Country of Origin: South Korea
Leaf Appearance: small, dark, slightly twisted
Water Temperature: 208 degrees
Steep Time: 2 minutes
Preparation Method: glass infuser
Liquor: amber
When Tsering from Roots and Rituals reached out to send samples for review, I was excited because Korean teas are so underrepresented and underappreciated. Their commitment to working with and supporting small family-run farms is one that I definitely align with. The first tea that I’ll be reviewing from them is a black tea. It caught my eye because most oxidized teas that I’ve tried from South Korea are more like a Balhyocha. Roots and Rituals Hong Cha was produced on a sustainable farm in Boesong using hand-picked summer harvest leaves.
Leaf
The leaves of Roots and Rituals Hong Cha were small and dark with a slightly twisted shape. They were mostly whole, showing obvious care and skill in processing. They had a woody, sweet aroma that reminded me of the blackstrap molasses I use to bake gingerbread cookies. I prepared this tea in a glass infuser following Roots and Rituals’ recommended parameters of 208℉ water and an infusion time of 2 minutes. I kept the water temperature and time the same for subsequent infusions.
Liquor
Roots and Rituals Hong Cha brewed up an amber liquor. The taste was floral and sweet with notes of dark chocolate and figs. There was a hint of cinnamon in the finish. This tea isn’t roasted, but it almost has the same caramelized Maillard reaction taste that you get in hojicha. Subsequent infusions of this tea were softer and rounder but still retained the same tasty sweetness.
It had no bitterness or astringency, making it a great choice for those who don’t normally enjoy black teas. I have a couple more tea reviews from Roots and Rituals coming down the pipeline. I’m particularly looking forward to their Chong Tae Jeon. Korea’s fermented teas are very hard to find, so it has been many years since I had one.
Have you ever tried Roots and Rituals Hong Cha Black Tea? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Hong Cha Black Tea sample provided for review by Roots and Rituals.
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