Thunder Tea (Lei Cha 擂茶) – Living Wholesome Vegetarian Food

Image · Posted by Sam Han on September 17, 2013 · 14 Comments 

Lei Cha 擂茶, literally translates to Thunder Tea, is a Hakka dish. Lei 擂in Hakka dialect means “grind” but the homonym made it sound like thunder in Mandarin while Cha 茶 is tea in Chinese language. Thunder Tea rice meal or Lei Cha is considered healthy food as it contains ingredients like basil, cilantro, mint, parsley and ku lek sim, which were traditionally used to treat ailments. Mine was accompanied with organic brown rice and an assortment of stir-fried vegetables.

The stallholders told me they’ve added many different types of nuts in the green tea and it should taste less bitter than the traditional ones. The bitterness actually comes from a herb called “ku lek sim” which is supposed to have medicinal properties. I did not take to this dish with the tea. While the rice and vegetables on their own are very tasty, I decided this dish was not for me after a tiny sip of the green tea. I should have pinched my nose and down the tea as I believe it must be very good for the body; perhaps some detoxifying effect. If you like Lei Cha, this stall does not stinge on quality ingredients.

Lei Cha擂茶 translates to Thunder Tea rice meal served with bitter nutty green tea is traditionally eaten by pouring the tea over the rice.

This was the bitter nutty green tea.
I could taste strong nutty flavours which was very aromatic but I could not take the bitterness
I guess it’s an acquired taste.

4-Angled Beans or Winged Beans (Asparagus Pea) – these beans contain the highest proportion of calcium which make bones strong and prevents breakage.
Vitamins A and C along with several minerals make up the legumes that endow the body with powers to fight diseases.

Preserved Turnip (Chye Poh).
While turnip roots are rich in vitamin C and boiled turnip is common household remedy for cough and cold in certain culture, I couldn’t find out about the nutritional value of preserved turnips.Black and White Sesame Seeds.
Sesame is among the seeds rich in quality vitamins and minerals. They are very good sources of B-complex vitamins such as niacin, folic acid, thiamin (vitamin B1), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), and riboflavin.

Cabbage is an excellent source of natural antioxidant, vitamin C and vitamin K. It also has adequate amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, iron, and magnesium.Carrots has exceptionally rich source of carotenes, beta-carotene, vitamin A. They are also rich in poly-acetylene antioxidant falcarinol, vitamin C and the B-complex groups of vitamins such as folic acid, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, pantothenic acid, to name a few.

Tofu has high protein value. Soy isoflavones have been shown to reduce post menopause hot flashes in women or to help prevent cancers of the breast, uterus or prostate. However, individuals with allergies, particularly those allergic to legumes, should not consume tofu.

They looked like red beans to me but the stallholder told me they were Brow Beans (Mei Dou 眉 豆). I couldn’t find brow beans online but the translation of the Chinese characters led me to Black Eye or Cow Peas, supposedly rich in proteins, amino acids, lysine and tryptophan.

Peanuts are an excellent source of dietary protein, vitamin E and minerals like copper, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium.

Bok Choy, available all year round, is one of the most popular green leafy vegetables and has very low calories. It is a rich source of many vital phyto-nutrients, vitamins, minerals and health benefiting anti-oxidants.

The main differences between brown and white rice lie in processing and nutritional content.
White rice is sometimes enriched with the addition of vitamin B1, vitamin B3, and iron to make up for the loss during processing, magnesium is not added back into it. One cup (195 g) of cooked long grain brown rice contains 84 mg of magnesium while one cup of white rice contains 19 mg.
Also, when the bran layer is removed to make white rice, the oil in the bran is also removed. Rice bran oil may help lower LDL cholesterol.

Rickey had confided he doesn’t like Lei Cha so he ordered a local as well as Penang (paler version) of CKT.

While I do enjoy vegetarian food every now and then, going totally vegan is not for me. Not now but who knows?

For those who enjoy Lei Cha, I think this stall does a wonderful job. The stallholders were also very friendly and despite being busy that morning, they took the time to educate me on the ingredients.

Individuals who are allergic to soybeans, legumes, nuts and anything listed here, should refrain from eating the trigger foods.

Information credit on the nutritional value of foods were found Online and Wikipedia.

Click here to see legumes chart.

There are many good food stalls in Bukit Timah Market and Food Centre. It is very crowded during weekends especially in the morning.

P.S. If you love Lei Cha, I can vouch this stall serves it in its entirety, and even more! The quality is definitely not questionable.

Bukit Timah Market and Food Centre
116 Upper Bukit Timah Road,
Singapore 588172.

Living (wholesome vegetarian food)
Stall #02-188

Happy eating 🙂

Filed under Best of Singapore Foods, Uncategorized · Tagged with Bukit Timah Market and Food Centre, Hakka Cuisine, Healthy Food, Lei Cha, Living Wholesome Vegetarian Food, Nutty Green Tea, Singapore, Thunder Tea Rice, vegetarian, 擂茶