1. Moon Lovers: The Green Tea of Aristocrats Sageuk · 2016

In this historical drama set during the Goryeo dynasty, court scenes are systematically accompanied by green tea. The way the princes serve it (or refuse to serve it) reveals their character long before their actions.

The green tea of that era, a precursor to today's sejak, was reserved for the nobility. When Hae-soo serves tea to the princes, she symbolically crosses the boundary between classes. The Hadong region, already renowned in the Goryeo era, produced the most prized leaves for Korean royal courts.

2. Crash Landing on You: The Ssanghwa-cha of Reconciliation Romance · 2019–2020

One of the most commented scenes in Crash Landing on You is seemingly simple: Yoon Se-ri awkwardly prepares a dark herbal tea for Captain Ri, who has just been injured protecting her.

The herbal tea she prepares, made from multiple roots, almost black in color, served in a ceramic bowl, is a Ssanghwa-cha, the quintessential traditional Korean herbal tea. Prepared for over a thousand years, it combines licorice, cinnamon, peony, ginger, and jujube.

This is no coincidence. In Korean culture, preparing Ssanghwa-cha for someone means "I care for you." It is an act of domestic love, discreet and profound. To learn all about this royal infusion, read our article Ssanghwa-cha: The Elixir of Royal Korean Palaces.

3. My Love from the Star: Seoul's Winter Yuja-cha Fantasy · 2013–2014

It's hard to forget Cheon Song-yi and her way of ordering Yuja-cha as if it were the elixir of life. In several episodes, this drink (yuzu citrus candied in honey, diluted in hot water) is what she craves when she's tired, stressed, or simply... being Song-yi.

Yuja-cha is one of the most emblematic drinks of the Korean winter. Its golden color, floral and tangy scent, and honeyed sweetness make it a comforting presence in dozens of dramas. Its popularity exploded in France after the drama's broadcast.

4. Mr. Sunshine: The Omija-cha of Five Senses Sageuk · 2018

In Mr. Sunshine, scenes in traditional houses often feature a drink of intense red-purple: Omija-cha, an infusion of the five-flavor berry (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, spicy, all at once).

Director Lee Eung-bok used the deep color of omija as a visual signal: when the tea is red, the scene is serious. The characters who drink it know that something irreversible is happening. Mungyeong omija, considered the best in Korea, grows in the mountains of Gyeongbuk.

5. Reply 1988: The Bori-cha of Ordinary Families Family Comedy · 2015–2016

In Reply 1988, there are no precious ceramic teapots. There's a thermos bottle on the dining room table, always full of a golden brown liquid: Bori-cha, roasted barley tea.

It's the drink of ordinary Korean households. Free, simple, comforting. In this drama celebrating 1980s nostalgia, bori-cha is omnipresent, at dinner, at breakfast, placed between characters during their long nightly conversations. When a K-drama character offers a cup to another without a word, it's almost always Bori-cha. To learn more, read our article Boricha: Traditional Korean Barley Tea.

6. Vincenzo: The Kombucha of the New Generation Crime / Comedy · 2021

Contemporary dramas like Vincenzo show another reality: today's Seoul, where characters drink stick kombucha between episodes of their busy lives.

Korean kombucha, especially Teazen's, which went viral thanks to K-pop idols, represents the modernization of tea culture in Korea. In contemporary dramas, a character drinking kombucha signals that they are trendy and embedded in today's Seoul.

Which Tea for Which Drama?

Preparing Tea Like in a K-drama

K-drama characters don't just drink tea: they prepare it. This slow, almost meditative gesture is part of the narrative rhythm. Here's how to recreate that moment at home.

Choose according to the time. In Korea, you choose your herbal tea as you choose your outfit: depending on what's happening. In the morning, a green tea or a Bori-cha. In the afternoon, a Yuja-cha. In the evening, a Ssanghwa-cha.

Water at the right temperature. Never boiling for green tea (75°C maximum). Ssanghwa-cha and Bori-cha enjoy hot water at 95°C. Yuja-cha dissolves in hot water to your liking.

The bowl rather than the cup. In historical dramas, tea is served in a ceramic bowl. This wider shape allows the aromas to express themselves and warms both hands holding it.

Drink without looking at your phone. In K-dramas, characters put down their cup and stare into space or look at each other. Korean tea is a moment of pause.