A micro lot Korean tea tasting in Los Angeles
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure to attend a very special Korean tea tasting in the Arts District of Los Angeles. The tasting was held by Jessica Choi at The Good Liver, a curated home good store I had heard about but I had not yet been to.
A micro lot Korean tea tasting in Los Angeles. The Tea Squirrel Blog
The store has a counter dedicated to tea tastings and I had originally heard about it because they stock Kettl tea, purveyor of Japanese teas based in Brooklyn.
The tasting focused entirely on artisanal Korean teas from a sustainable micro garden located on the foothills of Chilgap Mountain in Cheongyang County, South Korea. The tea farmer is Jessica’s teacher.
The tasting was limited to 5 people per session and lasted approximately 2 hours. A beautiful example of traditional Korean patchwork was hanging from the shelves behind the counter. The teaware used by Jessica to brew and serve her teas was handcrafted.
The first “tea” (tisane) was Maengmundong-cha, also known as liriope tuber tea, which was served chilled. I had never had it and I was blown away by its smell of freshly baked butter cookies. So aromatic despite being cold! The tubers look a bit like goji berries in size and shape but they’re light brown in color. Maengmundong-cha is used in traditional Korean medicine to treat a sore throat and cough. Jessica explained that liriope tubers undergo a short fermentation followed by a double roasting. Her tasting notes were ginseng, kettle corn, and taro. I could definitely get sweet and roasted notes. So refreshing yet comforting!
Maengmundong-cha, also known as liriope tuber tea. A micro lot Korean tea tasting in Los Angeles
The second tea was a 2019 second flush green tea (Dumul Deokkeum-cha). This green tea was handcrafted and triple roasted in an iron caldron. Jessica cooled down some boiling water to 150 F (65 C) before brewing it. It reminded me a lot of a Chinese long jing.
Second flush green tea. A micro lot Korean tea tasting in Los Angeles
Second flush green tea. A micro lot Korean tea tasting in Los Angeles
Second flush green tea. A micro lot Korean tea tasting in Los Angeles
Second flush green tea. A micro lot Korean tea tasting in Los Angeles
Jessica served 2 homemade dasik (traditional Korean sweets) she made herself. One was made of rice mixed with Korean powdered green tea and was topped with jujube and pine nut and the second was made of pine pollen and acacia honey. They were both delightful with just a touch of sweetness and I totally enjoy complexity of flavor over plain sweetness.
Homemade dasik (traditional Korean sweets). A micro lot Korean tea tasting in Los Angeles
Homemade dasik (traditional Korean sweets). A micro lot Korean tea tasting in Los Angeles
Next up was a 2019 Balhyo-cha, aka fermented tea unique to Korea. Processing varies but an essential step is covering the leaves with a cloth to allow re-absorption of their own aromatics, which is somewhat similar to the step used in China to make yellow tea. This balhyo-cha underwent a prolonged triple oxidation-fermentation process, which to me resulted in chocolate-y, sweet and floral notes, reminiscent of the flavor profile of a golden monkey red tea (Jin Hou) from Fujian province, China.
Balhyo-cha, aka fermented tea. A micro lot Korean tea tasting in Los Angeles
Balhyo-cha, aka fermented tea. A micro lot Korean tea tasting in Los Angeles
Balhyo-cha, aka fermented tea. A micro lot Korean tea tasting in Los Angeles
Attendees were invited to try their hand at brewing tea, which I found very engaging.
Last but not least, we were served a 2013 Hubalhyosan-cha (post-fermented loose leaf tea). This tea has a similar processing method as the previous one, but does not undergo any sort of firing, which allows microbial activity to continue. It is therefore comparable to puerh / dark tea and can be aged too. Earthy, complex, spicy and woodsy, this was my favorite tea of the whole tasting.
Hubalhyosan-cha. A micro lot Korean tea tasting in Los Angeles
Hubalhyosan-cha. A micro lot Korean tea tasting in Los Angeles
A micro lot Korean tea tasting in Los Angeles
Hubalhyosan-cha. A micro lot Korean tea tasting in Los Angeles
Overall, I think that the tasting was memorable, informative and engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only thing I would change would be providing some seating (even stools would be enough) for attendees. We were standing for two hours and I think seating would have made the experience even more enjoyable.
Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion. I was not paid to mention businesses, brands or services. I paid for the tasting fee with my own money.
