The three kinds of interesting tea of the Dai ethnic minority 傣家人有趣的“三味茶”

竹筒茶、花茶和柠檬茶，是特色的傣家三味茶。傣族村落都在平坝近水之处，小溪之畔大河两岸，湖沼四周，凡翠竹围绕，绿树成荫的处所，必定有傣族村寨。品竹品茶品傣家文化，三味茶足。
Bamboo-tube tea, scented tea and lemon tea are the three kinds of characteristic tea of Dai ethnic minority. Dai villages are always located on a flat land near a stream, a river, a lake or a marsh and surrounded by bamboos and trees. The three kinds of tea can offer you a taste of the bamboo groves, Dai culture as well as exquisite tea itself.
竹筒茶
Bamboo-tube tea
竹筒茶是居家茶，过去一直是傣家人招待进入家门的客人用的。
Home-made bamboo-tube tea has always been the Dai people’s treat for guests coming to their home.
傣家人将已晒干的春茶装入刚砍回的香竹筒内，放在火塘的三脚架上烘烤，约6-7分钟后竹筒内的茶便软化，用木棒将竹筒内的茶冲压后，又填满春茶烘烤，这样，边烤、边冲、边填，直至竹筒填满冲紧为止，待茶烤干后，剖开竹筒取出圆柱型的茶叶。这种“竹筒茶”喝入口中，既有竹子的清香，又有茶叶的芬芳，非常可口。
The producing process of bamboo-tube tea can be divided into three steps. First, put some tea leaves into a bamboo tube. Fill a bamboo tube that has been freshly cut down with dried spring tea leaves. Second, bake the tea. Put the bamboo tube on a tripod over a fire pit to bake the tea for 6 to 7 minutes until the tea leaves are softened. Pound the tea leaves with a wooden stick, and then fill up the tube again with more tea leaves. Repeat this procedure until all the tea leaves in the tube are compacted. Third, take out the tea. When tea leaves are completely baked, cut open the tube and take out the column-shaped bamboo-tube tea. With the aroma of both the bamboo and the tea leaves, the bamboo-tube tea is very tasty.
花茶
Scented tea
花茶是傣族同胞又一味茶。傣族同胞制造花茶的桂花主要有金桂、丹桂、银桂。桂花香气淡雅，常常能随风飘荡，往往有一树桂花一村香的说法。桂花香味浓厚而高雅、持久，无论制绿茶、红茶、乌龙茶均能取得较好的窨花效果，是一种多适性茶用香花。傣族同胞爱花，节日里的头饰不是金银玉器，而是一束精当的鲜花。茉莉、玫瑰等花也被人纳入茶叶。
Scented tea is another kind of tea of the Dai people. The osmanthus used for making scented tea by the Dai people are mainly golden osmanthus, silver osmanthus and orange osmanthus. Osmanthus has a light and elegant scent which spreads with the winds, so there is a saying that goes that a single tree of osmanthus scents a whole village. Osmanthus can be used to produce several kinds of tea, such as green tea, black tea and oolong tea. Its strong, elegant and lasting scent makes the scenting procedure of the tea producing process very fruitful. The Dai people love flowers such as the osmanthus. They wear a bundle of exquisite flowers rather than jewelry on their head during a festival. Jasmine, rose and other flowers are also used for tea producing.
傣族同胞喝花茶，很有讲究，老人喝的是桂花茶，年轻人喝的是茉莉花茶，谈恋爱的人喝玫瑰茶，而桂花茶又都分了级别，金桂是上等品，只能年纪大的人喝，银桂是次品，一定岁数的人就可以喝，丹桂更差一些，只要结了婚都可以喝。茉莉是结过婚的女人喝的，玫瑰茶就只有年轻人用了。
Scented tea drunk by the Dai people varies according to age, gender, marital status and so on. The senior drink osmanthus tea, the young jasmine tea, and those in love rose tea. Osmanthus tea is further classified. Premium golden osmanthus tea is for the quite senior, inferior silver osmanthus tea for those in their middle ages, and more inferior orange osmanthus for the married. Jasmine tea is for married women, and rose tea for young people only.
柠檬茶
Lemon tea
柠檬茶，其实是爱情茶，是傣家“三味茶”里最浪漫的一味。美丽的西双版纳种植着许多柠檬树。柠檬茶一般是招待游客的，一杯柠檬茶想留住那些热爱象脚鼓的客人。
Lemon tea, or love tea, is the most romantic among the three. Many lemon trees grow in beautiful Xishuangbanna. Lemon tea is usually given to tourists. A cup of lemon tea is intended to make a guest who loves the elephant-foot-shaped drum stay longer.
柠檬茶讲究柠檬要鲜，茶叶要精，最好以红茶为主。茶汁出来时用杯盏盛之，然后再添加时鲜柠檬汁，最好加点糖，这样喝起来酸甜可口，解渴解谗。对于大多数年轻人来说，这是一味最上等的饮品。
When making lemon tea, it is very important to use fresh lemon and refined tea leaves, and black tea leaves are the best. Put the steeped tea in a cup when it is ready, add fresh lemon juice to it, and you’d better add some sugar as well, which will make the lemon tea sour, sweet and tasty. For most young people, this is one of the best drinks.