The Korean Way of Tea

An Introductory Guide

Tea drinking is now a global pastime, and a delectable variety of teas are much sought after by connoisseurs worldwide. In this meditative volume to understanding, appreciating, and serving Korean tea, authors Brother Anthony of Taizé and Hong Kyeong-hee share their intimate knowledge of a cultural practice and art form that at its core embraces universal principles of peace, refinement, and simplicity. “The Korean Way of Tea” is a rich and inviting text accompanied by full-color photographs of the beauty of Korea and her architecture, nature, and people. This introductory guide is a welcome addition for anyone interested in tea and its extraordinary contribution to the Korean cultural tradition.

From the Introduction,

“The Mystery in a Cup of Tea”

If you have never tasted Korean green tea, you might be wondering what, if anything, could justify writing a whole book about it.  Sitting in a traditional Korean home, with doors and windows open to the early morning sunshine, well away from any road with its lingering exhaust fumes, we would watch as our hostess prepares tea she herself dried only a day or two before, using very small, just-budded leaves. The taste of the first cup of tea, made with water that is far below boiling point, on a palate freshly awakened, is so intense, so unexpectedly rich and varied, so indescribably fragrant, that from that day on the only question can be, “When shall I be able to go back and drink that tea again?”

About the Authors

An Sonjae is the Korean name of Brother Anthony, who was born in 1942 in England. He is a member of the Community of Taizé. Since 1980, he has been living in Korea, teaching at Sogang University in Seoul. He has published 20 volumes of English translations of modern Korean literature.

Hong Kyeong-hee was born in North Jeolla Province in 1957 and was first introduced to the practice of green tea during a stay at Geumsan-sa temple (near Gimje) in 1974. He enrolled in the Panyaro Institute for the Way of Tea in 1992 and studied the Hyodang tradition of the Zen of Tea under the guidance of its director, Won-Hwa Chae Jeong-bok. He graduated from the Institute in 2002 with the tea-name Hwachon. He now instructs others in the Hyodang tradition, in the Hwachon section of the Panyaro Institute.