음식 Pick by how you make it
Korean drinks you can buy online fall into four groups. Grain teas such as barley and corn come in big bags, and one bag brews a whole jug, hot or cold. Single-cup bags, such as Nokchawon's corn silk tea and green tea, steep in a mug like any tea bag.
Yuja-cha and other fruit teas come in jars as a thick, sweet mix that you stir into water. Instant drinks, such as red ginseng granules and Maxim coffee mix, dissolve from a sachet or stick. Sikhye is the one ready-made drink here: it comes in a can.
If you want one thing for every day, start with barley tea. If you want a treat, start with yuja-cha or a box of coffee mix.
Our picks at a glance
Paid links · Store and booking links in this guide are affiliate links: when you buy or book through them, K for All earns a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and availability change, so check the store before you buy. How we pick: we compare official information, specs, prices and published reviews; we haven't personally tested every product.
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1Best for a sweet, warm citrus cup
Nokchawon Honey Citron Tea, 1 kg jar
Yuja-cha comes as a thick mix of citron and honey, so there is nothing to steep. Nokchawon's jar holds 1 kg (35.27 oz), and the label says to stir 2 to 3 teaspoons into hot or cold water. The listing also suggests it as a topping for cakes and bread.
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2Best for an everyday jug, hot or iced
Dongsuh Roasted Barley Tea, 30 bags
Boricha is a tea made from roasted barley, and barley is the only ingredient listed for this box. Each of the 30 bags weighs 10 g and is sized for a whole jug. The directions say to pour 32 oz of boiled water over one bag for 2 to 5 minutes, or leave it in 32 oz of cold water for about 30 minutes.
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3Best for a mild, nutty pot of grain tea
Dongsuh Corn Tea, 30 bags
Oksusu-cha is made from roasted corn, and this box holds 30 bags of 10 g each. Dongsuh's directions are for a big batch: bring 2 L of water to a boil, add one bag and let it steep for 10 minutes. The listing describes a mild, naturally sweet roasted flavor.
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4Best for one cup at a time
Nokchawon Corn Silk Tea, 50 bags
Corn silk tea is made from roasted corn and the silky threads of the corn plant. Nokchawon's Korean box lists 70% corn and 10% corn silk, and the Amazon listing also names nurungji (scorched rice) and says the tea is caffeine-free. The bags are sized for one cup: steep a bag in hot water for a few minutes, or chill the tea for an iced version.
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5Best for an everyday cup of Korean green tea
Nokchawon Organic Korean Green Tea, 50 bags
Nokchawon's box says it holds 100% organic green tea grown in Korea, and its Korean name, sunsu nokcha, means pure green tea. There are 50 bags of 1.2 g, and the listing describes a special roasting step for a smooth, savory taste. Steep one bag in hot water for a few minutes, or brew it and chill it for iced tea.
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6Best for Korean instant coffee mix
Maxim Mocha Gold Mild Coffee Mix, 100 sticks
Maxim is Dongsuh Foods' coffee brand, sold since 1980. Mocha Gold Mild comes in single-serve sticks, and this box has 100 sticks of 12 g. The listing says it contains coffee, sugar and corn syrup, so it makes a sweet cup: open a stick into a cup, add hot water and stir.
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7Best for trying ginseng tea
Nokchawon Korean Red Ginseng Tea, 50 sachets
Each sachet holds instant granules, and the listed ingredients are glucose and red ginseng concentrate. Tear one open into a cup, add hot or cold water and stir; the maker suggests adding honey if you want it sweeter. The label asks anyone pregnant, nursing or on medication to talk to a doctor first.
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8Best for a ready-to-drink sweet rice punch
Paldo Vilac (Birak) Sikhye, 12 cans
Sikhye is a sweet drink made by fermenting cooked rice with malt. The Birak line put it in cans and pouches in 1993, and this pack has 12 cans of 8.06 fl oz. Ingredients include water, sugar, rice malt and ginger extract, and the label says it may contain milk and soybean.
Grain teas: barley, corn and corn silk
The two Dongsuh boxes use big 10 g bags. One bag is meant for a jug, not a mug, so a box of 30 lasts a long time. Barley gives a toasty, roasted taste, and the corn tea listing describes a milder, naturally sweet one. The barley tea listing notes that in Korea it is served all year, hot in winter and cold in summer, and both Dongsuh listings suggest these teas as a stand-in for a morning coffee.
Nokchawon's corn silk tea is the easy option if you only want a cup at a time, and the box linked above holds 50 individually wrapped bags. The listing names three ingredients, roasted corn, corn silk and nurungji (Korean scorched rice), for a savory, nutty flavor, and Nokchawon's Korean box lists 70% corn and 10% corn silk. It is caffeine-free, according to the listing, and you can drink it hot or chill it for iced tea.
- Dongsuh barley tea, hot: pour 32 oz of boiled water over one bag and wait 2 to 5 minutes.
- Dongsuh barley tea, cold: leave one bag in 32 oz of cold water for about 30 minutes.
- Dongsuh corn tea: boil 2 L of water, add one bag and steep for 10 minutes.
- Nokchawon corn silk tea: steep one bag in hot water for a few minutes, or brew it and chill it for iced tea.
Yuja-cha and ginseng tea: stir, don't steep
Yuja-cha is a tea you spoon out of a jar. Yuja is the citrus sold as yuzu in English, so the same kind of jar may be labeled honey citron, yuzu or yuja tea. Nokchawon's label keeps it simple: 2 to 3 teaspoons in a cup of hot or cold water, stirred well. Use more for a stronger cup, and spread any extra on toast or a slice of cake, as the listing suggests.
Red ginseng tea works the same way. Nokchawon's granules come in single sachets, and you add hot or cold water and stir. We describe it only as a drink and make no health claims. Follow the label's note to check with a doctor first if you are pregnant, nursing or on medication.
Korean green tea, Maxim coffee and sikhye
Nokchawon says it has made Korean teas since 1992 and owns tea gardens in Boseong and Sacheon. Its pure green tea is 100% organic green tea grown in Korea, according to the box, and the listing describes a special roasting step for a smooth, savory taste. The directions are simple: steep one bag in hot water for a few minutes. The listing suggests it hot or iced, so you can also chill a brewed cup.
Maxim coffee mix is the sweet, instant option. Dongsuh Foods has sold Maxim since 1980, and Mocha Gold Mild is its sweet stick mix. Everything is already in the stick, so all you add is hot water.
Sikhye is traditionally made at home by soaking cooked rice in malt water overnight in a warm place, then boiling it once and chilling it. It is also called gamju, or sweet wine, because it is so sweet, and a few rice grains, pine nuts or slices of jujube are sometimes floated on top. Paldo's Birak cans skip all of that work and are ready to drink.
Taste them in Seoul first
If you are visiting Korea, a teahouse is a good place to find your favorite before you buy a whole box. In Insadong, Jidaebang lists more than 60 teas, including jujube tea, ssanghwa-tang and omija tea.
We left omija and jujube tea out of the picks because we couldn't confirm a version from an established maker that is in stock on Amazon right now. They are worth ordering at a teahouse.
FAQ
Do you steep yuja tea like a tea bag?
No. Yuja-cha comes as a thick citron and honey mix in a jar. Nokchawon's label says to stir 2 to 3 teaspoons into hot or cold water, and that's all.
Can you drink Korean barley tea cold?
Yes. Dongsuh's directions give a cold method: put one 10 g bag in 32 oz of cold water and leave it for about 30 minutes. You can also brew it hot and chill the jug.
What is the difference between corn tea and corn silk tea?
Corn tea is made from roasted corn kernels; Dongsuh's box uses jug-size 10 g bags. Nokchawon's corn silk tea adds corn silk, the silky threads of the corn plant, to roasted corn and nurungji (scorched rice), in bags for one cup.
How do you make Maxim coffee mix?
Open one stick into a cup, pour in hot water and stir. Coffee, sugar and corn syrup are already in the stick, so you don't need to add anything else.
How do you brew Korean green tea bags?
Nokchawon's directions just say to steep one bag in hot water for a few minutes, and the listing suggests drinking it hot or iced. Taste it as it steeps and take the bag out when it suits you.
Read next on K for All
Insadong and its teahousesBukchon Hanok Village guideKorean pantry essentials
Sources (11)
Open Food Facts – Nokchawon Corn Silk Tea (Korean box: corn 70%, corn silk 10%)Amazon – Nokchawon Corn Silk Tea (ingredients, directions)Open Food Facts – Nokchawon Korean Organic Green Tea (box: 100% Korean organic, 1.2 g x 50)Amazon – Nokchawon Organic Korean Green Tea (roasting, directions, tea gardens)Dongsuh Foods – Maxim brand (since 1980)National Folk Museum of Korea, Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture – SikhyeAmazon – Dongsuh Roasted Barley Tea (ingredients, directions)Amazon – Dongsuh Corn Tea (directions)Amazon – Nokchawon Honey Citron Tea (directions)Amazon – Nokchawon Korean Red Ginseng Tea (ingredients, directions)Visit Seoul – Jidaebang