Korean Corn Silk Tea (Roasted Corn Jujube Grain Brew)

Quick answer

Total time: 35 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 6

About this dish

Oksusu-suyeom-cha is a Korean tea brewed by simmering dried corn silk and corn kernels in water on low heat for 25 minutes.

The corn silk is rinsed briefly in cold water to remove dust, then combined with kernels and jujubes in a pot where the silk releases a subtle, naturally sweet flavor and the kernels contribute a toasted grain-like nuttiness. Keeping the simmer time under control is important because over-boiling draws out an unpleasant astringency, so the tea is strained promptly at the 25-minute mark. A spoonful of honey adjusts the sweetness and a tiny pinch of salt sharpens the flavor profile; the tea works well served warm, but chilling it overnight makes the natural sweetness more pronounced and refreshing.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

dried corn silk12 gg

corn kernels80 gg

water1500 mlml

jujube2 eaea

honey1 tbsptbsp

salt0.2 tsptsp

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Step

Rinse 12 g of dried corn silk briefly in cold water, just enough to remove dust.

Do not soak or rub it hard, then drain it with 80 g of corn kernels in a fine strainer.
2

Control

Pour 1500 ml of water into a pot and add the corn silk, kernels, and 2 pitted jujubes.

Press the ingredients lightly so they sit under the water, then set the pot over medium heat.
3

Heat

When small bubbles rise around the edge and the water just begins to boil, lower the heat immediately.

Keeping it at a hard boil can pull astringency from the corn silk too quickly.
4

Control

Simmer gently on low heat for exactly 25 minutes.

The tea is ready when the liquid turns clear golden and smells like toasted grain, so avoid extending the time past that point.
5

Step

Turn off the heat and pour the tea through a fine sieve right away.

Do not press or squeeze the corn silk, because that can make the tea cloudy and sharper in taste.
6

Finish

While the tea is still warm, stir in 1 tablespoon of honey and 0.2 teaspoon of salt until fully dissolved.

Serve it warm, or cool and refrigerate it so the natural sweetness tastes clearer.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Oksusu-suyeom-cha combines roasted corn kernels with silk for a toasty grain tea with subtle sweetness.
Finish cue: The tea is ready when the liquid turns clear golden and smells like toasted grain, so avoid extending the time past that point.
Avoid this: Do not soak or rub it hard, then drain it with 80 g of corn kernels in a fine strainer.
Storage and reheating: A spoonful of honey adjusts the sweetness and a tiny pinch of salt sharpens the flavor profile; the tea works well served warm, but chilling it overnight makes the natural sweetness more pronounced and refreshing.