Solnip-cha (Korean Pine Needle Tea)
Quick answer
Solnip-cha is a Korean pine needle tea recipe made by simmering young, cleaned pine needles with jujubes and sliced ginger in water, first at medium heat and then on low...
What makes this special
- Solnip-cha is Korean pine needle tea, so the evergreen resin aroma is the main flavor.
- Pine needles cut to 5cm to maximize surface area for resin extraction
- Over 20 minutes over-extracts resin and turns bitter; timing is key
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Rinse 40g of young pine needles two or three times under cold running water...
- 2 Halve four jujubes to remove the seeds and peel 12g of fresh ginger before s...
- 3 Combine 1200ml of water with the prepared pine needles, jujubes, and ginger...
Solnip-cha is a Korean pine needle tea recipe made by simmering young, cleaned pine needles with jujubes and sliced ginger in water, first at medium heat and then on low for 15 minutes to release the needles' fresh, resinous fragrance. Unlike floral gujeolcho-cha or fruit-based sansuyu-cha, this tea is defined by the evergreen aroma of pine needles, so washing and cutting the needles correctly matters more than adding extra sweetener. The needles are washed two to three times under running water to remove dust and resin residue, then cut into 5-centimeter lengths to increase the surface area for infusion. The jujubes are halved and seeded so their sweetness dissolves readily, and the ginger adds a warm undertone that tempers the pine's sharpness. After straining, honey and a small amount of lemon juice are stirred in off the heat, creating a tea where the clean evergreen aroma, floral sweetness, and gentle acidity come together in balance.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Rinse 40g of young pine needles two or three times under cold running water to remove impurities, then use shears to cut them into five centimeter lengths to enhance flavor extraction.
- 2Step
Halve four jujubes to remove the seeds and peel 12g of fresh ginger before slicing it into thin rounds, preparing the ingredients so their beneficial essences can be fully released during brewing.
- 3Control
Combine 1200ml of water with the prepared pine needles, jujubes, and ginger in a large pot, then start heating over medium heat while stirring gently to ensure the flavors meld together properly.
- 4Control
Once the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to very low and steep for an additional 15 minutes to allow the refreshing pine aroma, sweet jujube, and spicy ginger to infuse deeply.
- 5Step
Stop heating and strain the tea through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pitcher, then stir in 30g of honey and 10ml of lemon juice to balance the sweet and acidic flavors.
- 6Finish
Serve the tea warm in cups immediately, or let it cool completely and refrigerate to serve chilled, which highlights the crisp and refreshing pine fragrance even more vividly for a clean finish.
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