Corn tea vs Job’s tears
Two Korean roasted-seed drinks, one clear and sweet and one thick enough to be a light meal, and neither of them is what its English name suggests.
botanical
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Roasted corn | Job’s tears |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Roasted maize kernels. | A large pearly grass seed, not a barley despite every name it carries. |
| The drink | Clear, golden, and served in place of water hot or cold. | Yulmu-cha, thick and milky and drunk from a cup rather than a jug. |
| Flavour | Distinctly sweet and popcorn-like with no bitterness. | Nutty and cereal-like with substantial body. |
| Form | Whole roasted kernels, usually blended with barley. | Whole roasted grain, and a powder blended with rice, soy or nuts. |
| Preparation | Brewed by the jug; two to four grams per hundred millilitres. | Whisked from powder with sugar, or brewed whole for a lighter drink. |
| Where it is drunk | Korea, especially Gangwon, and parts of northern China. | Korea, from cafés and vending machines; Japan brews it clear as hatomugi-cha. |
| Naming | Corn tea contains no tea. | Adlay, pearl barley and hatomugi all point at barley, which it is not. |
The short answer
Corn tea is a water replacement and Job’s tears in its Korean form is closer to a light breakfast. Expecting one and getting the other is the usual surprise.
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