The "Daehan Tea Garden"

It is the continuous bumping of the bus on the uneven road that draws my attention with every meter to what is passing by outside the windows. Fields as wide as the sky, reflected in delicate shades of green in the glass of the windows, drawing the silhouettes of the clouds with every meter I travel. My destination? The Boseong green tea plantation, also known as the "Daehan Tea Garden".

My journey takes me to Boseong (보성군), a district in the southern province of South Jeolla, which is known for growing high-quality green tea and accounts for around 40 percent of the green tea produced in South Korea.

Good to know:
According to the literature, the cultivation of tea in Korea began during the Silla era between 57 years before and 935 years after our era. In the Goryeo Dynasty, tea was primarily cultivated in Buddhist temples and palace courtyards. During the Joseon Dynasty, however, tea plants grew naturally in the Gyeongsang-do and Jeolla-do regions.

The "Daehan Tea Garden", once destroyed by the war in 1939, has been an official farm for tourists since 1994 and as such attracts people from all over the world. In addition to a splendid array of trees, plants and colorful flowers, the plantation is also home to a variety of animals.

With each step on the soft, gravel-covered ground, I approach the entrance to the plantation while being greeted by birdsong and breathing in the sweet, spicy air. The plantation is divided into five different areas, ranging from a bamboo forest, a maple forest, a cedar forest and a yew forest, connecting the tea garden with steps and paths.

The dark green tones of the cedar forest bathe the path to the main square in an eerie light. The tea fields stretch towards the sky on the mountain in front of me. The light of the sun intensifies the intense green of the tea plants, giving me the feeling that I am looking at a painting. Step by step, I climb the hill and admire the splendor of green tea plants unfolding before me, which have chosen the ideal place to thrive due to the temperature conditions in Boseong.

The tea produced in the "Daehan Tea Garden" is grown and harvested organically, which earned the plantation recognition as an "Organic Green Tea Plantation" in 2005. According to the plantation's information brochure, the ideal conditions for growing imperial tea include: 1. annual rainfall of 1500 mm or more; 2. soil with good air and water permeability; 3. cool climate; 4. a rich range of temperature; 5. high humidity due to nearby lakes, rivers or seas.

I can now not only see and understand, but also feel that the people from Korea speak of a special magic here as I gently stroke the leaves of the green tea plants. The plantation resembles an in-between place that seems to have little to do with everyday life and accompanies the people as they enjoy their daily tea. As I daydream and traverse all the paths and trails, I am already looking forward to a fresh cup of tea in the small teahouse on the main square.

Once I reach the top of the plantation, I am presented with a breathtaking view that I will probably never forget. The sea and sky stretch out into the distance, framing the mountain ridges and forests in front of me in a soft blue. The tea plantation resembles a woven carpet, intensified by the soft earth tones of the soil and tree trunks. The last sentence of the brochure reads: "Please cherish and love our Daehan Tea Garden like a beautiful painting." That's what I'm doing right now.

Back at the main square, where there are various cafés, a restaurant and a souvenir store, I enter the small tea house, which serves fresh green tea from the plantation. The tea served is the first harvest of the year, also known as "Woojeon Tea", which is particularly smooth and fresh in taste, but is only produced in small quantities.

In South Korea, tea leaves are only harvested three to four times a year, which determines the taste and quality of the tea. There are five different types of green tea in South Korea, which differ according to harvest time. "Woojeon Tea" is made from the first young tea leaves and is harvested before April. "Sejak is the most popular green tea and is harvested at the beginning of May. "Sejak" is also often referred to as "Jakseol", as the leaves resemble the tongue of a bird. "Jungjak" is characterized by a balanced taste and is harvested in mid-May. "Daejak" is produced from more mature tea leaves, which are harvested at the end of May. The last harvest is called "Yep Cha" and is produced from the fully ripened tea leaves between June and July - the time in Korea when drinking water was traditionally boiled.

It is a remarkable feeling to drink tea in the traditional Korean way, made directly from the leaves of the plantation I am on. After this experience, I move on through the paths of the tea garden and am already looking forward to the next day, which I will spend here again.

By the way: the tea leaves are not only used to make tea, but also food and sweets. I will report on this in the next episode.