Ah Sa Ga Teahouse, Downtown Gyeongju
As we’ve been on the topic of tea lately, I figure it’s about time that I post on Ah Sa Ga Tea House (아사가찻집). Ah Sa Ga is in the middle of Gyeongju’s downtown shopping district, on Bonhwang-ro Culture Street (봉황로). It’s been open for almost a decade, though I only discovered it a little bit ago myself. For years, I thought it was a pottery shop, which I hope is excusable as they do actually display and sell tea sets in the front of their shop. read more
By Don Baumhart
Boseong Tea Plantation (from www.absoluteshinhwa.wordpress.com)
Harvesting Tea
Unlike the powdered tea used in the Japanese tea ceremonies, the Korean ceremonies use loose leaf green tea. Traditionally, this tea is referred to as “Jakseol-cha” (작설차) which literally means as “sparrow’s tongue tea,” as the small curled leaves resemble the tongues of sparrows. This “sparrow’s tongue” tea is well known for its exquisite flavor but, like everything involved the Korean tea ceremony, this depends a lot on timing. In his written guide to the tea ceremony, the 19th century monk Cho Ui (조의) noted that the flavor of the tea is adversely affected if the leaves are not picked at exactly the right time. It’s for this reason that Korean green tea is harvested in 4 different stages, which in turn determine the quality and thus the price of the tea.
By Don Baumhart
Tea Ceremony for the Buddha, Dongguk University, Gyeongju
If you want a glimpse into the soul of traditional Korean culture, you should try to experience grace and charm of the Korean tea ceremony. Like its Japanese counterpart, the Korean tea ceremony is meditation in motion. Each slow and mindful movement is carefully choreographed from start to finish. As in meditation, the purpose of the tea ceremony is to center each person in the present moment, to create a sense of purity, respect, tranquility, and harmony. read more
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