Hakka Lei Cha 客家擂茶

I am not a Hakka, am Teochew and I enjoy Lei Cha.

The dish consists of seven main types of vegetables and herbs which tops the fragrant rice.

The ingredients include chopped shallots, chye sim, kailan, cai por (preserved radish), tau kwa (beancurd), long beans, nuts, and the mani vegetable.


'Lei', which means thunder, refers to the booming sound of pounding.

'Cha', means tea.

How is it prepared?

Pound the pepper, tea leaves, sesame seeds, peanuts and the Yomogi, 'ku zhi xin' herb to make the lei cha paste.

Add hot water to the paste and it becomes a soup to be poured into the rice or to be served separately.

It is an acquired taste, too minty for my like, I tried the soup once and decided it is really not for me. But I like lei cha fan so I still eat it regularly.

This low-fat, low-cholesterol dish is said to be good for weight management and detoxification.

It is also said to help in reducing stomach wind, ease digestion, nourish the lungs and throat, and cleanse the blood and lower blood pressure.


But Lei Cha is not for everyone. Either you like it or you hate it. If you're looking for an easy detox method, you should try this dish.

There are only a few such stalls in Singapore. The following are some of my personal favorites :)

Thunder Tea Rice 家乡河婆客家擂茶
Blk 345 Jurong East Street 31 #01-29

BOON LAY PLACE MARKET & FOOD VILLAGE
Blk 221A/B #01-96 Boon Lay Place (S)641221

Thunder Tea Rice 家乡河婆客家擂茶
51 Telok Ayer Street, China Square Food Centre #01-31

Jia Xiang Ho Po Hakka Lei Cha Fan 家乡河婆客家擂茶
134 Sims Ave (S)387456 (Near Lor 17 Geylang)