Ⅱ.Tea as Food
Tea catering culture in southwest China originated from the era of a primitive gathering economy and experienced a long period of agricultural society, which made some ethnic minorities like to add condiments and vegetables when drinking tea.Many ethnic minorities in southwest China still cook with tea, such as pickled tea of De’ang, Jingpo, Bulang and Yi, mixed cold tea of Jinuo and Yi, sour tea of Bulang and De’ang, Chinese olive-brewed tea of Dai, etc.
Fig.4-8 Take tea as food
（一）腌茶
腌茶是德昂族、景颇族、布朗族、彝族等一些民族保留着的古老的食茶方法，制作方法极其生态，各民族腌茶的方法除了一些细微的差别，总体上大致相同，都是将新鲜的茶嫩叶采回洗净，煮熟或蒸熟后加入食盐、辣椒等佐料拌匀，布朗族腌茶不加作料而是加水或者加冷米汤，德昂族、彝族省去了蒸煮这一步骤，直接加入佐料拌匀，将拌好的茶叶装入陶缸或是竹筒中，封口腌制，茶叶经腌制变黄成为腌茶，腌好后可以直接当菜食用，也可作零食。
图4-9 景颇族腌茶制作
（二）凉拌茶
有些民族从古至今仍保留着用鲜嫩茶叶制作凉拌茶当菜食用的习惯，是极为罕见的食茶方法，基诺族人喜爱吃凉拌茶，传统的凉拌茶也叫“生水泡生茶”，一般是农户到野外劳作休息时，砍一节粗大的竹筒，切成两半做容器，再采一些新鲜的茶叶，适当揉碎后放入容器中，注入适量的山泉水，加入盐巴、辣子、大蒜、樟脑尖、酸蚂蚁蛋等作料。也可以将鲜嫩新梢搓揉之后放入碗内，再将黄果叶揉碎、辣椒切碎，连同适量的盐巴及大蒜放于碗内，最后加上少许泉水，用筷子搅匀，静置15分钟左右即可食用。彝族人一般是将细嫩的茶叶采回家，洗干净后加入各种作料拌匀做成凉拌菜，凉拌茶对彝族人来说是一道不可多得的美味菜肴。
(I)Pickled Tea
Picking tea is an ancient tea-eating method reserved by De’ang, Jingpo, Bulang, Yi, and other ethnic minorities.The making method is extremely ecological.Except for some slight differences,the method of pickling tea in all ethnic minorities is generally the same: Pick and wash fresh tea leaves.After cooking or steaming the leaves, add salt, pepper, and other ingredients and mix them well.Bulang’s pickled tea is added with water or cold rice soup without any ingredient.The making method of De’ang and Yi omits the step of steaming.They just add ingredients and mix them evenly and then put the mixed-well tea into the clay pot or bamboo tube.Finally, seal the pot for pickling.After pickling, the tea will become yellow.The pickled tea can be eaten directly as a dish and snack.
Fig.4-9 Jingpo’s making method of pickled tea
(II)Mixed Cold Tea
Some ethnic minorities have kept the habit of making mixed cold tea with fresh tea leaves as a dish since ancient times, which is an extremely rare way to eat tea.Jinuo people like to eat mixed cold tea, which is traditionally called“raw tea in unboiled water”.Generally, when farmers go to the field to work and have a rest, they cut a section of thick bamboo tube in half to make containers, then pick some fresh tea leaves, knead them properly, put them in the containers, inject a proper amount of spring water, and add some ingredients such as salt, pepper, garlic, leaf tip of Cinnamomum glanduliferum (Wall.)Nees, golden ant eggs, etc.People can also rub the fresh leaves and put them in a bowl, then knead the yellow fruit leaves, chop the peppers, mix them in a bowl with a proper amount of salt and garlic, finally add a little spring water, stir well with chopsticks, and let stand for about 15 minutes before eating.Generally, Yi people take the delicate tea leaves home, wash them, add various ingredients and mix them well to make a cold dish, which is rare and delicious for Yi people.
图4-10 基诺族凉拌茶
（三）酸茶
布朗族、德昂族制作和食用酸茶的历史悠久，制作方法也是大同小异，一般是将采来的茶鲜叶蒸熟或煮熟，然后将茶叶放在阴暗的地方发酵10天左右，再装入竹筒内，封口后埋入土坑中，一个月左右就可以食用了，不一样的是，德昂族会在茶叶中拌入发酵粉，发酵10天左右后，用竹叶和竹篾将茶包成一个一个的茶包放入箩筐中，压紧发酵半年即可食用，发酵期间要把茶包从上到下翻一次。
图4-11 德昂族酸茶
Fig.4-10 Jinuo’s mixed cold tea
(III)Sour Tea
Bulang and De’ang people have a long history of making and eating sour tea, and their making methods are similar.Generally, they steam or cook the fresh tea leaves and ferment the tea leaves in a dark place for about ten days and then put them into bamboo tubes which are sealed and buried in earth pits later.About one month later, the sour tea is available for eating.What is different is that De’ang people add fermented powder to tea.After about ten days, they will cover the tea with bamboo leaves and splits and put the tea balls in the basket.After being compressed and fermented for half a year, the tea is available for eating.During fermentation, they always turn the tea balls up and down once.
Fig.4-11 De’ang’s sour tea
图4-12 布朗族酸茶
（四）茶水泡大青果
傣族有一种吃茶的风俗。傣族人招待客人时喜欢把茶泡在一个大器皿中，待茶泡开了分给每个客人，茶过三四泡，茶味变淡后，将茶叶捞出，蘸上大青果（俗名嘎哩罗）吃，茶叶余留的淡淡苦涩与大青果汁的回甘融合在一起，让人回味无穷。