Korean tea culture: Boseong and Jeju green tea, traditional teas and Insadong teahouses

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Korea is better known abroad for coffee shops on every corner, but it has a long and quiet tea culture: green tea grown on terraced hills, a whole family of fruit, grain and herbal "teas", and teahouses where time seems to slow down. This guide is an introduction for visitors and anyone curious.

A short history

Tea drinking in Korea goes back more than a thousand years and was closely linked with Buddhism. The traditional account is that in 828, during the reign of King Heungdeok of Silla, the envoy Kim Dae-ryeom brought tea seeds back from Tang China and they were planted on Jirisan mountain. Hadong County, near Ssanggyesa temple on the southern slopes of Jirisan, claims to be the birthplace of Korean tea, and wild-grown tea is still picked there. Tea fell out of everyday use for long periods and was later revived, with monks and scholars keeping the tradition alive.

Nokcha: Korean green tea

Korean green tea is called nokcha. It is often lightly pan-fired, though steamed teas are made too, and tends to taste softer and nuttier than many Japanese green teas. The main growing areas are:

Boseong, in South Jeolla Province, the best-known tea region and one of the country's largest producers. Its rows of tea bushes curving around the hillsides are a popular sight, especially at the large Daehan Dawon plantation, and the area holds a green tea festival in spring.
Hadong, in South Gyeongsang Province, with the oldest tradition and smaller, often hand-made teas.
Jeju Island, whose mild climate, rain and volcanic soil support large tea fields, especially in the southwest of the island around Seogwang.

Grades by picking time

Korean green tea is traditionally graded by when it is picked, with seasonal terms from the old calendar as markers:

Ujeon: the first, youngest leaves, picked before Gogu (the "grain rain" season around 20 April). Rare, delicate and the most expensive.
Sejak: picked after Gogu and into early May. Fine young leaves with a smooth taste.
Jungjak: picked later in May, with larger leaves; a popular everyday choice.
Daejak: the largest, coarsest leaves, picked later still, often used in tea bags.

Exact dates shift with the weather each year.

Traditional teas that are not tea

Many of the drinks Koreans call "cha" contain no tea leaves at all. They are infusions of fruit, grains, roots and herbs:

Yuja-cha: citron preserved in honey or sugar and stirred into hot water. A winter favourite, often drunk for a sore throat.
Omija-cha: made from the "five-flavour berry" (schisandra), said to taste sweet, sour, salty, bitter and pungent at once. Often served cold in summer.
Boricha: roasted barley tea, nutty and caffeine-free. Many Korean homes and restaurants serve it instead of water.
Oksusu-cha: roasted corn tea, slightly sweet; oksusu-suyeom-cha uses corn silk.
Daechu-cha: jujube (red date) tea, sweet and rich.
Saenggang-cha: ginger tea, warming and spicy.
Ssanghwa-cha: a dark, medicinal-tasting herbal tea, often served with nuts or an egg yolk floating in it.
Maesil-cha: green plum syrup with water, hot or cold.

You will find many of these in supermarkets as jars of syrup or bags of roasted grain.

Teahouses in Insadong

Seoul's Insadong neighbourhood, a street of galleries, craft shops and antique dealers between Jongno and Anguk, is the best-known place to find traditional teahouses (chatjip). Many are tucked down side alleys and up stairs, with low tables, hanok wood and quiet music. Menus usually include nokcha alongside traditional teas and rice cakes or other sweets. Bukchon and Samcheong-dong nearby have more. Opening hours and venues change, so check a map app before you go.

Darye: the tea ceremony

Korea's tea ceremony, darye (literally "etiquette for tea"), is generally simpler and less rigid than the Japanese ceremony, with an emphasis on calm, natural movement and hospitality. Common elements include:

warming the teapot and cups with hot water first
cooling freshly boiled water in a separate bowl before it meets the leaves, because very hot water makes green tea bitter
pouring into cups little by little, moving between them, so every guest gets tea of equal strength
holding the cup with both hands and taking a moment to look at the colour and smell the aroma before drinking

Some temples, cultural centres and teahouses offer tea ceremony classes for visitors.

Bringing it home

Boseong or Jeju green tea, a jar of yuja-cha and a bag of boricha make good souvenirs: light to carry and easy to use. Have you visited Boseong or a teahouse in Insadong, or do you have a favourite Korean tea? Share recommendations and questions in the comments.