Koreans have a long tradition of drinking teas and tisanes for
health, enjoyment and rituals. Even today, drinking tea is
something many Koreans do every day, whether at home or at one
of the country’s many elegant teahouses. Tea was first
introduced to the Korean peninsula during sixth or seventh
centuries, and was probably brought to Korea by Buddhist monks.
Written records show that kings and queens during the Silla
period used tea as part of their religious and ceremonial
offerings. By the Goryeo dynasty, tea had become very important
in Korea and was strongly connected with Buddhism. Monks
cultivated tea plants at their temples, and drank tea to help
concentrate during their mediations. It was also an important
part of many rituals, and even the charyeceremony many Koreans
perform nowadays on Chuseok and Seollal was originally an
offering of tea instead of food and alcohol. During this period,
tea was so important that people wrote poems and books about it,
and much of the Goryeo period’s celebrated pott