Job’s Tears are known by “Yulmu” in Korea. They are sometimes also referred to as Coix Seeds.

Job’s Tears (Coix lacryma-jobi), Coixseed, adlay, or adlai, is a tall grain-bearing tropical plant of the family Poaceae (grass family) native to East Asia and peninsular Malaysia but elsewhere cultivated in gardens as an annual. It has been naturalized in the southern United States and the New World tropics.

In Korea, a thick drink called yulmu cha (literally “Job’s tears tea”) is made from powdered Job’s tears. A similar drink, called yì mí shǔi, also appears in Chinese cuisine, and is made by simmering whole polished Job’s Tears in water and sweetening the resulting thin, cloudy liquid with sugar. The grains are usually strained from the liquid but may also be consumed separately or together.

In both Korea and China, distilled liquors are also made from the grain. One such example is the South Korean liquor called okroju, which is made from rice and Job’s tears. In Japan, an aged vinegar is made from the grain.

You can find authentic Korean Yulmucha on many Korean Restaurants in Los Angeles.

Hyeonmi cha (literally “brown rice tea”) is a tisane made from roasted brown rice.

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.

Although hyeonmi cha may be made from scratch by toasting one’s own rice, pre-roasted rice is available commercially in Korean grocery stores, both in Korea as well as overseas, in plastic packages.

While in restaurants the tea is typically strained and served without any grains of rice, when prepared at home a few grains may be poured from the pot into the cup. The rice remaining in the pot is generally discarded rather than eaten or reused for any other purpose.

You can find authentic Korean Tea on many Korean Restaurants in Los Angeles.

Oksusu cha (literally “corn tea”) is a traditional Korean tisane made from boiled roasted corn kernels. It contains no tea leaves.

To prepare oksusu cha, corn kernels are thoroughly dried and then roasted until they turn golden brown or brown. Then the roasted corn is brewed with boiling water until the drink’s color turns a pale yellow. The tea is then strained and the boiled corn discarded. Although the drink is naturally sweet, sugar may be added to oksusu cha if a sweeter flavor is desired.

The variety of corn most often used is called Gang-naeng-i, which is usually grown in the area of Gangneung, a city in the Gangwon province on South Korea’s eastern coast, thus making this drink particularly popular in that region. Corn tea is very simple to prepare from scratch by roasted fresh corn kernels in the oven, then steeping them in boiling water for several minutes, but it is also available in prepared tea bags.

Oksusu cha is often combined with bori cha (roasted barley tea), as the corn’s sweetness offsets the slightly bitter flavor of the barley.

You can find authentic Korean Tea on many Korean Restaurants in Los Angeles.