Lei Cha, literally translated as pounded tea, ranks as one of the three most popular teas besides Oriental Beauty and Bitter Orange Tea. Legend has it that the troops of Zhang Fei, a renowned general in Three Kingdoms period, once suffer from an outbreak of plague during their expedition. An experienced army doctor comes to their rescue by following an ancient recipe for Lei Cha. He grinds tea leaves, wild gingers, and rice together and intermixes the paste with water. He then serves the tea to sick soldiers and cures their diseases. Therefore, Lei Cha is sometimes referred to as "Three-life Tea" since it has this uncanny ability to bring people back to life.

A standard offering for Hakka people's guests, Lei Cha has a similar thick taste and color to those of Japanese Matcha. However, unlike Matcha, Lei Cha is made by pounding tea leaves, peanuts, sesame seeds into a mixture of powder with a mortar and pestle. Hot water and cooked rice are then added so that the tea is ready to be enjoyed. Besides, Lei Cha looks more turbid than Matcha because it has more grain ingredients, which also lead to a number of health benefits.