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 Tea enthusiasts who have had the opportunity to taste truly fresh Korean yasaeng-cha ( semi-wild grown tea ) know how pleasurable a cup it is. And how unique the taste of yasaeng-cha is. But finding premium Korean tea outside of Korea has been difficult, if not impossible, until now.
We visited Korea in spring 2010 on our tea sourcing trip to East Asia. We met with a respected tea producer, and were thrilled to be able to purchase a small quantity of his organic tea for our customers.
Green tea production in Korea is very small compared to the quantities produced in China or Japan. Most of Korea’s green tea is cultivated on large, commercial tea gardens that have been in operation in Boseong county in South Jeolla Province since the 1950’s.
However…. our teas are some of Korea’s finest and are grown close to Ssanggye-sa temple in Hwagae Valley, which runs in the south-west slopes of Mt. Jiri. This tea growing area is located in Hadong County in South Gyeongsang Province, and is the original, historic home of Korean green tea.
In the 9th century tea bush cuttings were brought from China and planted on Mt. Jiri. These tea bushes thrived in the rich environment of Mt. Jiri, and over the centuries have produced many offspring plants via seed planting. Today the tea bushes in this area are referred to as being ‘semi-wild’. The bushes have not been bred with imported tea bush cultivars ( as they have been elsewhere in Korea ) , so they have retained a flavor profile that is unique to the Mt. Jiri region.
These tea bushes are small and their growth is not as ‘stretched' as the tea bushes are in other regions of South Korea. The Mt. Jiri tea bushes produce a tasty, small leaf that is ideal for yielding sweet, intensely flavored and aromatic green tea.
Pesticides are not used in the Mt. Jiri area and only a minimum of fertilizer is used. This fact, coupled with the near perfect environmental conditions of climate, soil and temperature (terroir) gives tea grown in the Mt. Jiri region a unique character and delicious, refreshing flavor.
Mt. Jiri is home to many Buddhist temples, and over the centuries, resident monks tended the tea bushes, plucked fresh leaf, and processed their yasaeng-cha by simple hand-processing methods.
Today, new tea gardens have been planted in the valleys of Mt. Jiri, but production is still on a small-scale. It is only on Mt Jiri that one finds the old ways of tea cultivation and production still followed.
This means that:
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most leaf is hand-plucked ( some late spring teas and most summer teas are machine sheared)
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fertilizers are used in a limited way
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pesticides are not used at all
As a result of this extra effort, this area produces Korea’s most unique and delicious teas. These teas are referred to as yasaeng-cha which means they are plucked from wild tea bushes that grow in an organic environment. These teas are fresh tasting and bright and offer satisfying flavors in the cup.
For those who are eager to experience the multiple steepings possible from green tea, please refer to our tea steeping suggestions in our Tea 101 section.
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Our heat-sealed, foil packets of Sejak and Jungjak were packed in Korea and have been stored by us in a cool environment. They are in perfect condition and all are drinking well.
Our supply of these teas is dwindling. Don't miss the opportunity to experience these delicious teas at very low prices - the next harvest of tea will not be available until late June 2012.
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