Doncha

This article is about Korean tea. For a song, seeDoncha?

Doncha
Type	Post-fermented tea
Other names	Cheongtae-jeon jeoncha
Origin	Korea
Quick description	Coin-shapedpost-fermented tea
Temperature	85–95 °C (185–203 °F)
Time	5‒10 minutes

Korean name
Hangul	돈차
Hanja	돈 trà
Revised Romanization	doncha
McCune–Reischauer	tonch'a
IPA	[ton.tɕʰa]
Alternative name
Hangul	전차
Hanja	Tiền trà
Revised Romanization	jeoncha
McCune–Reischauer	chŏnch'a
IPA	[tɕʌn.tɕʰa]
Alternative name
Hangul	청태전
Hanja	Thanh rêu tiền
Revised Romanization	cheongtaejeon
McCune–Reischauer	ch'ŏngt'aejŏn
IPA	[tɕʰʌŋ.tʰɛ.dʑʌn]

Doncha(Korean:돈차;lit."money tea" ),also calledjeoncha(전차;Tiền trà;lit."money tea" ),is a coin-shapedpost-fermented teaproduced in Korea. The tea has been calledcheongtae-jeon(청태전;Thanh rêu tiền;lit."green moss coin" ) in theJangheungregion inSouth Jeolla Province.

History

The history ofdonchadates back to the era ofLater Silla,whenBorimsa(Borim temple) was founded.TheJangheungregion inSouth Jeolla Province,where the temple is located, was the hub of Korean tea culture during theGoryeoandJoseondynasties.13 out of 19daso(tea place) in Goryeo were located in the region.

Processing

Freshly shapeddoncha

Tea leaves fordonchaare hand-picked in May, from thetea plantsthat grow wild somewhere on the southern coast of the Korean peninsula.Although roasting is the most common method of tea processing in Korea,donchaprocessing starts with steaming the tea leaves.Twelve hours after the harvest, tea leaves are steamed in agamasot,a traditional cauldron.Steamed leaves are then pounded in ajeolgu,a traditional mortar, or amaetdol,a traditional millstone.the tea is then shaped into round lumps and sun-dried.Once dried, a hole is made in the center of each lump of tea and they attain the characteristic shape ofyeopjeon(coin) from which their name is derived.The tea is then fermented for at least six months as aging helps to develop an enriched flavor and aroma, though sometimes fermentation can last for over twenty years.

Preparation

A lump ofdoncha,about 7–9 grams (0.25–0.32 oz), can be steeped in 500–600 millilitres (18–21 imp fl oz; 17–20 US fl oz) of hot water for five to ten minutes.The tea lump is often roasted on both sides over low heat before consumption.Roasting helps with sterilization of the tea leaves, as well as the development of a unique aroma and flavor.Doncharetains its aroma and flavor after re-steeping three to four times.

Use in traditional medicine

Intraditional Korean medicinethe tea was thought to help alleviate mild symptoms such asstomach ache,aiddetoxification,reducefever,preventconstipation,and help managecoldsymptoms.