Guangxi Oil Tea (Youcha)

Ingredients

• Old tea leaves (Liu Bao tea) 50g
• Roasted peanuts 100g
• Puffed rice 80g
• Sesame seeds 30g, toasted
• Fried dough sticks (youtiao) 2, cut into pieces
• Garlic 4 cloves
• Ginger 20g, sliced
• Salt to taste
• Vegetable oil 3 tablespoons
• Water 800ml

Cooking Steps

1. 1. Heat a wok over medium heat and dry-roast the tea leaves until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
2. 2. Add vegetable oil to the wok, then add garlic and ginger. Stir-fry until fragrant and slightly golden.
3. 3. Add the roasted tea leaves to the wok and stir-fry together with the aromatics for 2 minutes.
4. 4. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes to extract the tea flavor.
5. 5. Use a wooden mallet or pestle to pound the tea and aromatics in the pot to release more flavor.
6. 6. Strain the tea through a fine sieve. The resulting dark, aromatic liquid is the oil tea base.
7. 7. Serve the oil tea in bowls with roasted peanuts, puffed rice, sesame seeds, and youtiao pieces as toppings.
8. 8. Season each bowl with a pinch of salt to taste. The tea should be savory and rich.
9. 9. Oil tea is typically consumed as a breakfast or afternoon snack. Leftover tea base can be reheated.

Cultural Tips

Oil Tea (Youcha) is a unique culinary tradition of the Yao, Dong, and Miao ethnic minorities in Guangxi province. Unlike regular tea, it is a savory, thick brew made by pounding tea leaves with garlic, ginger, and various aromatics. Rich in antioxidants and warm in nature, oil tea is considered a health-boosting beverage. The saying goes that you have not truly visited Guangxi until you have had a bowl of oil tea.