Walk down Beipu Old Street and the air carries the toasty, nutty scent of roasted grains — that is lei cha. Hakka lei cha is not simply a way of drinking tea; it is a ritual. Sit at a wooden table, cradle a rough-clay mortar, grip a guava-wood pestle, and slowly grind tea leaves, sesame seeds, peanuts, and pumpkin seeds into a smooth green paste, then pour in hot water or eat it stirred into puffed rice. Beipu is where lei cha was first commercialized in Taiwan, and it remains the old street with the deepest concentration of Hakka culture.
What Is Lei Cha
Lei cha is a traditional Hakka beverage, tracing its origins to the ancestors who migrated south from the central plains of China, where it served as a daily nutritional staple and a drink for welcoming guests. Basic ingredients include: green tea leaves, raw sesame seeds, raw peanuts, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, Job's tears, and brown rice, sometimes with basil leaves or mint for fragrance. The ingredients are placed in a mortar and ground clockwise with a guava-wood pestle for several minutes into a paste, then opened up with hot water and drunk, or mixed with puffed rice or popcorn into a snack.
Why is lei cha synonymous with Beipu? Beipu was cultivated in the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty by the Jiang Xiuluan family and is one of the oldest Hakka settlements in Hsinchu. Historic sites including the Jiang A-Xin Western-style mansion, Tianshui Hall, and the Jinguangfu Public Hall are densely clustered here, earning Beipu the reputation as a "living museum of Hakka antiquities." In the 1990s, Beipu Old Street vendors repackaged lei cha from a domestic household ritual into a DIY visitor experience, allowing tourists to grind the mortar themselves. Lei cha thus transformed from a cup of tea into a tourism experience representing Hakka culture. More than ten lei cha shops line Beipu Old Street, each with slightly different recipes and mortar feel.
How to Enjoy It the Local Way
Local Knowledge
Verified endorsements (advertiser-filtered)
- Beipu is a Hakka settlement cultivated by the Jiang Xiuluan family during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, with a dense concentration of Hakka-era historic sites.
- Jinguangfu Public Hall, the Jiang A-Xin Western-style mansion, and Tianshui Hall are national-level heritage sites; the lei cha experience is centered within the old street.
- Multiple lei cha shops coexist on Beipu Old Street, each with slightly different recipes and grain ratios.
Tips for Visiting
- DIY lei cha typically costs NT$150–250 per person, including ingredients, puffed rice, and unlimited tea refills; ideal for groups of 2–4 to share.
- Weekend crowds on the old street can be intense; weekday or morning visits allow for a more leisurely grinding experience.
- The rough-clay mortar can scratch tabletops; place a cloth underneath, or use the dedicated tables provided by the shop.
Information compiled from the Michelin Guide, Hsinchu City Government Tourism Bureau, Hsinchu County Government Tourism and Travel Division, and a large volume of public reviews, with sponsored content filtered out. Photos to be replaced with channel-exclusive material once Dio shoots on location.