Description
The traditional tea invariably served by Northwest Chinese Muslims (Hui) to entertain guests. Tea leaves are placed in a lidded bowl (Gaiwan) along with 'Eight Treasures' (healthy herbs/fruits) like dried jujube, goji berries, longan, chrysanthemum flowers, and raisins. A soothing cup naturally sweetened by rock sugar.
Restaurants serving Ba Bao Cha (Hui Muslim Eight Treasures Tea)
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We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Tea leaves
- Rock sugar
- Jujube
- Goji berries
- Longan
- Raisins
- Walnuts
- Chrysanthemum
- Boiling water
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- (Vessel & Treasures) Prepare a traditional Chinese lidded teacup (Gaiwan).
- Place a pinch of base tea (Green, Jasmine, or Pu'er) at the bottom.
- Beautifully arrange the 'Eight Treasures'. The basic makeup is:
- Rock sugar (large chunk),
- Dried jujube,
- Goji berries,
- Dried longan,
- Raisins,
- Chrysanthemum flowers,
- Walnuts or peanuts,
- Tangerine peel.
- [Pouring Ritual]: Using a special teapot with an impossibly long spout (Chang Zui Hu), boiling water is forcefully poured from a height. The pressure makes the leaves and treasures dance in a whirlpool, extracting flavor evenly.
- Cover and steep for minutes until the rock sugar melts and the fruit sweetness blooms.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Pure rock sugar sweetness、Fruity aroma of jujube and longan
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
(Can make with goji, jujube, and rock sugar from JP supermarkets)
Pairing
All Mutton Dishes(washes away the fat)
Trivia
[Trivia] '8' (Ba) is the luckiest number in China; 'Ba Bao' means filled with many treasures. It is the ultimate hospitality medicinal tea born of Hui wisdom, simultaneously replenishing hydration, sugar, and vitamins in the brutal, dry climate of the Silk Road.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Slide the lid slightly to create a small gap, and sip the tea through it. It tastes light at first, but with every hot water refill (2nd/3rd steep), the rock sugar and fruits melt further, dramatically deepening the flavor. Finally, eat the softened jujubes and walnuts left at the bottom.
Allergen
Walnuts, Sesame, Tree nuts