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A Glimpse Into the Korean Tea Ceremony
One warm Friday night in July, the Teance loft was transformed into a
gathering for a traditional Korean tea ceremony called "Darye". Bamboo
mats were spread, and guests removed their shoes before entering, but
it was tea master Yoon Hee Kim's graceful demonstration that made the
atmosphere special.
Wearing a traditional hanbok, Ms. Kim performed a form of the ceremony
called "SaengHwal Darye" the Everyday Tea Rite. While
this "everyday" ceremony may be shorter and more casual than other
versions of the Korean tea ceremony-which can last up to several
hours-the name belies the great skill and care that are required in
every step.
Tea culture in Korea has a rich 2,000-year history, yet few outside Korea are familiar with its unique traditions. Tea was first introduced via China, by way of an Indian princess that came to Korea to marry a king, but it was soon discovered that indigenous tea plants were already growing in the country. Toward the mid-Three Kingdoms period, emissaries to China's Tang Dynasty brought back tea seeds, which were planted on Mount Jiri by royal decree. Under the Unified Shilla Dynasty, Korea's tea culture began to blossom further.
As Buddhism became ensconced as the national religion - with tea the monks' favored drink - tea culture flourished in Korea, expanding from the royal court, Buddhist monks and scholars to the literati and the public at large.
Foreign invasions, internal politics, and colonial rule often hampered the ongoing development and enjoyment of Korea's tea culture, at times relegating it to the background. Only after Korea
began to rebuild after the devastations of colonial rule and war in the
late 1960s were dedicated tea masters able to unite to revive it. At
present time, the reinvigorated tea culture and industry has had an
important and dynamic impact on Korea's modern day tea drinking - and on the nation's overall cultural landscape as well.
For the ceremony at Teance, Ms. Kim prepared a whole leaf green tea harvested in Korea
during the early spring plucking. The tea is called "sparrow's tongue"
because the delicate tea buds are so small. The jade green
liquid yielded a roasted chestnut flavor, vegetal and smooth, with a
lingering sweetness.
The tea server must be in tune with his or her environment to prepare
the perfect cup of tea. "Nature will speak to you," Ms. Kim said. "It
has its own story and attributes that affect the tea." When color,
fragrance, and taste are all in harmony, the tea can be best enjoyed.
Two hours spent with a Korean tea master were just enough to provide a
glimpse into intricate art and philosophy of the Korean tea ceremony.
But for all who attended, certainly color, fragrance, and taste were in
harmony on that evening.
Links:
Korean teas available at Teance:
Teuk Seon Green Tea
Jeong Seon Green Tea
>>Friday Night Tea Class Series
The
utensils used in the Korean Tea Ceremony included a water discard bowl
"TweSooGi", a hot water cooling bowl "Mul Sikkim SaBahl", a bamboo
scoop "Cha Chik", and a small round jar containing whole leaf Korean
green tea "Cha Ho".
Colorful hanboks make a unique sighting at Teance's teabar.
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