Hakka Thunder Tea Rice (Lei Cha Fan / 擂茶饭)
I
Origin
Southern China — Hakka regions of Guangdong, Fujian, Taiwan, Malaysia
II
Description
Ancient Hakka health food of ground green tea leaves, herbs (basil, mint, perilla), peanuts, and sesame pounded in a mortar with water to form a fragrant green paste diluted into a broth, poured over rice with an array of blanched vegetables, tofu, and dried shrimp toppings. A complete meal in a bowl with extraordinary herbal complexity.
III
The Thread
—Thai khao chae rice with iced water
—Japanese ochazuke (tea over rice)
—Korean ssambap mixed herb rice
IV
Flavour Context
Intensely herbal-grassy from tea and fresh herbs; earthy peanut base; briny from dried shrimp; uniquely health-conscious Chinese flavour
Pillars V — VII
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