''Doncha'' (), also called ''jeoncha'' (), is a coin-shaped post-fermented tea produced in Korea. The tea has been called ''cheongtae-jeon'' () in the

Jangheung Jangheung County (''Jangheung-gun'') is a county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Slow city In 2007 Jangheung was designated as a slow city. It was the first slow city designation in Asia. Spot for filming ''Festival'' (1996) was filmed ...

region in

South Jeolla Province South Jeolla Province (; ''Jeollanam-do''; ), also known as Jeonnam, is a province of South Korea. South Jeolla has a population of 1,902,324 (2014) and has a geographic area of located in the Honam region at the southwestern tip of the Korean ...

History

The history of ''doncha'' dates back to the era of

Later Silla Unified Silla, or Late Silla (, ), is the name often applied to the Korean kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, after 668 CE. In the 7th century, a Silla–Tang alliance conquered Baekje and the southern part of Goguryeo in the ...

, when Borimsa (Borim temple) was founded. The

region in

, where the temple is located, was the hub of Korean tea culture during the

Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificat ...

and Joseon dynasties. 13 out of 19 ''daso'' (tea place) in Goryeo were located in the region.

Processing

Tea leaves for ''doncha'' are hand-picked in May, from the tea plants that grow wild somewhere on the southern coast of the Korean peninsula. Although roasting is the most common method of tea processing in Korea, ''doncha'' processing starts with steaming the tea leaves. Twelve hours after the harvest, tea leaves are steamed in a ''

gamasot ''Gamasot'' (), or simply ''sot'' (), is a big, heavy pot or cauldron used for Korean cooking. Origin The origins of the ‘sot’ originate in the "Chung" which is made of bronze. Researchers have speculated that copper would be easier to ha ...

'', a traditional cauldron. Steamed leaves are then pounded in a ''

jeolgu ''Jeolgu'' () and ''gongi'' () are a type of traditional Korean mortar and pestle set, used for pounding grains or ''tteok'' (rice cake). They can be made with timber, stone, or iron. ''Jeolgu'' is a bowl-shaped vessel in which grains or ''tteok'' ...

'', a traditional mortar, or a '' maetdol'', a traditional millstone. the tea is then shaped into round lumps and sun-dried. Once dried, a hole is made in the center of each lump of tea and they attain the characteristic shape of ''

yeopjeon A ''yeopjeon'' (Hangul: 엽전; Hanja: 葉錢; "leaf coin") was a Korean brass coin with a square cut out which was first issued in 1678 and continued until the final years of the Chosun Dynasty. New history of Korea - Page 516 Hyŏn-hŭi Yi, S ...

'' (coin) from which their name is derived. The tea is then fermented for at least six months as aging helps to develop an enriched flavor and aroma, though sometimes fermentation can last for over twenty years.

Preparation

A lump of ''doncha'', about , can be steeped in of hot water for five to ten minutes. The tea lump is often roasted on both sides over low heat before consumption. Roasting helps with sterilization of the tea leaves, as well as the development of a unique aroma and flavor. ''Doncha'' retains its aroma and flavor after re-steeping three to four times.

Use in traditional medicine

traditional Korean medicine Traditional Korean medicine (known in North Korea as Koryo medicine) refers to the forms of traditional medicine practiced in Korea. History Korean medicine traditions originated in ancient and prehistoric times and can be traced back as far a ...

the tea was thought to help alleviate mild symptoms such as stomach ache, aid

detoxification Detoxification or detoxication (detox for short) is the physiological or medicinal removal of toxic substances from a living organism, including the human body, which is mainly carried out by the liver. Additionally, it can refer to the period of ...

, reduce

fever Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a temperature above the normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature set point. There is not a single agreed-upon upper limit for normal temperature with sources using val ...

, prevent

constipation Constipation is a bowel dysfunction that makes bowel movements infrequent or hard to pass. The stool is often hard and dry. Other symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, and feeling as if one has not completely passed the bowel movement ...

, and help manage

cold Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute thermodynamic ...

symptoms.

References

{{Teas Fermented tea Korean tea