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FYI
SOUTH Magazine,
January 2003. VOL.3 ISSUE 1
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"Lei
Cha House"
142 Chengkung Road, Meinung Township, Kaohsiung County
(07) 681-8475
10am - 8pm; Mon- Fri
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"Lei Cha"
.....it's not your ordinary cup of Chinese tea!
By Karen Schmitt
Folks in Taiwan eagerly enjoy the "Tea Time Ritual," a
mid-day break of tea and snacks served at hotels and restaurants.
But if you're bored with this routine, "Lei Cha" ("pounded
tea") will get your attention. It's an interactive, revitalizing
Hakka brew that's served according to custom in Meinung.
Hakka
families from the mainland settled Meinung over 300 years ago. The
place was auspicious, meeting fengshui requirements and the promise
of a prosperous future. Picturesque farms, colorful temples and
groves of stately betel palms rest in an area called "Lung
Dou" ("Dragon's Belly") that beckon tourists today.
Curing houses dot the landscape here and there in witness to a once
thriving tobacco industry.
"Tobacco
Leaf Rice" (NT$350), rice with pork in brown sauce and
dried mustard cabbage, is the staple of Lei Cha House. It's
delivered to the table in quaint wicker baskets, however pounded
tea is the real showstopper. Visitors make it themselves in
a pottery mortar using a well-worn guava tree branch for a
pestle. First, sesame seeds, red beans and freshly hulled
peanuts are ground to a fragrant paste. Powdered green tea
and boiling water are added to make a thick brew, and popped
rice is sprinkled on top for good measure. The cost is NT$120/person
(NT$100/groups of four or more).
"Lei
Cha" fortified Hakka farmers before returning to the
fields. After one sip, you will be sufficiently energized
to take in all the sites of historic Meinung.
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