A healthy dose of phytonutrient meal

I love food.


Having the knowledge of keeping healthy does not mean we should deprive ourselves of sinful indulgences. However, we should still manage ourselves with such knowledge. We apply common sense and judgement, striking a balance on knowing how much to consume and when to stop overindulgence. It is called discipline, and if we VALUE the knowledge we posses, we can achieve a strong state of mind to overcome any weakness or food craving.


To keep healthy everyday is highly challenging. I get exhausted many times from the time I shop for the groceries, to sanitize, to prepare, to cook and to deliver it on the table, and finally to clean up the dishes. Eating out too often is also a challenge where I could hardly find many places that can offer me a wholesome meal of phytonutrients. Here, I mean a meal for one person with lots of vegetables that comes in a variety. Tough to find? Well not so :)




Today's post is about a healthy food that I love. I grew up with it with mom cooking it since I was very little. Introducing, the Hakka Lui Cha for those who have never heard, never seen, nor tasted it before:

Hakka Lui Cha from Thunder Tea Rice, Singapore

Whenever I feel an overdose on proteins or insufficient intake of fibre and greens from outside food or at home (on lazy days, washing a variety of vegetables can become a chore :S), Hakka Lui Cha always comes to my mind.

And so, if you truly value healthy foods and your health, this is an excellent solo meal. Imagine all the effort one needs to go through in preparing a varied phytonutrient meal like this. It is painstaking as I have witnessed how my mom does it.


The Hakka Lui Cha is not for everyone, especially those who do not like vegetables and could not tolerate the hunger pangs from a non-protein diet.


However, if you ever decide to take up the challenge, I suggest you do not mix the soup into the concoction of vegetables and rice as the soup is an acquired taste. More often, people run away from this beautiful meal as they started off trying with the tea soup mixed in.


It is never easy to find a really good place that serves a quality Hakka Lui Cha. The more types of vegetables served, the better. Each finely diced vegetable should never be overcooked and should be naturally tasty with minimal MSG, or better still none added. And the vegetables served require high standards of hygiene where you shouldn't discover extra ingredients like sand nor caterpillar proteins. :D


The soup is the most challenging to brew, and it takes a really good chef to be able to perfect the soup paste, delivering it in an even raw green tone that does not separate from the water that is added to it. Hard to describe the taste but trying imagining the combined taste of grinded peanuts, white sesame seeds, mint leaves, sweet basil leaves and chinese tea leaves. ;) 


Be good with food. Bon appetit and enjoy the journey. =)