Winter tea, the three most popular in Korea, chances are you wouldn’t know any of them.
And that’s perfectly normal. Even if you’re interested in Korean culture, knowing specific types of tea might be rare. So, if you’re interested in Korean tea, take your time to read the content. It’s sure to be helpful.
Winter tea, The first one is ginger tea.
In Korea, almost everyone has experienced drinking ginger tea at least once as a part of their nostalgic memories.
Even though as adults they may not drink it, almost everyone in Korea has a memory of drinking ginger tea. It’s a tea brewed by grandmothers or mothers instead of medicine when they got a cold. Ginger itself has effective properties against colds, so it’s good when you have a cold and have no appetite. Also, it helps to relieve chills when you have the chills.
This is because ginger has a warming effect on the body.
Therefore, by drinking ginger tea, many issues commonly faced by women such as cold sensitivity, bloating, and constipation are alleviated. When the average body temperature increases by 1 degree, the immune system becomes around 60% more active. Raising body temperature can help treat colds or even lower the chances of catching one in the first place.
Furthermore, ginger tea has the effect of promoting gastric acid secretion and improving digestion. It also has the effect of reducing heartburn. It is also said to strengthen the mucous membranes.
There are two ways to drink ginger tea.
The first involves slicing ginger thinly and letting it steep in hot water with honey. This method preserves the aroma of ginger without being overpowered by honey. It’s convenient for storage and consumption. Typically, commercially available ginger teas follow this method.
The second method involves chopping ginger into pieces and boiling it in water with added sweetener. This method results in a stronger ginger flavor. The distinct spicy taste of ginger can be quite intense, so it’s advisable to add sweetener. In Korea, leftover jujubes from ancestral rites are sometimes added when boiling ginger tea, which enhances its effects. If you prefer, you can also add it to carbonated water for a ginger beer flavor.
If by any chance you happen to enjoy the taste of ginger?
I don’t think that’s likely to be the case, but I’ll tell you how to enjoy it. Before making the tea, you can spread ginger jam on bread or enjoy bread with ginger tea on the side. In fact, some products on the market mention it in their descriptions, saying it tastes good spread on bread.
The second one is jujube tea.
Jujube tea, as the name suggests, is a tea made by boiling jujubes.
Jujubes have a subtle sweetness, which has a calming effect on the body. It is popular for its soothing properties, aiding in the relief of depression, stress, anxiety, and insomnia.
It’s possible that you’ve never seen jujube tea before.
If you’ve never seen it, it’s natural that you wouldn’t know how to make jujube tea either.
First, you dry the jujubes and then pour about twice the amount of water over them and let them simmer thoroughly. Wrap the softened jujubes in a cloth and squeeze out the juice. Pour this juice back into the pot and simmer it until it thickens to the consistency of syrup. Stir it with a spoon to prevent it from sticking to the pot. Be careful about this point. Then, pour the concentrated liquid into a bottle and store it in a cool place. Whenever you want to drink it, just take it out and mix it with water. If the taste is too bitter, sweeten it with honey or sugar to your liking.
Keep in mind when drinking jujube tea.
In Korea, it’s believed that jujube tea is beneficial for people with a dry constitution, while ginger tea is preferred for those with an obese constitution. Most commercially available jujube teas contain additives like honey or sugar. If you’re truly aiming for health benefits, it’s better to buy jujubes from the market and boil them yourself, even if it’s inconvenient.
Also, you might be alarmed by the white foam that forms while boiling. This is saponin, a beneficial substance found in jujubes. It’s perfectly fine to consume it as is.
The third one is yuja tea.
It’s probably the most famous one, I think, because it’s consumed not only in Korea but also in countries like Japan. It’s literally a tea made by diluting yuja marmalade, which is yuja preserved in sugar or honey, in water. There are records of it being consumed in Korea hundreds of years ago.
Yuja tea is enjoyed by everyone.
Due to its unique tangy flavor, yuja tea is often enjoyed as a post-meal refreshment or consumed when one has caught a cold due to its rich vitamin C content. Especially in Korea, gifting yuja marmalade or making yuja tea for a sick loved one is a classic expression of affection. However, like with some other teas, it’s important to note that vitamin C can be destroyed by heat. It’s better to brew it in lukewarm water rather than boiling hot water. Its sweet yet tangy aroma is exceptional. However, it’s important to be cautious as marmalade is essentially ingredients preserved in sugar, meaning it contains a significant amount of sugar. It’s a preferred treat for those with a sweet tooth. Naturally, it’s a citrus-based fruit drink, much like lemonade. So, if you refer to it as lemonade, Westerners won’t have strong preferences against it.
Yuja tea also boasts various other health benefits.
It contains components that protect blood vessels and can also help prevent brain diseases. Additionally, it’s said to aid in the removal of toxins accumulated in the body. It’s also considered effective for indigestion and constipation. Drinking it after a meal is highly recommended. For example, even after a meat-heavy meal, it aids digestion well. It’s particularly beneficial after consuming foods with low water content. When you drink it, digestion improves remarkably.
In Korea, it is commonly distributed in the form of glass bottles.
Recently, it is also distributed in pouch form similar to coffee mixes. There are also versions made by grinding instead of using the peel and pulp.
Another point to note is that…
When drinking it cold, you should use more syrup compared to when drinking it warm. In other words, it tastes better when it’s sweeter. This is because the sweetness is less noticeable when the tea is cold. However, be careful as it may not mix well at lower temperatures. Ideally, it’s best to first dissolve the yuja syrup in a small amount of hot or boiling water before mixing it with cold water. You can also make yuja ade by using carbonated drinks or soda water instead of plain water.
Yuja marmalade itself is similar to jam. Therefore, it’s fine to use it as a jam substitute, and it tastes good too. Just be cautious not to spread too much, as it has a low viscosity and lacks added pectin, so it may run out through the gaps in bread.
In rare cases, but worth mentioning, mixing yuja syrup with eggs and milk and freezing it can make a pretty decent ice cream. When you taste it, the sweet and sour flavor is quite nice. However, the slightly bitter taste may be a downside.
Another great recipe for summer is yuja slush. Prepare one cup of ice in a blender with two spoons of yuja syrup. Then, add about half a cup of lemon-lime soda (or replace with soda water if you want to reduce sweetness) and blend. You’ll have a refreshing and tangy slush ready to enjoy.
‘Winter Tea’ I wrote.
However, upon writing the article, I realized that these teas are beneficial for health regardless of the season. They make excellent choices as gourmet beverages as well. I hope they become more accessible even outside of Korea.
