Description
Named 'Tea' (Cha), but contains absolutely ZERO tea leaves. Wheat flour is roasted in beef fat until golden brown, then boiling water is added to turn it into a thick, viscous paste. Loaded with peanuts and sesame. A traditional winter breakfast for Hui Muslims in the Northwest.
Restaurants serving You Cha (Fried Flour and Nut Soup)
Researching
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
- Wheat flour
- Beef fat(or veg oil)
- Peanuts
- White sesame
- Walnuts
- Sichuan pepper powder
- Salt
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- (You Cha Powder: This is Everything) Melt 'beef fat (or lamb/veg oil)' in a massive wok.
- Dump in massive amounts of [Wheat Flour]. Stir continuously on extreme low heat to prevent burning.
- Roast slowly until the flour loses moisture, turns golden brown (like sand), and emits an intense roasted aroma (Chao Mian).
- Mix in crushed peanuts, white sesame, walnuts, 'Sichuan pepper powder (or Five-Spice)', and salt. This completes the storable 'You Cha Powder'.
- (Serving) Place a few tablespoons of the powder into a bowl.
- Pour boiling water over it and stir rapidly with a spoon.
- The flour absorbs the water, transforming into a 'thick, glue-like paste'. Top with crushed 'Ma Hua' (fried dough twists) if desired.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Intense roasted aroma of beef fat and wheat flour、Hidden Sichuan pepper
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
(Pour hot water over commercial You Cha powder)
Pairing
Ma Hua (Fried dough twist) / Meat Buns
Trivia
[Trivia] Roots lie in the portable rations of nomadic tribes, similar to Tibetan Tsampa. Because roasted flour (You Cha Powder) stores at room temp for months, it was the 'Powder of Life' that Silk Road travelers dissolved in hot water to stave off hunger and cold.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Sip the boiling hot, thick paste with a spoon, blowing to cool it. Entering your mouth, the rich aroma of roasted flour and beef fat spreads, accented by the crunch of nuts. Dunking fried dough twists (Ma Hua) into it is the Hui standard.
Allergen
Wheat, Peanuts, Walnuts, Sesame