Although I haven’t been able to verify this in English or Korean, according to TeaGschwendner, Seogwang-ri (서광) a district in the south of Jeju (Korea’s biggest island on the boarder with Japan) is an up and coming tea-growing region. I have no reason to disbelieve it, but not being able to locate any information about it is a little frustrating. A satellite view of the region on Google Earth doesn’t reveal any obvious tea-growing but that’s not saying much.
Seogwang Sencha is unlike any tea I’ve ever had. It’s probably closest in flavor and texture to sencha (probably owing to the fact that it’s produced just West of Kyushu), but smoother (ie. less crisp) and subtly fruity with a lower antioxidant content. The aroma is simply incredible and can only be compared to exotic tropical plants or flowers one might encounter in the botanical gardens. Since this is the first time I’ve had anything produced in that region I really have nothing to compare it to except normal sencha, but that hardly describes it at all. Suffice it to say, it’s top-notch.
選別 parting.gifts 