Korean green tea, which is the mainly produced tea in South Korea, is divided into four quality grades according to the harvesting period. This tea is made only once a year and mainly by handmade processing which makes this tea very limited and rare.
WOOJEON - "Pre Rain" - This is the highest-quality green tea, made from first spring young buds and leaves harvested before Gogu “Grain Rain,” (the period of the first warm spring rains), which usually falls on April 20. This grade of tea is the most tender, sweet, and very limited due to its short harvesting period.
SEJAK - "Thin Sparrow Tongue" - This is the second highest-quality green tea harvested after the Gogu period and before early May's Ipha "Threshold of Summer" (the beginning of summer in traditional East Asian Culture), which usually falls on May 5th. This tea is considered a high-quality green tea and has a delicate floral, vegetal, umami profile that Korean tea is famous for.
JUNGJAK - "Medium Sparrow Tongue" - This is the third harvest of the year, and takes place on Soman "Day of Steady Growth", which usually falls on May 20th. Less quality, but still quite nice, tea leaves are used to create a green tea with a more intense flavour.
DAEJAK - "Sparrow Beak" - The last green tea harvest of the year, takes place on Haji ("Summer solstice" - ), which usually falls on June 21st. Made from mature tea leaves, this tea has a vegetal, nutty profile and a more intense flavour.