Restoration of Goryeo Era 'Noewoncha' in Boseong Tea Agriculture... Challenge for Registration as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage

Restoring 'Noewoncha,' the Goryeo Dynasty's Finest Tea, Securing Historical Significance and Originality

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Yongcheol] Boseong-gun, Jeollanam-do announced on the 15th that it held an interim report meeting to promote the registration of ‘Boseong Tea Agriculture’ as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS).

About 40 people attended the report meeting, including County Governor Kim Cheol-woo, the director of the Tea Industry Research Institute at the Jeollanam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services, and the GIAHS registration promotion team.

Boseong-gun, the largest tea-producing area and the center of the tea industry in South Korea, plans to restore the Goryeo Dynasty’s finest tea, ‘Noewoncha,’ believed to have been produced around Yaksan Village in Ungchi-myeon, securing its historical significance and originality.

Experts expect a high possibility of GIAHS registration, as the traditional Boseong tea agriculture, which has continued for over a thousand years, has already been designated as a National Important Agricultural Heritage due to its historical and natural ecological value, beautiful scenery, and the excellence of its tea.

The restored Boseong Noewoncha is believed to have been made in the autumn plains of Yaksan Village, Ungchi-myeon, based on records from the Sejong Sillok Jiriji, Sinjeung Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam, and Daedong Jiji. The plains (daso) were institutions during the Goryeo period responsible for supplying tea to the state.

Professor Cho Gijeong’s team from Mokpo National University’s Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation harvested wild tea leaves from 101 native tea sites in the Boseong area, including 430-year-old tea trees in Deungnyang Dajeon Village and wild tea around Ilimsan Mountain in Hoecheon, and produced Noewoncha on April 10.

Noewoncha is a square-shaped tteok (rice cake) tea that undergoes a different processing method from regular tteok tea. It is characterized by a savory and smooth initial taste, with a clean and fragrant finish.

During the Goryeo Dynasty, Noewoncha was used by the royal family not only for tea ceremonies but also as funeral tea for deceased officials, tribute tea sent to the Khitan, and tea given to officials. As the finest tea of Goryeo with distinctiveness from other traditional teas, discovering and restoring its original form holds great historical and cultural value.

At the interim report meeting, along with a Noewoncha tasting, small exhibits were displayed, including tools used to restore and make Noewoncha, photos of the processing stages, and promotional videos. Presentations were given by Professor Cho Gijeong of Mokpo National University on ‘Restoration and Standardization of Noewoncha Processing Techniques’ and by Yoo Won-hee, director of the Korea Autonomous Economy Research Institute, on ‘Conservation Management and Promotion for GIAHS Registration Application.’

Through this report, the county plans to complete the GIAHS application by the end of August and submit the agricultural heritage application to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs by November this year.

The submitted application will undergo review by domestic GIAHS advisory committee members and then be submitted to the FAO through the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The registration decision will be made after on-site visits by GIAHS technical advisors, international conferences, and review by the GIAHS Executive Committee.

Governor Kim Cheol-woo said, “We plan to introduce Noewoncha, the finest tea of the Goryeo Dynasty from a thousand years ago, to the public at the 8th Boseong World Tea Expo held this year,” adding, “We will prepare thoroughly and spare no effort so that Boseong Noewoncha can continue the tea history for the next thousand years, expand globally, and become the foundation for GIAHS registration.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.