The Laba Festival is almost here, which also means that the Spring Festival is about to kick off, with the festive atmosphere growing stronger day by day.
Bid farewell to the old year with bowls of Buddha porridge and welcome the New Year with every grain of the eight treasures. During the Laba Festival, we drink Laba porridge and Laba Tea to welcome the upcoming New Year.
There are many customs associated with the Laba Festival, most of which revolve around food, such as Laba porridge, Laba garlic, Laba tofu, Laba noodles, and even “Laba ice.”
Of course, what Tea Weekly is introducing to everyone today is a cup of Laba tea with endless flavors~
Laba tea originated in the prosperous Tang Dynasty and was introduced to the northwest during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Traditionally, it is a premium beverage served by the Hui and Dongxiang ethnic groups along the ancient Silk Road to their guests.
Laba tea is originally known as Eight Treasure Tea or Three-Brew Tea. In regions of Northwest China, such as Gansu, Qinghai, and Ningxia, there is a tradition of drinking Eight Treasure Tea. In these areas, drinking Eight Treasure Tea is a common part of daily life, and they not only enjoy drinking it themselves but also like to serve it enthusiastically to guests who come from afar.
In an elegant lidded bowl, ingredients such as rose petals, white sesame seeds, hawthorn, red dates, longan, Goji berries, desert jujube, sugar, and tea leaves are placed. After being infused with freshly boiled water, within minutes, a rich, sweet, and fragrant aroma wafts out of the bowl, stimulating one's appetite.
While brewing Laba tea is easy, it does require a specific type of tea ware: a lidded bowl.
This is because many of the ingredients in Laba tea are dried fruits, and the larger opening of a lidded bowl makes it easier to add them. When boiling water is poured in, the steam helps release the fruit fragrance, and after lifting the lid, the tea leaves are less likely to become over-steeped.
After brewing, a lidded bowl is also easier to clean than other types of tea ware.
Most of the time, when drinking tea, people savor its aroma and taste, but drinking Laba tea is more about enjoying the process of preparing and blending the ingredients, which is lively and fun, imbued with the essence of daily life.
When boiling water is poured into the lidded bowl filled with various ingredients, it's as if all four seasons are infused into the bowl, bringing warmth, completeness, and a sense of ease. Would you like to try making it yourself at home?
Produced by: Chinese Cooperative Times · Tea Weekly Full Media
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