What is Korean green tea?
Green tea is normally associated with China (its birthplace) and Japan, but what many don't know is that it also enjoys a great deal of popularity in Korea, as well as being a significant part of Korean culture, just as in Chinese and Japanese culture. Green tea from Korea isn't something that's so easy to get a hold of in the west, where Japanese and Chinese green teas are abundant on the supermarket shelves, and yet there are some very well established tea plantations in Korea producing good quality green tea.
Korean green tea generally comes in three different grades (grading being the system for classifying and categorizing green tea in terms of quality). The first is Ujeon (or woojeon), which is the highest grade, consisting of leaves picked in the first flush, or first harvest. This basically means that the harvest takes place earlier in the year (usually early spring), with the general rule of thumb concerning tea production being that younger leaves make for a higher quality tea. The second highest grade is called sejak (or saejak), with its leaves coming from the second flush/harvest. And the third grade is jungjak (or joongjak).
Lower grade teas are generally inexpensive when they come from Japan or China. Only the first flush, highest grade teas, the superior or premium quality varieties from the first flush, are expensive to purchase, because they are considered to be gourmet teas for their high quality. Interestingly, this is not the case in Korea, where even the lower grade teas are relatively expensive – even jungjak is quite costly to purchase. This is largely because Korean green tea is not nearly as mass-produced as Chinese or Japanese green tea, meaning that it's considered rare or special even in Korea itself. Limited availability leads to increased price. As a result, Korean green tea is seen as a rather special and decadent beverage, one that is to be cherished.
The best varieties of green tea produced in Korea come from plantations around the slopes of Jiri mountain, but there are other noteable tea growing regions. Boseong is one such area, and a popular tourist attraction – particularly during its annual tea festival! Tea is gathered and processed using methods that are more similar to those of the Chinese than those of the Japanese, other than the very rare jeung-cha variety: this tea goes through a process more similar to Japanese methods, as it involves the steaming of the freshly picked leaves.
Just like Japan, Korea has a long-standing tradition of tea ceremonies, which are aimed at seeking harmony and relaxation through enjoying tea with others in a formal but relaxed setting. Once guests are seated, the host will go through the ritual of heating all tea vessels with hot water, and then brewing the green tea using a very strict and precise system. The leaves are first quickly rinsed with hot water, which is immediately discarded, thus removing any dust from the leaves while also helping them to unfurl slightly. Hot water is then poured into what's known as a decanting bowl, where it's left to cool down for a little while until it reaches the correct temperature for brewing whatever variety of green tea is being used.
The leaves are then steeped (again, for a very precise length of time according to the type of tea), before the host pours the tea first into the decanting bowl and then into the cups. This can go on for hours, as guests enjoy drinking tea and relaxing together – it's used both in social and business settings, and is an important part of Korean culture.
Useful Links:
http://www.san-shin.org/KGTea-1.html
http://www.easterntea.com/tea/koreantea.htm
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