Darye – Korean Art of Tea Drinking

In Korean, the tea drinking heritage has come from the Buddhist Monks, who dwelled the globe to spread the teachings and enlighten. The tea said to bring self-alertness to the monks. Hon-ta, was a tea ceremony which was a part of the Buddhist tradition, in which green tea was offered to Buddha.

The first historical record of tea offering to an ancestral god come from the year 661 in which a tea offering was made to the spirit of King Suro, Gaya Kingdom (42-562). The records from the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) shows that tea offerings were made in Buddhist temples to the spirits of revered monks.

Chong Yak-Yong (1762-1836), a disciple of monks at temples near Kangjin, established a tea lovers’ society. He and his disciples grew tea here, which is often called as Tasan or Tea Mountain.

Ancient Ritual

In Korea, a tea drinking is an inseparable part of the culture. In Korea, tea played a crucial part in the fields like culture, drama, art and poetry during the Koryo Dynasty (10th to 14th centuries). These tea drinking ceremonies were called, Ch’a-rye which literally means, “Tea Ritual”.

Koreans Love their Tea

In Korea, tea is differentiated mainly on 5 different tastes, bitter, sweet, astringency, salty and sour. Teas are supposed to be consumed as fresh as possible, people love the taste of the notes of the new harvest.

Green tea is one of the most loved tea in Korea, it’s called “chaksol” or “chugno”. Other teas like, “Byeoksoryung” Chunhachoon, Woojeon, Jakseol, Jookro, Okcheon, as well as native chrysanthemum tea, persimmon leaf tea, or mugwort tea are also liked and loved by people at different times of the year.

Matcha or powdered green tea is also one of the most loved teas in Korea. It is consumed in different ways, latte, iced, hot and so on.

Love that Cuppa

Teas are said to be evoking 4 main thoughts: peacefulness, respectfulness, purity and quietness.

The New Generation and Tea

Institutes like The Panyaro are promoting the Age Old Tradition of drinking tea. They are teaching the ways how tea became an important part of mediation.

Tea is an integral part of Korean culture. It is still consumed and loved, though they ways and manners may have changed slightly but the motive is still the same. Meeting friends and creating happy memories.