A growing number of consumers want less coffee, and more cravings for a cup of tea that is beneficial to wellbeing. While there are different types of tea, has selected green tea, yuja tea, and omija tea as representative teas of Korea for wellness. The reason lies in the fact that these kinds are steadily loved for its brilliant health functions, thanks largely to an increasing global demand and attention, lately. We introduce flavorsome Korean tea that is good for fitness to domestic and foreign readers whose health awareness has climbed significantly due to COVID-19.

#Boseong green tea ‘Ocean Breeze’ enters the Amazon

Boseong, Jeollanam-do is called the capital of green tea. About 35% of Korean green tea is produced in the region. In particular, the ‘terraced green tea fields’ built along the contours without damaging the natural landscape is one of the characteristics of Boseong green tea, which is greatly distinguished from other regions. The green tea farm is a popular tourist destination where about 7 million people visit each year.

Targeting the U.S. and European consumers, a new Boseong green tea brand called ‘Ocean Breeze’ has been developed, which has entered the global tea market in earnest. Grown under the ocean-enriched breeze, Ocean Breeze has sophisticated flavor where blended green tea-based taste captures the Western consumers alongside the trendy label and product packaging. Undoubtedly, Ocean Breeze ranked first in the new tea product category in the Amazon.

Cho Hyun-gon, CEO of Dadorak CO,. LTD., who participated in the creation of Ocean Breeze, said, “The terraced green tea fields have the advantage of good drainage and are mostly produced organically. Green tea fields along the sea are not common in the world, but Boseong adds the extra flavor of green tea as the sea breeze causes the drastic daily temperature range.”

Boseong-gun plans to enter the premium organic market based on USDA certification, while adding more products such as powdered green tea and blended black tea. An Official from Boseong-gun said, “The catechin in green tea is good for preventing diabetes, high blood pressure, and aging, so the trend of mixing powdered green tea to various foods, such as in milk, is prevalent.”

#Why should you drink green tea?

Green tea is rich in catechins and vitamin C, which prevents obesity, diabetes, and cancer, and is widely known for its excellent efficacy in skin care. A research team at the University of Basel in Switzerland reported that green tea affects cognitive function in memory span dementia prevention. A Japanese research team also found that people who drink green tea on a daily basis have only one third of the incidence of dementia than those who don’t.

#Sold out in one minute, yuja tea fever in China

In May, the influencer ‘Li Jiaqi’ held a promotional event of Korean yuja tea on a live mobile broadcast. In just about a minute after the start of the show, 52,173 bottles of Korean yuja tea hit a complete sold-out, which is worth of KRW 600 million. Besides, the live show was joined by over 10 million people on this day.

Yuja tea is enjoying its exponential popularity in China as the country has a custom of considering yellow(golden color) as a symbol of wealth. That, yuja tea is often called as ‘golden tea’ in China. Female consumers are particularly attracted to yuja tea due to sweet taste and good skin care function.

The Caffe Bene, a Korean coffee chain, recently opened its outlets in the Philippines, surpassing USD 1 million in yuja tea exports. The company elaborated that the business has been favorable by developing yuja ginger tea as a local exclusive product, which is known to help strengthen immunity in accordance with the era of COVID-19.

Yuja tea is made by soaking yuja in sugar or honey to produce yujacheong. In winter, it is infused in hot water for a cup of tea, while it is brewed in cooling water to enjoy a fresh fragrance. The popularity of yuja is gradually increasing in the overseas market for its taste and aroma better than that of lemon or calamansi. The content of vitamin C and citric acid makes it a remarkable wellness fruit.

Song Jae-chul, the president of the Eden Food Farmer Association, said, “Yuja is a citron variety which can replace lemon, and it has tremendous potential worldwide.”

#Why should you drink yuja tea?

The biggest charm of yuja tea is its beautiful yellow color along with sweet and sour taste. Here, vitamin C is more than three times that of lemon, so it has a good effect on cold and skin care. The medicine community actively promoted the ‘a cup of yuja tea a day’ campaign to locals to prevent the viral flu. It is also known to contain a lot of organic acids that are greate for anti-aging and fatigue recovery.

#Five flavors of healthy drink, omija tea

Omija is a mysterious fruit which can taste all of the sourness, sweetness, bitterness, saltiness and pungency. In oriental medicine, it is mainly used as a medicinal ingredient. In fact, omija is recognized as a health beneficial fruit to occupy the top production of medicinal crops in Korea.

As a result, omija tea is globally promoted as a functional drink with five flavors. It is also a great thirst-quenching fruit especially popular in the hot summer.

Omija is mainly produced in Korea, China, and Japan, and the culture of drinking omija tea is shared only by these countries, so it may be unfamiliar to other cultures. As its unique taste and health function are accentuated, the popularity is escalating.

In Korea, omija is mainly cultivated in Mungyeong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, which is considered as the best place for production due to its high humidity and easy drainage. Mungyeong Omija is registered as a geographically marked agricultural product protected by a trademark under the geographical name.

Mungyeong Omija is receiving a decent response from overseas, such as launching a new menu at a local franchise cafe in Thailand. Mungyeong Omija Valley also signed an export contract of USD 300,000 with local buyers at the ‘2019 Jakarta K-FOOD Fair’ held last year.

Park Jong-rak, the president of Munkyeong Omija Valley CO., LTD. said, “After supplying Starbucks in 2016, we entered Southeast Asian markets including Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. Currently, we are trading with European countries, such as France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, following the U.S. and Canada.”

#Why should you drink omija tea?

Omija is known as a fruit that protects the bronchi and increases immunity. In addition, it has the effect of inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, quenching thirst, and is excellent in recovering from fatigue. Recently, omija is attracting attention as the fact that improving muscles and bone aging has been discovered. According to the results of an experiment with the Rural Development Administration, bone density increased 2-3 times, and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects were also confirmed in muscle cells.