rice to make rice crackers (baba) as snacks. Therefore, there is a proverb that says: “Drink Lei Cha and eat Baba, strengthen your body, and enjoy yourself.” It is said that this unique Hakka Lei Cha is a “Hakka health drink” that is “good for both medicine and food, and has a delicious taste”.