Table of Contents
Jeju green tea is Korean green tea grown on Jeju Island, where volcanic soil, a mild maritime climate and clean air make the island Korea's main tea-growing region alongside Boseong and Hadong. OSULLOC has farmed tea there since 1979 on fields that are now organic. Korean green tea is typically pan-fired rather than steamed, so it tastes nuttier and softer than Japanese green tea. Brew it at 70°C for about 1.5 minutes.
Green tea is the reason OSULLOC exists, even though its flavored blends are what most people buy first. If you want to understand what a Jeju green tea is before you order one, this is the short version: where it grows, what the grade names on the tin mean, how it compares with the green teas you may already know, and which OSULLOC products are the real thing.
At Daebak, a Seoul-based Korean culture and product company, product details come from OSULLOC's product pages; the history comes from the brand's own account and from the sources listed at the end. For the brand overview, start with the OSULLOC Tea Guide.
Why Jeju
Jeju is a volcanic island off Korea's south coast. Its soil is dark, porous and mineral-rich, it rains more than the mainland, and winters are mild, which is the combination tea plants like. The island's tea fields were not natural, though. The land at Dolsongi that Amorepacific's founder Suh Sung-whan began clearing in 1979 was rock-covered and barren; it took years of removing stone before the first fields produced. Seogwang, the large field most visitors see, followed in the 1980s, and Hannam in 1995. Today the three Jeju fields are farmed organically, and the OSULLOC Tea Museum, opened in 2001 next to Seogwang, is one of the island's most visited places. We tell that story in Jeju Green Tea Culture. Amorepacific's own account of the brand confirms that 1979 start and adds that the fields now carry USDA-NOP and EU organic certifications.
Jeju is the youngest of Korea's three main tea regions. Tea has been grown on the mainland since the Silla period; the date usually given is 828, when King Heungdeok had tea planted on Jirisan, and the mountain's slopes in Hadong still hold a traditional tea-farming system that the UN Food and Agriculture Organization listed as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System in 2017. Boseong, in South Jeolla, is the biggest producer; a 2004 Korea JoongAng Daily guide to Korean green tea put it at about 40 percent of the country's output. Jeju's fields came last, planted on volcanic ground rather than mountain slopes, which is part of why OSULLOC's teas taste a little different from the mainland classics.
OSULLOC Organic Sejak Green Tea. See details.
What the grade names mean
Korean green tea is graded by when the leaves are picked in spring, counted from the traditional solar terms gogu (around 20 April) and ipha (around 5 May). The earlier the pick, the smaller and more tender the leaf, and the more delicate the tea; as the Korea JoongAng Daily's guide puts it, "The earlier the harvest, the more delicate the taste of the tea," and the cooler the water it wants.
| Grade | Korean | When picked | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ujeon | 우전 | Before Gogu, the solar term around 20 April | First flush; smallest buds, sweetest and most delicate |
| Sejak | 세작 | Late April to early May | Young leaves; balanced, nutty, the grade most people buy |
| Jungjak | 중작 | Mid May | Larger leaves; fuller, more robust |
| Daejak | 대작 | Later in the season | Mature, larger leaves; strongest, often used for everyday tea and blends |
OSULLOC sells Sejak as its signature unblended green tea: Organic Sejak Green Tea 40 g as loose leaf and Organic Sejak Green Tea in 20 tea bags. The brand describes it as first-harvest young leaves with toasty, nutty flavors.
Korean vs Japanese vs Chinese green tea
| Korean (Jeju, Boseong, Hadong) | Japanese (sencha, gyokuro) | Chinese (longjing, etc.) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How the leaf is fixed | Usually pan-fired, sometimes steamed | Steamed | Pan-fired |
| Typical taste | Nutty, toasty, gentle; sometimes a faint seaweed note | Grassy, marine, umami | Chestnut, sweet, smooth |
| Color of the brew | Pale yellow-green | Bright green | Pale yellow |
| Grades | Ujeon, Sejak, Jungjak, Daejak | Shincha, first flush, etc. | Pre-Qingming, pre-rain |
The Korea JoongAng Daily describes the difference the same way: Japanese green tea is steamed, while Korean tea makers roast the leaves, which gives a smoother, less pungent cup. The practical difference: if Japanese sencha tastes too grassy or bitter to you, Korean green tea is the gentler one to try. OSULLOC's Organic Pure Green Tea is described by the brand as soft and clean with subtle nutty and seaweed-like notes, which is a fair description of the Jeju style.
OSULLOC Organic Pure Green Tea. See details.
How to brew Jeju green tea
- Use water at about 70°C (158°F), not boiling. Boiling water scalds green tea and makes it bitter. Let a kettle sit for three to four minutes after boiling.
- Steep for about 1.5 minutes for a tea bag, or follow the tin for loose leaf (OSULLOC suggests 2 tablespoons of loose leaf for its blends).
- Loose leaf can be re-steeped two or three times; add 30 seconds each time.
- For iced tea, brew it normally and pour over ice, or cold-brew a bag in cold water for several hours.
Full temperatures and times for every OSULLOC type are in How to Brew OSULLOC Tea.
Which OSULLOC green tea to choose
- The classic: Organic Sejak Green Tea. If you buy one Jeju green tea, this is it; the loose-leaf 40 g tin is the gift version.
- Everyday: Organic Pure Green Tea, unblended, in paper tea bags.
- Floral: Wedding Green Tea, Jeju green tea with marigold and rose petals, which the brand brews at 90°C like a blend, and Jeju Orchid Green Tea, brewed as the pack directs.
- Matcha: Organic Premium Matcha Powder, from shade-grown Jeju leaves, for whisked tea, lattes and baking. There is also an Organic Green Tea Powder for drinks and cooking.
- Semi-fermented Jeju tea: not green tea, but the same fields. Jeju Volcanic Rock Tea is roasted at high temperature for a roasted-grain aroma; Organic Jeju Volcanic Oolong is crisp and toasty.
OSULLOC Organic Premium Matcha Powder. See details.
Green tea in Korean skincare
Jeju green tea is also the ingredient behind innisfree, Amorepacific's Jeju-themed skincare brand, which is why "green tea" and "Jeju" appear on so many Korean serums and cleansers. If that side interests you, Vitamin C in Korean Skincare includes innisfree's green tea vitamin C serum.
OSULLOC products in our shop are brand-shipped. For a seasonal mix of Korean snacks, drinks and goods chosen for you, the Daebak Box is a separate, curated option.
FAQ
What is special about Jeju green tea?
It grows in volcanic soil on an island with a mild, wet climate, on fields that OSULLOC farms organically. Like other Korean green teas it is usually pan-fired, giving a nutty, gentle taste.
What does Sejak mean?
A Korean green tea grade picked in late April to early May from young leaves. It is the grade OSULLOC sells as its signature unblended green tea.
Is Korean green tea different from Japanese green tea?
Yes. Korean green tea is usually pan-fired and tastes nuttier and softer; Japanese green tea is steamed and tastes grassier and more marine.
What temperature should I brew Jeju green tea at?
About 70°C (158°F) for 1.5 minutes. Boiling water makes it bitter.
Does OSULLOC make matcha?
Yes. Organic Premium Matcha Powder is made from shade-grown Jeju leaves, and there is also a green tea powder and instant matcha milk tea sticks.
This guide is part of the OSULLOC hub, which lists every Daebak guide on OSULLOC.
