Korean tea

Korean tea is a group of beverages consisting of boiled water infused with leaves (such as the tea plant Camellia sinensis), roots, flowers, fruits, grains, edible mushrooms, or seaweed. It may or may not contain tea leaves.

History

File:Goguryeo-Gakjeochong-Inner life.jpg

Gakjeochong, a Goguryeo tomb, shows a knight drinking tea with two ladies (5-6th century)

According to the Record of Gaya, cited in the Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms, the legendary queen Heo Hwang-ok, a princess of the State of "Ayuta" (theorized to be Ayodhya, India), brought the Camellia sinensis (var. assamica) tea plant from India to Korea and planted it on Baegwolsan, a mountain that borders the city of Changwon. In practice, however, Labrador tea and fruit teas, such as magnolia berry tea and goji berry tea, were more widely used in the Samhan Era instead.

It is a widely held belief that the systematic planting of tea bushes began with the introduction of tea culture by Buddhist monks some centuries later. Some of the earliest Buddhist temples in Korea, such as Bulgapsa, Bulhoesa, and Hwaeomsa, claim to be the birthplace of Korean tea culture. The import of Chinese tea products started during the reign of Queen Seondeok of Silla (631‒647), when two types of tea bricks, jeoncha (; Template:Category handler) and dancha (; Template:Category handler), were imported from the Tang Empire. In 765, a Buddhist monk is said to have presented an offering of the tea to King Gyeongdeok and the Buddha. Camellia sinensis tea plants spread throughout the country in 828, when King Heungdeok received seeds from the Tang Empire and sent them to be planted on the Jirisan mountain. Tea was usually offered to the Buddha, as well as to the spirits of deceased ancestors.

Tea culture continued to prosper during the Goryeo period. Tea offering was a part of the biggest national ceremonies, such as Yeondeunghoe and Palgwanhoe, and tea towns were formed around temples. During the reign of King Myeongjong (1131‒1202), Seon-Buddhist manners of ceremony prevailed. Chŏng Mong-ju and other scholars enjoyed tea poetry, dasi (; Template:Category handler), and tea meetings, dahoe (; Template:Category handler). The state of daseonilchi (; Template:Category handler; "tea and seon in accord") was eulogized. Xu Jing, a Song dynasty envoy who visited Goryeo in 1123, wrote in the Gaoli tujing that the people of Goryeo were avid tea drinkers and set out tea three times a day. Coins were accepted at tea and wine shops (茶酒店).

During the Joseon period (1392–1910), Korean tea culture underwent secularization. The royal family and aristocracy used tea for simple rites, a practice referred to as darye (; Template:Category handler, "tea rite"), which is often translated as "etiquette for tea". Towards the end of the Joseon dynasty, commoners adopted the practice of using tea for ancestral rites. The word charye (; Template:Category handler, "tea rite"), cognate to darye, now refers to jesa (ancestral rite). In the past, the two terms were synonymous, as ancestral rites often involved offerings of tea to the ancestors. Wedding ceremonies also included tea offerings. The practice of packing tea into small cakes, which lost popularity in China during the 14th century, continued in Korea until the 19th century.

In 1895, King Gojong of the Korean Empire used coffee for the first time. In 1896, grocery stores began to have tea rooms as annexes, and the first modern tea house was established in 1924.

Traditions

The Korean Tea Ceremony, called Darye, embodies Confucian principles of harmony, respect, and gratitude. It occurs in a traditional Korean house, with participants wearing hanbok attire. Darye involves tea preparation, serving, and presentation. The host serves tea to guests in order of importance, using a ceramic teapot and small cups. It is believed that Darye fosters a peaceful ambiance for appreciating tea's beauty, meaningful conversations, and reflection on respect and gratitude.

Market

Although tea from the Camellia sinensis plant is not as popular as coffee in South Korea – with the annual South Korean tea consumption at per capita, compared to for coffee – grain teas are served in many restaurants instead of water. Herbal and fruit teas are commonly served, both hot and cold.

Varieties

From Camellia sinensis

Unoxidized

• Nokcha (; Template:Category handler; "green tea")
  Green tea, the most common form of Korean leaf tea, is a nonoxidized tea made from the dried leaves of the tea plant. Nokcha can be classified into various types based on several different factors. The most common is the flush, or the time of the year when the leaves are plucked (and thus also by leaf size): these varieties are named ujeon (; Template:Category handler; "pre-rain"), sejak (; Template:Category handler; "thin sparrow"), jungjak (; Template:Category handler; "medium sparrow"), and daejak (; Template:Category handler; "big sparrow").
  Loose leaf tea is called ipcha (Template:Category handler) or yeopcha (; Template:Category handler), while powdered tea is called garu-cha (Template:Category handler) or malcha (; Template:Category handler). Roasted deokkeum-cha (Template:Category handler; "roasted tea") are more popular than steamed jeungje-cha (; Template:Category handler; "steamed tea").
  Southern, warmer regions such as Boseong, Hadong, and Jeju are famous for producing high quality tea leaves. Banya-cha (; Template:Category handler; "prajñā tea") and Jungno-cha (; Template:Category handler; "bamboo dew tea") among others are renowned. Nokcha can be blended with other ingredients, such as roasted brown rice to make hyeonmi-nokcha (; Template:Category handler; "brown rice green tea") or lemon to make remon-nokcha (Template:Category handler; "lemon green tea").

Partially oxidized

• Hwangcha (; Template:Category handler; "yellow tea")
  A tea made of partially oxidized leaves of the tea plant. The tea, like oolong from China, is a cross between unoxidized green tea and fully oxidized black tea. The oxidation process for hwangcha is very specific, which enables it to develop its unique flavor.

Oxidized - Western Origin

• Hongcha (; Template:Category handler; "red tea")
  Fully oxidized tea, called black tea in the west, is called "red tea" in Korea, as well as in China and Japan. Jaekseol-cha (Template:Category handler), whose name shares the same origin as the green tea jakseol, is a traditional black tea variety from Hadong in South Gyeongsang Province.

Post-fermented

• Tteokcha (Template:Category handler; "cake tea") or byeongcha (; Template:Category handler; "cake tea")
  A post-fermented tea brick. Borim-cha (; Template:Category handler) or Borim-baengmo-cha (; Template:Category handler), named after its birthplace, the Borim temple in Jangheung, South Jeolla Province, is a popular tteokcha variety.
• Doncha (Template:Category handler; "money tea"), jeoncha (; Template:Category handler; "money tea") or cheongtaejeon (; Template:Category handler; "green moss coin") is a post-fermented tea brick, made into the shape of yeopjeon, the Joseon coins with holes.

Other leaf teas

Tea	Korean name	Image	Ingredient
Baegyeop-cha (pine leaf tea)	; Template:Category handler		Korean pine needles
Baeksan-cha (white mountain tea)	; Template:Category handler		Labrador tea leaves
Bakha-cha (mint tea)	; Template:Category handler	File:Bakha-cha 1.jpg	East Asian wild mint leaves
Daennip-cha (bamboo leaf tea)		File:Bamboo tea.jpg	Bamboo leaves
Gamnip-cha (persimmon leaf tea)		File:Gamnip-cha 2.jpg	Oriental persimmon leaves
Hwangsan-cha (rosebay tea)	; Template:Category handler		Lapland rosebay leaves
Iseul-cha (dew tea) Gamno-cha (sweet dew tea)	; Template:Category handler		mountain hydrangea leaves
Maegoe-cha (rugose rose tea)	; Template:Category handler		rugose rose leaves
Mulssuk-cha (mugwort tea)			common mugwort
Ppongnip-cha (mulberry leaf tea)		File:Ppongnip-cha.jpg	white mulberry leaves
Seombaengnihyang-cha (thyme tea)		File:Seombaengnihyang-cha.jpg	Ulleungdo thyme
Sollip-cha (pine leaf tea)		File:Sollip-cha.jpg	Korean red pine needles
Ssukcha (mugwort tea)		File:Ssukcha.jpg	Korean mugwort
Yeonnip-cha (lotus leaf tea)		File:Lotus leaf tea.jpg	lotus leaves

Flower teas

Tea	Korean name	Image	Ingredient
Dohwa-cha (peach flower tea)	; Template:Category handler	File:Dohwa-cha.jpg	peach blossoms
Goehwa-cha (pagoda flower tea)	; Template:Category handler		pagoda flowers
Gujeolcho-cha (dendranthema tea)	; Template:Category handler	File:Gujeolcho-cha.jpg	white-lobe Korean dendranthema flowers
Gukhwa-cha (chrysanthemum tea)	; Template:Category handler		Indian chrysanthemum flowers
Gyehwa-cha (cinnamon flower tea)	; Template:Category handler		Chinese cinnamon flowers
Gyulhwa-cha (citrus flower tea)	; Template:Category handler		citrus flowers
Maehwa-cha (plum flower tea)	; Template:Category handler	File:Maehwa-cha.jpg	Chinese plum blossoms
Mindeulle-cha (dandelion tea)		File:Korean tea-Dried dandelions.jpg	Korean dandelion
Mongnyeon-cha (magnolia tea)	; Template:Category handler	File:Mongnyeon-cha.jpg	kobus magnolia flowers
Yeonkkot-cha (lotus flower tea) Yeonhwa-cha (lotus flower tea)	; Template:Category handler	File:Yeonkkot-cha.jpg	lotus flowers

Fruit teas

Tea	Korean name	Image	Ingredient
Daechu-cha (jujube tea)		File:Korean.tea-Daechucha-01.jpg	jujube
Gugija-cha (goji tea)	; Template:Category handler		goji berries
Gyulpi-cha (citrus peel tea)	; Template:Category handler		citrus peels
Hobak-cha (pumpkin tea)		File:Korean pumpkin tea-Hobakcha-01.jpg	cheese pumpkin
Maesil-cha (plum tea)	; Template:Category handler	File:Korean beverage-Maesil cha-01.jpg	Chinese plums
Mogwa-cha (quince tea)		File:Korean.tea-Mogwacha-01.jpg	Chinese quince
Ogwa-cha (five fruit tea)	; Template:Category handler		walnut ginkgo jujube chestnut dried persimmon
Omae-cha (smoked plum tea)	; Template:Category handler		smoked plums
Omija-cha (magnolia berry tea)	; Template:Category handler	File:Korean.tea-Omijacha-02.jpg	magnolia berries
Sansuyu-cha (cornelian cherry tea)	; Template:Category handler		cornelian cherry
Seongnyu-cha (pomegranate tea)	; Template:Category handler	File:Seongnyu-cha.jpg	pomegranates
Taengja-cha (hardy orange tea)			hardy oranges
Yuja-cha (yuja tea)	; Template:Category handler	File:Korean yuja tea.jpg	yuja

Grain, bean, and seed teas

Tea	Korean name	Image	Ingredient
Bori-cha (barley tea)		File:Boricha (barley tea).jpg	barley
Gyeolmyeongja-cha (sicklepod tea)	; Template:Category handler	File:Gyeolmyeongja-cha.jpg	sicklepods
Hyeonmi-cha (brown rice tea)	; Template:Category handler	File:Hyeonmicha.jpg	brown rice
Memil-cha (buckwheat tea)		File:Memil-cha (buckwheat tea).jpg	buckwheat
Misu-cha (rice tea)			rice
Nokdu-cha (mung bean tea)	; Template:Category handler		mung beans
Oksusu-cha (corn tea)		File:Oksusucha.jpg	corn kernels
Yulmu-cha (Job's tears tea)		File:Yulmucha (Job's tears tea).jpg	Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen

Root, shoot, and bark teas

Tea	Korean name	Image	Ingredient
Danggwi-cha (angelica root tea)	; Template:Category handler		Korean angelica root
Doraji-cha (balloon flower root tea)		File:Doraji-cha.jpg	balloon flower root
Dunggulle-cha (Solomon's seal tea)			Solomon's seal root
Chikcha / Galgeun-cha (arrow root tea)	; Template:Category handler		East Asian arrow root
Gyepi-cha (cinnamon tea)	; Template:Category handler		Chinese cinnamon bark
Hongsam-cha (red ginseng tea)	; Template:Category handler		red ginseng
Insam-cha (ginseng tea)	; Template:Category handler		Korean ginseng
Macha (yam tea)	; Template:Category handler	File:Macha.png	Chinese yam
Misam-cha (ginseng root hair tea)	; Template:Category handler		Korean ginseng root hair
Saenggang-cha (ginger tea)	; Template:Category handler	File:Saenggang-cha.jpg	ginger
Ueong-cha (burdock tea)			burdock roots
Yeongeun-cha (lotus root tea)	; Template:Category handler	File:Lotus root tea 2.jpg	lotus root

Combination and other teas

Tea	Korean name	Image	Ingredient
Beoseot-cha (mushroom tea)		File:Neungi-cha 2.jpg	edible mushrooms
Dasima-cha (kelp tea)			kelp
Donga-cha (wintermelon tea)			winter melon flesh winter melon seeds
Giguk-cha (goji chrysanthemum tea)	; Template:Category handler		northern dendranthema goji berries black sesame seeds jakseol green tea leaves milk
Gyulgang-cha (citrus ginger tea)	; Template:Category handler	File:Gyulgang cha, Korean tea.jpg	citrus fruit pyeongang
Hyeonmi-nokcha (brown rice green tea)	; Template:Category handler		brown rice green tea leaves
Jeho-tang	; Template:Category handler		smoked plums medicinal cardamom white sandalwood black cardamom honey
Podo-cha (grape tea)	; Template:Category handler		grapes Korean pear ginger honey
Ssanghwa-tang	; Template:Category handler	File:Ssanghwacha.jpg	white woodland peony root rehmannia root Mongolian milkvetch root Korean angelica root lovage root Chinese cinnamon bark Chinese liquorice
Sunchae-cha (watershield tea)	; Template:Category handler		watershield leaves magnolia berry-infused water honey pine nuts

See also

• Misutgaru
• Sujeonggwa