To many, Korean tea is not just a beverage, but a pastime of tea connoisseurs worldwide. As a cultural practice or art form, it embraces ideals of serenity, simplicity, and refinement. The way Korean tea is grown, made, and served are each major elements of the Korean tea culture. The intricate Korean tea culture has developed over centuries, and the philosophy has been influenced by Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.
When discussing Korean tea, we’re usually not refering just to drinks made from leaves. The many varieties of Korean tea may also may include fruits, grains, and of course roots such as ginger and ginseng. Korea is particularly noted for a producing a high quality of ginseng and ginseng tea. It is widely believed that benefits of Korean ginseng include prolonging life and increasing vitatlity. These benefits not only contibute to the growing popularity of ginseng Korean tea around the world, but also of various energy drinks containing ginseng extract.
Popular Korean tea varieties include insamcha (ginseng tea), nokcha (green tea), yujacha (citron tea), daechucha (jujube tea), sangangcha (ginger tea) and yulmucha (Job’s tears tea), omijacha (”five-taste” tea from the fruit of Schisandra chinensis), googijacha (Chinese matrimony vine tea). At home, grain teas such as boricha (roast barley tea) and oksusucha (roast corn tea) are often served cold.
in shaping the unique Korean tea philosophy are thoughtfully captured in Yang-Seok (Fred) Yoo’s book, The Book of Korean Tea. Yoo explores the history, practice, and philosophical influnces of the Korean tea culture, and is a must-read for any tea afficianado.
