No. 39 Beipu Leicha (Miaoqian original shop)

Review

No. 39 Beipu Leicha's original Miaoqian shop is at No. 39 Miaoqian Street on Beipu Old Street, a few steps from Citian Temple, and is among the leicha shops most often featured by the media. Leicha, or pounded tea, is a drink Hakka villages traditionally offer guests, and the shop has turned it into a hands-on activity. Many foreign travellers and groups join on weekdays too, and staff explain each step.

For the DIY session, the shop provides a grinding bowl, a wooden pestle and ingredients such as sesame, peanuts, tea leaves and grains. You grind them until oily and powdery, pour in hot tea and drink it with puffed or toasted rice; it is thick, nutty and fragrant with tea. If you would rather not grind, order ready-made iced or hot leicha: the iced version comes with toasted rice and buckwheat germ, the hot one with a leicha stick. There is also leicha slush and Hakka mochi, and the shop sells leicha powder and gift boxes.

Fans say the DIY process is fun and great for families and foreign friends, staff are patient, and tea you ground yourself tastes especially fragrant. Critics find the tea on the sweet side and portions small, note waits for seats on holidays, and some feel most ingredients are pre-processed so the experience is less hands-on than expected.

Supertaste lists iced and hot leicha at NT$90 each and mochi at NT$70 small or NT$90 large; DIY set prices vary by group size, so check on site. Online listings show roughly 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., though weekend opening times differ slightly between sources. Roads around the old street are narrow, so park at a paid lot on the edge and walk in.

Good for first-time visitors to Beipu who want a taste of Hakka culture, and especially for children or foreign friends. With time to spare, choose the DIY set; if you are rushing, grab an iced leicha to sip while walking and take home a bag of leicha powder or a gift box.