TeaHQ

Chamnok

One of the named Korean cultivars developed in the national agricultural research system, as distinct from the jaerae-jong seed populations that most Korean tea still comes from. Korea’s planted area is small, its industry is concentrated in Hadong, Boseong and Jeju, and its breeding programme is correspondingly recent — which means a Korean tea sold under a cultivar name is unusual and informative.

참녹Camellia sinensis var. sinensisSouth Korea

Where it sits in the botany

Chamnok is recorded under Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, the variety group one level above cultivar. It is associated with South Korea, which is where it was selected or is most widely planted rather than the only place it grows.

Also transliterated as: chamnok, cham nok.

Where it came from

Bred within Korea’s agricultural research system as one of a small group of named domestic cultivars.

How firm this is: Inferred rather than taken from a primary breeding or registration record. The existence of the Korean breeding programme and of named releases is well established; this cultivar’s release year, parentage and traits were not verified against a primary source.

What the plant is like

Selected under Korean conditions, which means cold winters and a short season at the northern edge of the crop. Planted in small quantity relative to the seed-grown stands.

What it is usually made into

The categories this cultivar is typically processed into. It is a statement about common practice, not a limit — processing decides the category, and a cultivar can be taken down more than one route.

  • Green tea — Tea whose oxidation is halted early by heat, keeping the leaf green and the cup fresh, vegetal or marine in character.

Other cultivars in Camellia sinensis var. sinensis

Sources

  • TeaHQ editorial synthesis — TeaHQ

This page is TeaHQ’s own synthesis throughout. No breeding register or institutional record stands behind the account above, which is why the origin note carries its confidence in the open rather than reading as a citation.

How TeaHQ handles sources