What is Nokcha tea?

Tea culture in Korea, despite boasting ancient traditions, was almost completely destroyed during the period of Japanese occupation (1910-1945) and the subsequent Korean War (1950-1953). It was not until the 1970s that the tea tradition saw a revival and related production began to generate good commercial income. Although many Koreans prefer to drink coffee, South Korean tea production has more than doubled in the past decade, in step with imports. Data showing a remarkable vitality of the Korean tea market.

What are the characteristics of Korean green tea?

Korean green tea is called Nokcha (녹차). It is made from tea leaves that are dried so that they retain their green color. It is one of the most popular drinks both at home and in tea houses, and is readily available in Korean grocery stores.

Nokcha is a light beverage that can be served either hot or cold. In Korea it is not uncommon to find sachets of soluble nokcha, used mainly for iced tea during the summer season. Green tea is also widely used in Korean cooking to enhance the green color of vegetables and to neutralize fish or meat odors. It is also widely used in the preparation of cookies, cakes, bingsu (a dessert with crushed ice) and ice cream. Green tea infusions are also used for bathing and making face masks.

Korean green tea offers characteristics different from the notes of Chinese green teas (mostly grassy) and those of Japanese green teas (usually more briny). Nokcha offers fuller, rounder notes. It is characterized by an almost imperceptible bitterness and hints of white fruit.

How to prepare nokcha

Nokcha is a very delicate tea, and should therefore be infused in water that is not too hot (around 70°C).

Below are the steps for perfect Korean nokcha.

• Heat the water to 70°C
• Heat the cups and teapot by pouring hot water into them
• Infuse 2/3 g per 250 ml of water and cover to keep the temperature constant
• Allow to steep for about 90 seconds

You can steep the same leaves up to 3 times, each time increasing the infusion duration by about 30 seconds.