Basic Introduction to Jingbian Buckwheat Tea
Buckwheat tea is a beverage made by screening and roasting buckwheat seeds. The naturally grown “Yuzhao-4” and “Bitter Buckwheat” in the Baiyu Mountain area are well-known green foods, and Jingbian buckwheat has won many awards as an excellent minor grain variety.
Nutritional Value
In addition to rich protein, chlorophyll, fat, carbohydrates, crude fiber, minerals, and trace elements, buckwheat tea also contains 18 natural amino acids, with a total content of 11.82%, and nine fatty acids, which promote growth and development in children and can prevent coronary heart disease in adults.
History and Folklore
Long ago, there was a great drought; for several months, not a drop of rain fell. Crops failed, and the people suffered greatly. As the harvest season approached and the people continued to pray for rain, the Dragon King could no longer bear to watch and went to speak to Jade Emperor on their behalf. Hearing of the plight of humanity, Jade Emperor felt he had neglected his duties and promptly arranged for a thorough rain. The Dragon King reported back that it would be too late, as the weather was cooling and there was nothing left to Flower and produce seeds. Jade Emperor, being divine, had extraordinary wisdom and slowly opened his eyes, saying, “In this case,” while rubbing his neck, “I have some seeds here that will yield a harvest even after the first frost.” He scattered the mud from his hand down to Earth, where it grew into buckwheat on the shady side of slopes. Because it originated from the mud on Jade Emperor's neck, the seeds of the buckwheat remain shiny to this day.
Even today, during drought years when other crops cannot be planted, people plant buckwheat. It is the only crop that still yields a harvest after the first frost, and poor people love it.
Manufacturing Process
(1) Raw Material Selection: Select hulled buckwheat and test it for pesticide residues;
(2) Washing: Wash the buckwheat thoroughly with clean water;
(3) Low-Temperature Soaking: Soak for 3-4 hours;
(4) Surface Drying: Use a dehydrator to remove excess moisture from the soaked buckwheat and quickly dry its surface with strong air;
(5) Steaming: Steam-cook the buckwheat;
(6) Roasting: Use adjustable temperature roasting equipment, gradually lowering the temperature while evenly stirring to dry the buckwheat, allowing its moisture to evaporate quickly before rapidly raising the temperature;
(7) Spraying Cold Water: Quickly spray the previous batch of buckwheat with clean water in a fine mist, causing the outer shell to expand rapidly and begin to separate from the kernel due to different expansion coefficients;
(8) Drying: Use hot air drying equipment to dry the surface of the buckwheat at a low temperature after the previous step;
(9) Hulling: Use centrifugal force to separate the hulls from the kernels, keeping the kernels coated with buckwheat bran;
(10) Packaging: Use a granule packaging machine to package the buckwheat kernels in food-grade heat-sealed filter paper as tea bags.
How to Enjoy Jingbian Buckwheat Tea
Step 1: Place an appropriate amount of buckwheat tea in a teacup, adjusting the quantity according to personal preference;
Step 2: Pour hot water over the tea, ideally around 90°C;
Step 3: Allow the buckwheat tea to steep for 3-5 minutes before drinking.
Tips: After brewing, the buckwheat tea can be eaten. Due to its high fiber content, it can help with bowel movements. Buckwheat tea can also be brewed together with various Chinese Herbs.