Hyeonmi cha

Hyeonmi cha
Korean name
Hangul	현미차
Hanja	玄米茶
Revised Romanization	hyeonmi cha
McCune–Reischauer	hyŏnmi ch'a

Hyeonmi cha (literally "brown rice tea") is a Korean tisane made from roasted brown rice.^[1]

To make hyeonmi cha, brown rice (typically short-grain brown rice, Oryza sativa var. japonica) is washed, then roasted in a pot. Then water is poured into the pot, brought to a boil, and then simmered for approximately ten minutes. Finally, the leftover brown rice is filtered by a sieve and the beverage, which may range from pale yellow to light golden brown in color, is served in a cup, mug, or bowl. While it is generally served unsweetened, sugar or honey may be added according to the taste of the drinker.^[2]

Hyeonmi cha has been used traditionally for medicinal purposes, as hyeonmi (brown rice) is known to be good for blood circulation, motion sickness, shortness of breath, and due to it being abundant with fiber, preventing constipation. It is also known to be good for prevention of cancer and beri beri. ^[1]

Pre-roasted rice is available commercially in Korean grocery stores, both in Korea as well as overseas, in plastic packages.^[3]

Hyeonmi cha can be mixed with green tea to produce hyeonmi nokcha (현미녹차), which is very similar to the Japanese tea Genmaicha. In Vietnamese cuisine, a nearly identical drink is called nước gạo lức, nước gạo lức rang, or nước gạo rang.

See also

• Sungnyung, a Korean beverage made from scorched rice
• Roasted barley tea (called bori cha in Korean), a similar tisane made from roasted barley
• Oksusu cha, a similar tisane made from roasted corn
• Sikhye, a sweet Korean drink made from rice

A pot of boiling hyeonmi cha

References