擂茶

léichá

noun

Measure Word

一碗擂茶 wǎn

Meanings

1 lei cha; ground tea
2 Hakka beverage of tea leaves, roasted peanuts, and herbs ground into a powder

Characters

to pound; grind

Examples

客家人请客常常奉上一碗擂茶。

Kèjiā rén qǐngkè chángcháng fèng shàng yì wǎn léichá.

Hakka hosts often serve guests a bowl of lei cha.

桃园的擂茶加了糙米和花生。

Táoyuán de léichá jiā le cāomǐ hé huāshēng.

Taoyuan-style lei cha has brown rice and peanuts added.

Tips

culture

A Hakka tradition most alive in Taoyuan (Taiwan) and northern Hunan. Tea leaves, peanuts, sesame, and herbs are ground in a large grooved clay bowl (擂钵) with a wooden pestle (擂棍); hot water turns the paste into a savory, nutty, gruel-like drink. The character 擂 means 'to pound/grind' — here léi, not lèi.

Stroke Order

擂 léi

茶 chá