At the table
Sip the warm tea or use a spoon after letting it cool. Puffed rice and fried peanuts may come separately; eat them alongside or add a little just before eating so they stay crisp.
Contains tea caffeine and, in this version, pork fat: neither vegan nor vegetarian. Peanuts may be a side or an ingredient. Ask about other fried snacks and their ingredients.
This version uses lard and keeps peanuts and puffed rice as optional sides. Some cooks pound peanuts into the tea. Repeated water additions make later brews milder.
Know what you’re trying.
Tea leaves, ginger and garlic are fried in a little lard and pounded. Water is added and simmered; the liquid is salted and strained, then topped with scallion and coriander. This version uses lard and keeps peanuts and puffed rice as optional sides. Some cooks pound peanuts into the tea. Repeated water additions make later brews milder.
Ingredients
Tea leaves, ginger and garlic are fried in a little lard and pounded. Water is added and simmered; the liquid is salted and strained, then topped with scallion and coriander.
Origin & regional roots
Guangxi
Its origins are linked to Guangxi.
About this regional connection
Guangxi: Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County, Guilin, Guangxi.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有恭城油茶吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
Gongcheng oil tea
This account describes a tradition or story, rather than an established historical fact.
Pounding oil tea is part of Gongcheng Yao household and hospitality traditions, including breakfast. The leaf, ginger and garlic are worked in the pot rather than simply steeped.