Some Reservations...: Losing Face... Saving the Meal

A bustling little restaurant by the shores of Lake Rong in Guilin spills squat tables and stools onto the sidewalk. The awning declares 油茶 and the first item on the menu is likewise “oil tea.” At two yuan (about thirty U.S. cents) per cup, it must be tried. We order some, along with several other dishes. Soon enough two empty bowls arrive, along with two little platters of puffed rice and peanuts, followed by the rest of our order.

Usually it is slightly uncomfortable to be observed while eating. It inevitably means getting caught dropping a choice morsel on the floor or, worse, into a bowl of soup with an oily splash. This time, being in the fishbowl is a boon: it turns out we have no idea how to drink “oil tea.” Unable to bear the sight of our incompetence any longer—the kids are munching away on the peanuts and rice—an older woman approaches the table and points out the thermos that has been stealthily placed at our feet. Pour the “oil tea” in the bowl, add the dried ingredients—the rice goes “pao!”—and then consume. Of course. The passage from imbecile to expert takes a mere few seconds of explanation, and now everyone can go back to eating.

Oil tea is a staple of the local ethnic groups (especially the Yao) and is Guangxi comfort food. Tea leaves are fried with garlic, salt, ginger,and chili in peanut oil. Water is added and brought to a boil. When the brew is strained, the leaves are pounded with a pestle to release their flavor. The result is a greenish-gray liquid and is quite strong, more like broth than tea. In fact, at first we assumed that we were drinking stock because it was so rich and flavorful. Additions to the tea include puffed rice, cereal balls, peanuts, chives and, of course, salt. The dishes we ordered with the oil tea were: fried rice noodles, gluey taro rice cakes, stir-fried greens, spicy kelp salad, and smoked blood and tofu sausage.