Korean Acanthopanax Herbal Tea
Quick answer
Ogapi-cha is a Korean herbal tea made by slow-decocting dried acanthopanax bark, astragalus root, jujubes, and fresh ginger in water for over 30 minutes on low heat.
What makes this special
- A cold water soak removes surface dust before simmering this medicinal Ogapi-cha herbal tea.
- Five-minute cold soak before simmering removes dust and raw off-notes
- Thirty minutes on low heat melds woody acanthopanax with mellow astragalus
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Rinse 18g of dried ogapi bark and 10g of astragalus root under cold water, t...
- 2 Make several small incisions around the seeds of 5 dried jujubes to help rel...
- 3 Place the prepared ogapi, astragalus, jujubes, and ginger into a large pot w...
Ogapi-cha is a Korean herbal tea made by slow-decocting dried acanthopanax bark, astragalus root, jujubes, and fresh ginger in water for over 30 minutes on low heat. The bark and astragalus are briefly soaked in cold water to loosen surface dust, the jujubes are scored with a knife to release their sweetness more readily, and the ginger is thinly sliced to maximize surface area. After an initial boil, the heat drops to a gentle simmer that coaxes a woody, slightly earthy aroma from the bark while the astragalus contributes a mellow root-like depth and the jujubes round out the flavor with quiet sweetness. The strained tea receives a tiny pinch of salt to anchor the flavor, and honey stirred in just before drinking softens the herbal bitterness into a smooth, warming finish.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Step
Rinse 18g of dried ogapi bark and 10g of astragalus root under cold water, then soak them in clean water for 5 minutes to remove impurities before draining them thoroughly.
- 2Step
Make several small incisions around the seeds of 5 dried jujubes to help release their flavor, and peel 15g of fresh ginger before slicing it into thin pieces to maximize aroma.
- 3Control
Place the prepared ogapi, astragalus, jujubes, and ginger into a large pot with 1300ml of water, then bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat with the lid removed.
- 4Control
Once the water boils, reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid, then simmer gently for 30 minutes to extract the active medicinal compounds and develop a deep herbal flavor.
- 5Control
Strain the brewed tea through a fine mesh to collect only the clear liquid, then add 0.5 teaspoon of salt to reduce bitterness and enhance the natural savory profile of herbs.
- 6Step
Pour the warm tea into a cup and stir in 2 tablespoons of honey right before serving to adjust the sweetness, then enjoy the gentle herbal aroma while drinking it slowly.
After the steps
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