Jae-Rae-Jong, Heritage Korean Seed-Grown Tea Trees

We Believe in Nature's Timeline

At Honam Tea Estates, the tea gardens owned and operated by Hankook Tea, we cultivate heritage Korean seed-grown tea trees according to nature's own timeline. Rather than pursuing perfect uniformity, we respect the differences and individuality that nature creates.

From time to time, customers ask us:

"What cultivar or variety of tea trees do you use to make your tea?"

Interest in tea cultivars has grown significantly in recent years, especially as malcha/matcha and powdered green tea have become increasingly popular. More and more people want to know not only what variety of tea they are drinking, but also how it is grown.

Today, many tea gardens cultivate selected tea cultivars propagated through cuttings. Because each new plant is genetically identical to the original, growers can preserve desirable characteristics—such as color, flavor, aroma, and yield—with remarkable consistency from year to year.

There are certainly advantages to this approach.

At Honam Tea Estates, we have chosen a different path.

Most of the tea trees growing in our gardens are not selected cultivars propagated through cuttings. Instead, they are heritage Korean seed-grown tea trees, known in Korea as jae-rae-jong (재래종), reflecting a centuries-old tea-growing tradition in Korea.

Growing tea from seed requires patience. It takes at least four to five years before the first harvest, and in some cases as long as seven years. 

During that time, the young tea trees gradually establish deep root systems, endure changing seasons, and grow through years of sun, wind, and rain. Some years bring abundant rainfall. Others bring long stretches of sunshine. The tea trees grow through it all, shaped by the conditions of each season.

That is why no two seed-grown tea trees are exactly alike.

Some trees produce leaves with deeper aromas. Others develop greater sweetness. Still others leave behind a bright, refreshing finish. We see these differences not as imperfections, but as gifts from nature.

We do not believe every tree must taste exactly the same.

We do not believe every harvest should be perfectly identical.

Nature has never worked that way.

Instead of pursuing uniform perfection, we choose to embrace the individuality that nature creates. We believe it is this diversity that gives tea its depth, complexity, and character.

Many of the seed-grown tea trees at Honam Tea Estates are now 30, 40, and even over 50 years old. Over decades, they have developed deep root systems, adapted naturally to the soils and climate of Jeolla-namdo, and become an enduring part of both the landscape and Korea's tea-growing heritage.

The tea produced at Honam Tea Estates is a reflection of nature itself. Rather than chasing a version of perfection designed by people, we seek to preserve the diversity, depth, and character that nature provides.

And so, each year, we do not simply grow tea.

We patiently wait for nature to finish its work.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Hankook Tea Company

For our Korean-speaking readers:
한국어 버전의 엽서를 아래에서 보실 수 있습니다.