Korean Traditional Teas: Yuja, Ssanghwa and Grain Teas Explained
· ppasong
A guide to Korea's traditional tea shelf, which looks nothing like a Western tea aisle.
Fruit preserve teas
Yuja tea is a citrus preserve you spoon into hot water rather than a dry tea. A 1 kg jar costs 8,000-15,000 KRW and makes 30-40 cups. The weight is the problem: a glass jar of preserve is close to 1.3 kg shipped. Stick-pack versions solve this at a slightly higher cost per serving.
Grain and root teas
Barley, corn silk and roasted brown rice teas come as tea bags in boxes of 40-100 for 5,000-12,000 KRW. They are caffeine-free, extremely light, and the default everyday drink in many Korean households. Per gram of shipping weight, this is the best value in the entire tea category.
Herbal decoction pouches
Ssanghwa and similar herbal blends are sold as ready-to-drink retort pouches or as concentrated liquid sticks. Pouches are heavy at 100 ml each; the stick concentrates achieve the same thing at a fifth of the weight and are the sensible import choice.
What to prioritize in a box
Tea bags and stick packs first, jars only if you specifically want the preserve texture. A tea order of 15-20 boxes of grain tea comes in around 2 kg and covers most of a year.
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Frequently asked
It is the Korean preparation of the same citrus, sold as a sweetened preserve rather than a dried tea.
Usually with proper cushioning, but a broken preserve jar ruins everything around it. Bagging the jar individually is essential.
Grain and fruit teas are caffeine-free. Herbal blends vary, so read the panel if that matters to you.