Tujia Oil-tea Soup

Tujia oil-tea soup is a snack food which is similar to tea and soup. It is characterized by crisp, smooth and fresh. It tastes delicious, appeases thirst and refreshing. It is also a traditional food favored by Tujia people. There is a proverb goes that people would get flurried if they don’t drink the oil-tea soup and people would get spirited if they drink the oil-tea soup in his meals. Meanwhile, the drinking of the oil-tea soup is also a traditional etiquette for the Tujia people entertain their guests. When the guests arrived at their house, the hosts would present a savory bowl of oil-tea soup for the guests.

Origin of Tujia Oil-tea Soup

It is said that the oil-tea soup was created by the Tujia cowboys when they were play the family-imitation game in the mountain. They picked up a handful of tea seeds and put them in the crock- fried out some oil-put some tea leaves in the oil and fried them- put some spring water in to the crock-add some fried corns. And then they would eat the oil-tea soup with evident enjoyment. Gradually, drink the oil-tea soup became a tradition of the Tujia people.

Cooking Process of Tujia Oil-tea Soup

First, fried proper amount of tea till they became wax yellow with edible oil. Second, add some water to the pot. Third, prepare a bowl with conditions such as ginger, onions, garlic and pepper. Finally, ladled out a bowl of soup when it is boiled, and put some dried rice, corns, peanut, walnut kernel and soybeans. The quality of the tea, the duration and degree of the heating of the tea are very important in the process of the oil-tea soup cooking. The amount of the condiments and the fried corns are up to the guests.

Tujia Oil-tea Soup - a Wonder in Chinese Tea Culture

Tujia Oil-tea Soup is a wonder in Chinese tea culture since it is a representative food cultural phenomenon in Enshi County and has a long history. It is still very popular in Quanzhou, particularly in Xianfeng County and Laifeng County. The Oil-tea Soup Tea Art Team participated in the First Tea Art Festival held in Hangzhou and wined a good reputation. The South Korean delegation praised that the Tujia oil-tea soup is “a wonder in Chinese culture”. Later, the organization concerned refined the oil-tea soup into “four teas”- white stork tea, bubble tea, oil-tea soup and egg tea. A standardized tea ceremony with certain tea art shows was also formed. The elegant and wonderful “four teas” became a beautiful scene on the Fuxi Tea Culture Festival held by Chinese Tea Association in 2005, and that promoted the spread of the Tujia tea culture essence- the oil-tea soup.