Hyeonmi-cha (현미차)

Hyeonmi-cha is the tea of roasted brown rice, one of the grain infusions that belong to the Korean household table beside barley tea and corn tea. It grows out of the rice-farming economy of the peninsula, where the grain that fed the household also supplied the kettle, and it is made in home kitchens rather than belonging to any single region or house. It stands in the tradition of the plain, caffeine-free infusions served in place of water.

Hyeonmi-cha is made from hyeonmi (현미), unpolished brown rice of the species Oryza sativa, whose bran layer is left on the kernel. The whole grains are dry-roasted until they turn from pale tan to a deep golden brown and a few kernels split or puff, then steeped or simmered in water. The infusion is clear, pale amber to light brown, with a toasted-grain fragrance. It is served hot or chilled, without sugar or milk.

Hyeonmi-cha is drunk through the meal in place of water, and afterwards to close it, alongside rice, grilled fish, jjigae and kimchi. Its toasted, faintly sweet roundness carries no tannin and no bitterness to compete with fermented and chilli-bearing dishes, so it refreshes the palate between mouthfuls and settles the richness of the table. Served cold in summer, it takes the place of a sweetened drink.