(KPL) GUILIN, CHINA  Yocha, a cherished traditional dish of Gongcheng Yao Autonomous District in Guangxi, combines tea with a medley of flavorful ingredients, embodying the region's rich cultural heritage. Known as "fried rice tea," Yocha is based on fried rice but incorporates ingredients like tea leaves, corn, ginger, garlic, pork, peanuts, pickled chilies, green beans, and hot noodles. This fusion of flavors and textures creates a dish that is colorful, aromatic, and highly nutritious.

Unlike typical boiled tea, Yocha is prepared with a unique method involving frying and covering, which enhances its nutritional value. The resulting dish showcases a balance of brown tea, light yellow fried rice, green onions, red chilies, and roasted peanuts—a mix that meets the Chinese culinary standard for "color, smell, and taste." Gongcheng locals savor Yocha not only for its taste but also as an opportunity to socialize and share stories, making it a cultural touchstone in the district.

The Gongcheng area, spanning over 240,000 mu (1 mu = 667 square meters) dedicated to tea-related agriculture, includes 15,000 mu of tea plantations alone, yielding over 150,000 tons of tea annually. As the industry grows, Gongcheng is creating an industrial chain aimed at global markets. By 2026, the district plans to establish a national cultural heritage site and a cultural innovation farm that honors the Yocha tradition. With a projected production and distribution value exceeding 10 billion renminbi, Yocha is set to strengthen both the cultural and economic fabric of Gongcheng, according to Zhu Yan Lin, a key representative from the Yocha factory.

KPL