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

South Jeolla Province South Jeolla Province (), formerly South Chŏlla Province, also known as Jeonnam (), is a province in the Honam, Honam region, South Korea, and the Provinces of Korea, southernmost province in mainland Korea. South Jeolla borders the provinces of ...

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 historical period of the Korean kingdom of Silla after its conquest of Goguryeo in 668 AD, which marked the end of the Three Kingdoms period. In the 7th century, a Silla–Tang all ...

, when

Borimsa Borimsa Temple ( or ) is one of the oldest Korean temples on Gaji mountain in Jangheung County, South Jeolla, South Korea. The temple holds great significance as the first Zen, Zen Buddhist temple during Unified Silla. Myth The great monk Wonpyo, ...

(Borim temple) was founded. The Jangheung region in

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

Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...

and

Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

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 (), or simply (), is a large, heavy pot or cauldron commonly used in Korean cuisine. Origin The modern Korean descends from the ancient ''jeong'' (鼎), which is made of bronze. Bronze ''sot'' are frequently unearthed as remains of the T ...

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

In traditional Korean medicine 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 o ...

, reduce

fever Fever or pyrexia in humans is a symptom of an anti-infection defense mechanism that appears with Human body temperature, body temperature exceeding the normal range caused by an increase in the body's temperature Human body temperature#Fever, s ...

, prevent

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

, and help manage

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

symptoms.

References

{{Teas Fermented tea Korean tea