Sejak
The second Korean green-tea grade, picked shortly after ujeon around late April. Korean grades are defined by picking date rather than by leaf composition, which is a different system from the Chinese and Japanese conventions readers may be carrying over.
Character
Nutty and gentle, pan-fired in the Chinese manner but sweeter and softer than most Chinese greens.
- Flavour
- Nutty, Grassy, Sweet
- Aroma
- Fresh, Toasted
- Mouthfeel
- Light, Silky
- Complexity
- Moderate
- Notes
- chestnut, fresh grass, light melon
- Aftertaste
- Soft and nutty.
Moderate intensity: noticeable weight or grip, but neither dominates the cup.
Provenance and production
- Origin
- South Korea
- Region
- Hadong
- Oxidation
- Unoxidised
- Harvest
- Spring
- Processing
- Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Drying
History
Korean tea cultivation dates from the ninth century and was nearly extinguished by the Joseon dynasty’s suppression of Buddhist institutions, surviving around temples. The grading system by picking date is part of the twentieth-century revival.
Brewing
Western brewing (teapot or mug)
1.5–2.5 g/100 ml · 70–80 °C · 1 authored infusion
Gongfu brewing (gaiwan)
3–4 g/100 ml · 75–85 °C · 4 authored infusions
No caffeine estimate is authored for this tea. TeaHQ does not infer one from its category, because category predicts caffeine poorly — matcha and gyokuro carry more than many black teas.
If you like this
Grouped by why they were suggested, strongest reason first. Nothing here is a blended score — a suggestion appears under the best reason that exists for it, and never under a weaker one as well.
Editorially linked
Someone wrote down why these two belong together. The note below is theirs.
- Jungjak
Back up the Korean grade ladder. Picking date is the only variable, and it changes body more than it changes flavour.
- Korean green tea
Korean tea is graded by picking date rather than by leaf composition, which is a different system from the Chinese and Japanese conventions buyers usually carry over.
- Ujeon
The first and second Korean pickings. Ujeon is picked before the spring rains and is the most expensive Korean tea; the gap in the cup is smaller than the gap in price.
Similar sensory profile
Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.
- Beigang Mao Jian
Shares 6 descriptors with Sejak: sweet, nutty, grassy, silky, toasted and fresh.
- Huoshan Huangya
Shares 6 descriptors with Sejak: nutty, sweet, grassy, light, toasted and fresh.
- Bai Ji Guan
Shares 5 descriptors with Sejak: sweet, nutty, light, silky and fresh.
- Bancha
Shares 5 descriptors with Sejak: grassy, nutty, light, toasted and fresh.
- Gou Gu Nao
Shares 5 descriptors with Sejak: grassy, nutty, light, silky and fresh.