Comparing Two Balhyocha 발효차 from Hwagae-myeon 화개면, by La finestra sul tè

I am temporarily back in Italy, away from my tea and teaware. On the upside, I took the chance to visit a dear friend and mentor in tea: Nicoletta Tul, owner of La finestra sul tè in Padua – former Venetian Studio at the centre of the events of The Taming of The Shrew – and partake in her most recent orders from Táiwān and South Korea. The latter shipment consisted of an especially compelling and lively bunch of teas. So-called by their producer with the common names of woojeon 우전, sejak 세작 and jungjak 중작, they were actually harvested in an interval of only one week of difference, starting from April 5th 2021, in Hwagae-myeon 화개면, part of Hadong county 하동군. They could perhaps all be considered just different variations on the same woojeon flush. Among these three exquisite green Korean classics, a mysterious gem from the same producer found its way to me: a balhyocha 발효차, harvested in the same spring. Soon after receiving this treasure, I remembered I still had a few grams left from a possibly even more special 2018 balhyocha picked from the same terroir and acquired from Nicoletta two years ago, that had undergone a year of a peculiar cold ageing inside cedar crates. Hence I decided to compare the two. I shall attempt to recount the experience.

Hwagae-myeon 화개면 is the northernmost administrative division of Hadong-gun 하동군. «Surrounded by Jiri Mountain [Jirisan 지리산], the total area of Hwagae-myeon is composed of mountainous regions 100~1,000m high ».¹ Environmental conditions in this area are almost ideal for tea growth: relative humidity tends to be around or higher than 90% throughout the year, with temperatures ranging from -4,4 to 32,7°C and an average of 14,3 °C. Yearly precipitations are around 1,711 mm high and the average pH of the soil is about 4,6-4,8.¹ No wonder this is the oldest and largest tea production area in South Korea.

In 2017 the administrative office of Hadong county petitioned FAO / UN for the “Traditional Hadong Tea Agrosystem in Hwagae-myeon” to become a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), and was accepted.¹ Their proposal is a rich source of information on the variables that make their teas so unique:

«Thanks to its particularly favourable environment to grow tea plants, Hwagae-myeon alone produces 20% of the nation’s total tea production. As it is a mountainous region, tea fields are located 220 m above sea level on slopes of 10-40˚ facing south in the silty loam of pH 4.6 acidity and low clay composition. Moreover, the cold wind in winter is blocked by Jiri Mountain and its steep mountain pass while the warm wind blows in from Seomjin River [섬진강] and the South Sea, resulting in less frost and early budding of tea leaves. The daily temperature range is quite big at 15.4°C and the abundant water of Seomjin River and Hwagae Stream [화개천] provide a long period of foggy days. The wet fog formed along the Hwagae Stream flowing from north to south cools the heat of the earth and keep the soil moist, providing the optimal condition to grow tea. Moreover, bamboo and other plants growing along with tea plants control sunlight exposure and contribute to the production of high-quality tea. Recognizing such climatic conditions, the residents of Hwagae cultivate and manage tea through natural agricultural methods that do not harm the ecosystem. As a result, the tea fields around Hwagae Stream and the foot of the mountain exist in harmony with the surrounding natural environment, maintaining excellent biodiversity.»¹

«It is a nature friendly agricultural system and manages the land with minimum human intervention in symbiosis with nature. Instead of using artificial fertilizers to manage the soil and tea trees, residents of Hwagae used pulbibae [풀비배], the region’s traditional natural compost made of the by products from the adjacent oak forests and the branches and old leaves gained during gaengsin [갱신] (the region’s unique pruning process) in fall. Furthermore, they also prevented the damage to the tea leaves from harmful insects by maintaining the weeds on the lower part of the tea tree without cutting them. In traditional tea fields in particular, various kinds of fruit trees (chestnut trees, apricot trees, etc.) and forest products are grown along with the tea trees. They helped to control the sunlight and maintain the soil’s composition and fertile ground. This contributes to the production of traditional tea leaves with various tastes in even a single field.»¹

«Traditional tea fields serve as an ecological axis which connects the habitats of various animals and plants living in or around Jiri Mountain, both as an accommodator and supplier of the species. Traditional tea fields of Hwagae-myeon is different from that of China and Japan. Tea fields together with other trees, crops and plants consist of a colony of lush vegetation carpeting over rocks on the rocky slopes. Its diversity is so evident in the different scenery the system offers every season. The locals cultivate other crops in traditional tea fields as well as another important means of living for the residents and contributing to enhancing agrobiodiversity of the system.»¹

The fertile terroir of Jirisan 지리산 made it one of the first places where tea was cultivated in Korea. Ssanggyesa 쌍계사 temple, dating back to 722, is at the centre of those events, and the first tea trees were planted all around it, imported from China. Because of this, «Hwagae has Korea’s oldest tea tree as well as the First Tea Farm».¹ When we think that most tea in South Korea is made from plants closely related with the Japanese Yabukita やぶきた cultivar and with some Japanese zairai 在来 imported relatively recently, it is easy to realize that the genetic of Hadong wild tea trees of Chinese origin is quite a distinctive feature within the country.^{5, 6} A few different versions exist of the story of the arrival of tea in the Korean peninsula.

«In the December of the third year of King Heungdeok’s reign (828 AD), an envoy was sent to the Tang Dynasty China to offer tributes. Emperor Wenzong of Tang received the envoy in the Royal Hall and held a banquet, granting the envoys with royal gifts according to their ranks. Kim Dae-ryeom, the envoy to Tang, came back with tea seeds, which the king ordered to plant near Jiri Mountain. Tea was present in our country since the day of Queen Seondeok, the 27th monarch or Silla, but this is when it truly became prevalent.»¹

«According to tradition, the tea plant was introduced from China into Korea during the Kaya Dynasty by Empress Heo in 48 A.D. but there is not sufficient historical evidence to support this. According to Korean historical records, Daryum, who was an envoy of the Silla Dynasty, introduced tea seeds from China to Sankuksaki in 828 A.D. The king of Hungduk ordered the cultivation of the seeds on Mt. Jiri. However, historical records indicate the use of tea in Silla long before 828 A.D. Tea culture saw prosperity in the early era of the Silla (57 B.C. – 935 A.D.) and the Goryeo (918 – 1392) Dynasties. Entering the Joseon Dynasty (1392 – 1910), it was oppressed by the policy of anti-Buddhism and pro-Confucianism. However, it has survived even though it has encountered many difficulties such as excessive tea taxation, lack of interest from the court or the government, severe cold, inferior black tea goods scandals and competition from the alcohol and coffee industries. The Korean tea culture also survived during the Japanese imperialist rule (1910 – 1945) and the National Liberation and the events thereafter.»⁷

Much has also been written on the subject of what is Korean hwangcha 황차 / balhyocha 발효차, and about its tendency to resist classification within the modern Chinese categories. For example, from the point of view of fermentation / oxydation / enzymatic browning, that is to say, “balhyo 발효”:

«Korean tea producers typically ferment their ‘hwangcha’ balhyochas between 50% and 85%. However, you will find Korean balhyocha’s fermented at all percentages between 15% to 100% depending on the producer. »³

Balhyocha can in fact also be classified as a bubun-balhyocha 부분발효차, partially fermented tea, when oxidation is minimal; as a ban-balhyocha 반 발효차, semi-fermented tea, when oxidation is around 60%; finally, as a wanjeon-balhyocha 완전발효차, ‘perfectly’ fermented tea, when its oxidation equals that of red teas (around 85% and above).³

The production of Korean hwangcha 황차 was made famous during Joseon dynasty 대조선국 • 大朝鮮國 by the scholar Jeong Yakyong 정약용 • 丁若鏞 (1762–1836), often simply known as ‘Dasan’ 茶山, the mountain of tea. Nokcha 녹차, green tea (also bul-balhyocha 불 발효차, non-fermented tea), being the most renown and sought-after Korean tea, for centuries balhyocha was mainly made and consumed at home by tea producing families, often for medicinal purposes.⁴

Not being able at the moment to produce my water recipes, to brew these two Korean teas I have used the perfectly balanced original Sant’Anna.

The first balhyocha I am tasting has been harvested on April 20th 2021, around the sejak flush, from wild Hwagae-myeon bushes. The picking standard is that of the Jakseolcha 작설차, the Korean hand-made wild tea: 1 bud, 2 leaves. An orthodox processing technique for balhyocha production does not exists. Although, as was recently related by Nicoletta during the Nomad Tea Festival⁴, the processing of this particular 2021 balhyocha is much informing of its characteristics. A first indoor withering usually last the whole first night after the picking. In the morning, the leaves are moved and continue to wither outdoor. Then, depending on the weather and on the water content left in the leaves after this stage, a third stage of indoor withering may follow. When the leaves are pliable enough, they are ready to be shaped (rolled). Initially, soft pressure is applied to the circular movements, perhaps just a bit firmer than that usually received by green teas; after the leaf has released enough of its juices, it is allowed a period of enzymatic browning. Laves are then rolled again more vigorously, but still not as much as red teas are. Through rolling, the complex chemical products of the initial withering steps are allowed even redistribution within the leaf through water circulation, thus actively slowing and counterbalancing oxidation. It might seem like a stretch, but under this perspective, the function of these shaping & resting steps is not that dissimilar from that of the so called zuòqīng 做青 or yáoqīng 搖青 • 摇青 or làngchá 浪茶 or pèngqīng 碰青 [shaking] and liángqīng 晾青 [resting] steps that contribute to great deal of the magic of, e.g., Chinese Fènghuáng dāncóng 鳳凰單叢 • 凤凰单丛 and many other wūlóng teas (the actual rolling is róuniǎn 揉捻 in Chinese, but it is often used differently). That is important information, when thinking about the taxonomy of balhyocha. The last rolling phase is followed then by fixing (i.e. deactivation of the oxidative enzymes) through steam. This is achieved in multiple steps, allowing short periods of rest in between them. Finally, the leaves are dried on the wok (should we talk of roasting?), using temperatures not much higher than 100°C. For other balhyocha, sometimes a much longer and slightly colder drying can occur, on heated floors that are traditionally called ondol 온돌 • 溫堗.^{4, 9}

The resulting dry leaves of this tea are unevenly beautiful and shy; they quite clearly belong to the xiǎoyèzhòng 小葉種 • 小叶种 varieties. Their smoky dark brown appearance is freckled with many auburn details, revealing all of the charming heterogeneity of the hand-processing. The rolling is also made apparent by the tight knot that folds the curvy leaves longitudinally, slowly opening afterwards with the brews. The first infusion has a delicate golden colour that softly diffuses the light it catches; when mildly over-steeped, it is tinged with red notes and acquires a subtle oily opacity.

Amid the forward notes of this balhyocha, the dominants are especially revealing of the terroir of Hadong 하동군: a robust, lively and umami oily body that reminds me of scorching olive oil, steamed fragrant edamame beans, the juice of the bell pepper and white sesame.

In a close second moment, a woody presence makes its way to the palate, revealing tones of bark and cork and through retro-nasal return, hints of the sweet sap of the birch tree. Behind these, undertones of leather and the mellowness of the stewed shiitake mushroom complicate the texture. In the bitter spectrum, the flavour of the cacao bean is the main character. The final roasting is said to play a key role in enhancing these notes.⁴ Interestingly enough, as I try to focus on the dark chocolate, that note almost evolves into a spiciness recalling white pepper.

Meanwhile, a background component slowly moves to the front, and a contrasting acidity resonates with the rest, completing it. It is a very interesting, rare sourness for a tea, but not at all disturbing. It puzzled me for a while. At the second infusion, I had to make quite an effort in order to isolate and describe it: the only thing I know that somehow compares is the Asturian sidra, that is connected with many happy memories I hold of my years in Oviedo and the north of Spain. This atavistic kind of cider dates back at least two millennia in this region, as witnessed by Greek geographer Strabo in 60 BC. It is a pre-industrial, ancestral beverage, chemically non-stabilised and thus nothing like a modern cider. As proof of that, the way it is consumed: el escanciado. The sidra has to be poured in a special kind of flat-bottomed glass from a high distance: it is quite impressive to see waiters holding with one arm the bottle high over their head, and with the other, the glass as far down as they can; then instinctively hitting the target with the liquid every time, not even needing to look at it. As entertaining as this can be, it is not just for show. This ritual is actually aimed at volatilizing as much as possible of the acetic acid naturally present in the drink, and at improving the organoleptic and refreshing properties of the cider by incorporation of a small amount of carbon dioxide.^{13, 14} The Asturian sidra feels really alive in the mouth, and this kind of raw, lively, unusual sensation finds its way among the splendid richness of this balhyocha 발효차.

The finish and the persistence on the palate of this tea do not disappoint: lengthy, complex and delightful. A long-lasting citrus note that recalls bergamot lingers on the tongue, while tones of eucalyptus honey, young Allium tuberosum shoots and sage timidly start creeping on the back-sides of the mouth, enhancing the “bitter spiciness” of the cocoa. There is a distinct, enjoyable pungency to this tea that I rarely encountered before.

The second balhyocha has been harvested in the woojeon flush of 2018 and processed by a different and very unique family of producers. The picking is also 1 bud and 2 leaves, taken from old wild shrubs located at around 800 metres above sea level. Nicoletta purchased this tea directly from them in 2019 when travelling through Korea. Their trees are mostly cuttings taken long ago from the ancient trees tended by the monks in Ssanggyesa 쌍계사 temple. The unique characteristic of this tea, and the most apparent difference with the previous one, is that this balhyocha has been aged for a year inside wooden crates made of cedar, stored inside a cool cellar. Cold temperatures of various intensities have been used for centuries for ageing tea, and more recently they are applied for processing as well. Japanese kuradashi 蔵出し comes to mind first, an ancient custom that inspired many modern techniques of skipping the summer heat and ageing tea in modern Japan; today, the temperatures sometimes reach -30°C. Then I can think about the milder temperatures used for the tuōsuān 拖酸 processing style of Ānxī tiěguānyīn 安溪鐵觀音 • 安溪铁观音 teas (which strongly disagree with me). The family that produced this balhyocha has been cultivating tea for 8 generations, and it might have been one of the first to manufacture this peculiar category. Two generations ago, the grandfather of the current owner supposedly developed their signature ageing method of the cool wooden storage. To this day I regret much not having ordered from Nicoletta the brother of this tea as well, that had been aged inside crates made of bamboo instead. At the time, in 2019, luckily I had the chance to sample it during an evening tasting at La finestra sul tè, but I can honestly only recall that it was a tad more fragrant and balsamic.

The dry leaves are bigger, slightly darker and more tightly rolled than those of the one I brewed before. The coppery details are also more scarce. It must be noted that there were only 8 grams left in the sachet, so fragments and broken pieces are more frequent. To make it worse, I forgot to take a picture of the leaves I used for brewing so in the photo you can see the last couple of remaining grams that is the very bottom of the bag. But what I am writing should be apparent enough. The first infusion has a saturated amber colour with delicate red reflections, and becomes properly red amber when I slightly over-steep the tea.

The first impact of this balhyocha is similar to that of the previous one: a reactive and mineral high quality olive oil essence, recalling of the Mediterranean. With time – in a comparison with the 2021’s – notes of pulses and sapid vegetables have become mellower and thicker, and even more umami: fresh soybeans have become cannellini beans, the lively bell pepper juice is now the pulp of the roasted padrón peppers (but it becomes fresher again with the following brews). However, these notes are smoothed by a starchy flavour and by a texture that remind me of the skin of the sweet potato: I guess both may be attributable to the tiny buds that are present among the leaves.

Of course, in the two years passed after its wooden ageing – despite my best efforts in preserving it – many volatile notes I recall it had, have unfortunately faded away. Still, in the vapours coming off the hot teapot, a lovely, intense freesia fills the nose, supported by laurel and a peppery spiciness, and again the sweet sap of the birch tree. Except for a distinct fruity plum note, that was not present in the previous tea, I can only find echoes of these aromas in the brews.

The bitterness here arrives later, probably mellowed by time. On top of the cocoa bean, a quinine flavour defuses its sharpness. There is a rebound of bitter notes, however, in the very long final, that recalls the skin of the cucumber. The persistence of this tea is even more complex than that of its already intricate 2021 distant cousin. The mellow sweetness of ageing has the pasty quality of the dried fig and the liveliness of dried tomatoes. Later on, at the third and fourth infusions, the vegetal of the cucumber evolves into a sourness that again reminds me of Asturian sidra.

I have been researching these teas for a few days, brewing them with different parameters and drinking them under different conditions, while I carry on with my busy schedule in this summer-stricken 3000 years old town, the unbearable humidity of which reminds me a little of the places of tea. I have been waiting for them to reach me, trying to discern their logic, their inner significance, their mood. And yet I cannot entirely say that they did reveal themselves to me. They retain, I am happy to write, beautifully the excitement of a new experience. Both these balhyocha have a warming nature, that I can only ascribe in my mind to the oily richness typical of the terroir of Hwagae-myeon and Jirisan, but please do not take my word for it. Their qì 氣 • 气 is light and fuzzy, permeating, as it goes at the same time up to the temples and down the back and the chest.

To find some inspiration, and hoping for serendipity, I have been reading the occasional traditional Korean poem while brewing (unfortunately in translation). Two of them impressed me particularly; seemed to me as one of them was almost talking about the self-sufficient, aloof [agro-, bio-] diversity of Hwagae-myeon, that seems virtually uncaring of modern tea agriculture and of the passing of time, like a survived island from an age long past. The other, it was talking to me more directly, suggesting words to describe how it feels being back in Italy after the lockdowns and the many changes of the last year and a half.

THANKS

Many thanks to Nicoletta Tul for always helping me to find new ways to reframe my impermanent Weltanschauung of tea, and for providing to me patiently and generously the key information to understand the unique leaves she finds all over Asia. Another special delight of being back in Italy is the chance to visit my dear chárén Andrea Ghion, whose help in deciphering these teas has been an indispensable gift.

REFERENCES

1. Traditional Hadong Tea Agrosystem in Hwagae-myeon; GIAHS PROPOSAL, 2017 – Hadong County Administrative Office
   • Traditional Hadong Tea Agrosystem in Hwagae-myeon – Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
2. Song, Y. S., & Park, K. H. (2017). Jiri Mountain, Korea: A window into the deep crust. The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea, 26(4), 385-398.
3. Balhyocha Revisited: Embracing Korean Tea Terms – Tea at Morning Crane Tea
4. Balhyocha – Nicoletta Tul, La Finestra Sul Te’ – Nomad Tea Festival Korea 2021 – YouTube
5. Ikeda, N., & Park, Y. G. (2002). Morphological characteristics of Korean wild tea populations. Breeding Research (Japan).
6. Park, Y. G. (2001). Study on the origin and the transmission of Japanese and Korean tea plants. 1. The morphological and genetic variation. J. Kor. Tea Soc., 7(1), 143-161. [in Japanese]
7. Chen, L., Apostolides, Z., & Chen, Z. M. (Eds.). (2013). Global tea breeding: achievements, challenges and perspectives. Springer Science & Business Media.
8. Hadong – thousand years of tea – Klasek Tea Blog, Klasek Tea
9. What Exactly Is Korean Balhyocha (Paryo cha)? – MattCha’s Blog
   • Part 1- An Introduction To Balhyocha and Some Problems With Translation
   • Part 2- A Detailed Look At The Production of This Uniquely Korean Tea
   • Part 3- How Do We Classify Balhyocha? Is It Red, Black, White, Yellow, Or Oolong Tea?
10. Boseong Sejak Hwangcha | Korean Balhyocha – Curious Tea
11. Mr. Cho’s Korean Balhyocha 2021 – Spirit Tea
12. South Korean Balhyocha & Hwangcha – Tea Epicure
13. Escanciáu – Wikipedia
14. Cider – Wikipedia
15. Lee, P. H. (2002). The Columbia Anthology of Traditional Korean Poetry. United Kingdom: Columbia University Press.