[Weekender] Tea resurgence brews

Korean tea is returning to the cultural spotlight amid growing interest in healthy and balanced lifestyles

By KH디지털2

Published : April 22, 2016 - 17:46

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Long before the invasion of western coffee, Korea was a tea-drinking country with a rich ceremonial tea culture and heritage preserved for more than a thousand years.

Tea has always been at the center of the country’s tradition, culture, poetry, drama, art and song. But little attention was often paid to it in the post-war era, making it difficult to maintain its significance in society.

Korean tea eventually lost its once prominent role to coffee, as the product of the West became more accessible to customers and cheaper. People became used to sweet instant coffee mix consisting of non-dairy powdered creamer and sugar, particularly in the 80s and 90s when the nation underwent rapid economic development. On the other hand, tea and its legacy began to take a backseat, falling behind the popularity of the western drink, as it was more expensive for the middleclass and had a shorter shelf life.

Aerial view of the Boseong Green Tea Plantation in Boseong-gun, Jeollanam-do (Korea Tourism Organization)

According to data released in 2011, Koreans consume 60 grams of tea per year, much less than the 1.8 kilograms of coffee per year.

But Korean tea has recently been returning to the cultural spotlight, riding on growing interest in its healthy aspects.

With scientific research suggesting the therapeutic effects of green tea, the most popular kind in Korea, tea is becoming part of healthy and balanced lifestyles.

Green tea is high in antioxidants that can improve the functions of the body and brain. It has often been named as one of the top 10 healthiest food in the world.

There have also been concerted efforts to revive the traditional tea culture.

“There is no superior drink than green tea because it is super healthy and has an exquisite aroma,” said Lee Hae-ja, vice chairwoman of the Korea Tea Culture Association.

“We have been working on promoting the excellence of green tea not only to the general public but also for the future generation -- our children -- to embrace tea as part of their lives,” she said, adding that her organization offers a series of training courses and classes to get to know about tea and its spiritual significance.

Scene from the Boseong Green Tea Plantation in Boseong-gun, Jeollanam-do (Korea Tourism Organization)

“Korean tea, to put it simply, is about learning the spirit of scholars (in Joseon period) who pursued poor but honest lives and sought inner qualities (more) than external ones.”

More people these days are putting value on simple and pragmatic lifestyles and going against materialism, hence prompting Korean tea makers to reinterpret tea as a modern drink and experiment with new flavors.

Some companies are also making good use of the natural and clean image of tea by incorporating it into a broad range of consumer goods from cosmetics to food.

Green tea has also become an asset for tourism.

Farmers collect tea leaves at Boseong Green Tea Plantation in Boseong-gun, Jeollanam-do. (Korea Tourism Organization)

Green tea fields in Boseong, South Jeolla Province, attract about 1 million visitors every year, according to officials at the state-run Korea Tourism Organization. The tea plantations offer a chance to experience green splendors and allow people get away from the grey urban landscape.

Experts, however, call for efforts to make Korean tea culture more accessible to people.

“We have to make people feel familiar with tea, by producing interesting stories that they could associate with,” said Lee.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)

[Weekender] Tea resurgence brews

Korean tea is returning to the cultural spotlight amid growing interest in healthy and balanced lifestyles

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