Lui Cha

A scheduled post after so long. Wow.

Alternatively Lei Cha, Rui Cha.

Lui Cha is a tradtiional Chinese Hakka dish unique to the tribe of the Hopo (Alternatively Ho Boh, Hopoh.). It is served with rice and vegetables chopped into tiny bits and stir fried to simple perfection. Vegetables include long beans, four angled beans, spring onion, spinach, leek, dried tofu, salted radish, sweet leaf, and pretty much any vegetable you want. This dish is primarily vegetarian, but there is allowance to cheat using dried shrimp and anchovies for that savouriness. 

The main body, however, comes from the peanut and tea soup, which plenty of people loath. To make this in its simplest form, ground peanuts using a large traditional mortar and pestle and use the paste to boil the soup for long hours. Near the end of the process, add tea leaf paste and you are done. The soup can also include other lentils, nuts and seeds according to recipe and taste.

My family used to make this whenever the whole extended family is gathered because there is no point in making small amounts as there are many ingredients involved and a long preparation process. They also use the soup to test if you are a true blood Hopo. The  entire dish is great for detoxification and overall health. Yum yum.

For your information, the Hopo is not the Hakka tribe connected to the Abacus, another Hakka delicacy.