Insect tea, listed in the “Compendium of Materia Medica” by Li Shizhen, is a traditional drink for the ethnic minority in southwest China. Insect tea is made of the feces of insects that feed on plants, and characterized by minimal dose, enjoyable tea flavor, few tea-residues, and superb transparency.
Insect tea (Insect droppings tea)
Local residents put wild rattan and tea leaves together to lure insects to eat them, leaving the droppings there. People take residue of these rattan and tea leaves out of droppings which is highly named as dragon ball. They fry it in oven firstly and then re-fry it together with teas and honey so that the final Insect droppings tea is ready for drinking. Many people will think it dirty and disgarsting, but it's no so. It has a special scent and tastes a little sweet. After drinking, you will be in a good humor. At the same time, it is a healthy drug and can do good to stomache.
Insect tea also were known as " insect brewing tea", "tribute tea", "pearl tea", "longevity tea", "God of tea", which is the only one of the best natural organic tea which set the essence of animals and plants in. It is praised as "Pure Natural Ecological Drinks" by expert. As early as the Ming Dynasty, there are records about the effect of nutrition and health care.
Insect tea has been used to clear summer heat, protect the spleen and stomach, and facilitate digestion. Modern research has suggested that insect tea is safe and nutritional, and it has blood lipid lowering, antihypertensive and hypoglycemic effects. At present, due to the household production of insect tea, there are a variety of species of tea-producing insects and feeding plants.
Preparation:
Reference amount: Tea 0.5g by adding water 300ml. Specific should be added according to personal taste slightly.
Put proper amount of tea into the prepared glass with boiling water over 90 C degrees, and cover the lid.
Along with the sinking of the insect tea, strips of sanguine threads release, as if red dragons rove over the sea. However, when the sorrel tea mixes with water, there are milky flocs appearing in the glass, like white lotus flowers blossoming in the water.