Origin
Oksusu-cha is the roasted maize tea of the Korean household, made from the dried kernels of maize, Zea mays, a crop that reached the peninsula from the Americas and was long grown in the upland fields of Gangwon and the northern provinces. It belongs to the family of grain teas, with boricha and hyeonmi-cha, which are infusions of roasted cereal rather than of the tea plant. It is carried by the ordinary Korean kitchen, where a pot of it stands in place of water at the table.
Description
The tea is an infusion of dried maize kernels, roasted until deep golden brown and sometimes dark at the edges, then simmered or steeped in water. The liquor is pale amber to straw gold, clear, and free of bitterness or tannin because no tea leaf is involved. Kernels are used whole; the roasted grain may be bought ready-made or toasted at home in a dry pan. It is served hot in the cold months and chilled in summer, and the boiled kernels are not eaten.
The Thread
Flavour Context
Oksusu-cha is drunk alongside meals of rice, grilled meat and heavily seasoned banchan, and it is served after them as well. Its clear, faintly sweet and toasted character cleanses the palate without the tannin of green tea, which would clash with chilli, garlic and fermented sauces. It is also given to children and drunk at any hour because it carries no caffeine.