Toasted rice tea (炒米茶)
Rice dry-toasted until golden, then simmered into a nutty, comforting drink — traditionally sipped all month instead of plain water.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Serves
- 4
Method
- 1
Toast the rice. Put the rice, unwashed, in a clean, dry wok with no oil. Stir over a low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, until it's evenly golden brown and smells toasty. Keep it moving so it doesn't burn.
- 2
Cool and store. Spread it out to cool completely, then keep it in an airtight jar.
- 3
Make the tea. Bring the water to the boil, add 3 tablespoons of toasted rice (and the ginger or red dates, if using) and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
- 4
Strain and serve warm.
About this dish
In a traditional confinement, new mothers avoid plain water and drink 炒米茶 instead — a custom said to help the body clear "dampness" (祛濕). Whatever you make of that, it's a pleasant way to keep up your fluids.
Tips
- Toast a big batch so you only need to do it once or twice in the month.
- Make a fresh pot each day and drink it hot, rather than keeping it warm in a flask or on the hob for hours. If you keep some for later, strain it, cool it quickly (ideally within an hour) and refrigerate it; drink it within 24 hours, and reheat it only once, until steaming hot. That's the Food Standards Agency's advice for cooked rice.
- Don't rush the toasting on a high heat: the outside burns before the grain is toasted through, and the tea tastes bitter.
Sources
About these recipes
- These are traditional home recipes, shared for cultural interest. They are not medical or nutritional advice, and we don’t claim any dish treats, prevents or cures anything.
- If you have allergies, gestational diabetes or a special diet, or take any medicines or herbal remedies, check with your midwife, health visitor, GP or pharmacist before changing what you eat.
- Follow UK food-safety advice: cook meat, fish and eggs thoroughly; cool leftovers and get them into the fridge within 1 to 2 hours; eat them within 2 days; and reheat only once, until steaming hot.
- Some recipes contain alcohol, and cooking doesn’t remove all of it. If you’re breastfeeding, read our guide to ginger vinegar and chicken in rice wine first.
Experienced carers cook dishes like these every day of the confinement month, and adjust them to how you’re feeling.
Find a carer →More recipes
Brown sugar ginger tea (紅糖薑茶)
A quick, warming drink of fresh ginger simmered with Chinese brown sugar and red dates — a confinement staple, and a comfort on a cold UK day.
Red date and longan tea (紅棗桂圓茶)
A naturally sweet, warming drink of red dates and dried longan, simmered with a little ginger — no added sugar needed.
Black bean and silkie chicken soup (黑豆烏雞湯)
A dark, gently sweet soup of black-skinned silkie chicken, toasted black beans and red dates — a traditional favourite for new mothers.