Truly a superb Korean green tea, harvested by hand in the steep Hwagae Valley, situated in the mountainous and wild Hadong Province, famous for being the "Tea of Kings" land.
The tea farm backs onto the Jirisan National Park (the first of its kind in South Korea). Due to the unique terroir, with its mountainous landscape and crystal clear Sumjin River, all these factors harmoniously work together to give this tea a unique taste.
We proudly offer our second instalment of this handmade South Korean tea. This grade of tea is known as Daejak, named after the size of the leaf pluck, which is comparable to a sparrow's beak. Daejak is the fourth pluck or harvest of tea leaves in a harvesting season. The harvest for daejak tea leaves begins around June 21st, which is known as haji (하지/夏至/Summer solstice).
Growing under the shade of bamboo trees, the freshly picked green tea leaves then undergo processing using a traditional stir-frying method, according to old Korean traditions. The younger harvested leaves are briefly cooked in a wok at 300°C. This first cooking ensures a softer taste and is followed by rolling the leaves to fully extract their aroma. The third step consists of the drying of the leaves, followed by another cooking at low temperature for several hours to bring in a roasted flavour and a curly medium-length leaf.
Daejak leaves are dark green, wiry, and somewhat curly in appearance. The tea's liquor is greenish-yellow, and the flavour palette is a light green vegetal with chestnut notes.
This tea is a little more down-to-earth and wild tasting than other Korean teas. An admired characteristic of the master Korean tea maker, Yun Suk Cho.
Ingredients:
Dae Jak Green Tea (Hwagae Valley, Hadong, Korea).
