無爲 Mu-wi Sejak: A Rare Korean Nokcha

無爲 Mu-wi Sejak: A Rare Korean Nokcha

This post, originally from 2013 is slightly revised. It reintroduces an amazing tea from Dong Cheon Tea, 無爲 Mu-Wi Sejak (Moo-Wee). Perhaps you have tried it. If so, I'm sure you will again. In any case - this is Muwi-Sejak - its no ordinary tea. 
The Korean government set aside several official categories for their green teas or Nokcha. These include Woojeon -First Flush, Gukwoo - a Gukwoo Day tea, aka Gogucha, Sejak - Second Flush, Jungjak - Third Flush, Daejak - Forth Flush, Yeopcha - a Summer tea, aka Yipcha. You probably guessed that Mu-Wi Sejak is a Gogucha. They are quite rare.  A Korean tea connoisseur told me she had never heard of it until she found it listed. We are the only Korean tea source she knows who offers it. We do, and not just one but from two different producers Dong Cheon and SOA who use two different Korean production processes. Both are excellent teas. but produced differently*.
For this post, I'm only looking  at Dong Cheon's Muwi Sejak. It like most of his teas is produced Jeongcha style or plunged into boiling water before pan roasting.  I'm also fascinated with the concept behind the name and the quality of this tea. 
I am far from a Taoist scholar, Seon Priest or even ruminant scholar but I am slightly familiar with two concepts of ‘mu’  that are important to these philosophies/religions.  They are mu-shim and mu-wi.  Like most rather deep Asian religious and meditative concepts, they are difficult to explain in English.  If I were a true Taoist or Seon scholar my guess is I would not be so foolish to try to explain them at all, especially not on a blog post.  However, since I am not any of those and hopefully this post won’t (certainly shouldn't) end up in anyone's dissertation . . ..
Lets begin with the term ‘mu-shim’.  It is actually a rather well known term even in the West, but perhaps not in this context.  The term ‘mu’ means something like ‘empty’, ‘nothing’, ‘nothingness’ or ‘without‘ etc.  The term ‘shim‘, as in ‘mu-shim', is loosely translated as ‘mind’ as in the ‘conscious mind’ or the ‘unconscious mind’.  The term ‘mu-shim‘ is therefore translated as ‘empty mind’.  It is not the unconscious mind.  In practice, it means being in a state where the mind transcends ‘thought’ to simply be able to act without “thinking” or the interference of ‘thought’.  It implies being without all those thoughts that can interfere with ones ability to act or do.  To essentially be ‘one’ with the moment without thinking about it.  It should be a very natural, unagitated and peaceful state of being.  It is the state I attempt to approach when I, as a potter, meditate before forming a chawan or even a simple teacup.  Essentially I try to rid my mind of all the mental ‘debris’ of ‘knowledge’ or what may simply be bothering me that day and  just ‘do’.  When the process is successful, that chawan or teacup is often ‘better than I can ‘do’ especially if the glaze and kiln do their part.
But what about ‘mu-wi’?  Basically, the term means ‘doing nothing’.  It is not the lazy and slothful ‘doing nothing’, but like mu-shim the peaceful ‘doing nothing’ and the relaxing ‘doing nothing’, perhaps the vacation ‘doing nothing’ or in our case the Tea meditation, tea drinking ‘doing nothing’. 
Enough savoring of the word,  It is time to savor the tea - and it is indeed a tea worthy of savoring.
I first tried this tea served by Ha Ilnam owner of Dong Cheon tea company in his famous tea shop in Insadong Korea.  Mary, my wife, and I were with a friend who owned a tea shop in Berlin, Germany.  My friend’s response after tasting this tea was to order 7.5 kilo.
True, Ha Ilnam is a master brewer. After witnessing Mr. Ha brew several teas  a tea connoisseur exclaimed, “He is so good at brewing he could make Daejak taste like Woojeon.”
I’m not a master brewer and this tea tastes great when I brew it too.
Now to the description of my first at home impression of the tea Mu-Wi Sejak.  As with all the teas I encounter, my first impression is with the nose. In this case when a kilo bag was first opened.  That is one of the benefits of promoting Korean tea.  I’m able to open larger bags of tea and experience their full aroma.  With this Mu-wi Sejak, I catch the essence of this tea - a roasty fragrance that simply grasps me gently and pulls me in.

I resist, to avoid contamination, and reach for a cup then scoop in some tea leaves.  Now I can fully explore its depth as I bring the loose leaf filled cup to my nose and breath it in - in and out - taking a long moment just to enjoy this delightful, sweet, mildly roasted bouquet, “Whoa!” I quietly exclaim, “This is going to be good.”

But this tea is for brewing and I must see how it responds to the water I’m using here in the USA.
I have become quite sensitive to the affects of water on tea.  Our family home in PA has terrible town supplied well water.   Water has a profound effect on the taste of tea.  Fortunately where we live, surrounded by the Great Lakes, the water is excellent.  We brew our teas with filtered tap water that has been quickly boiled to remove any faint traces of chlorine - but not boiled to death.  I have tried various bottled spring waters but have come to prefer this tap water.  How fortunate.
I often use a Park Jong Il teapot and cup but I want you to see how the leaves and color develop so I’ll use a small glass teapot with a Park Jong Il cup. 

I weigh out 3g of tea leaves for this 150 ml (5oz) teapot.  After warming the pot and cups I add the dry leaves and a ‘splash’ of the hot water to wake them.  I must enjoy the essence of this now hot and wet tea once more with my nose.  The ambrosial juices are released. 

The teapot is filled with water that was heated to about 145F or about 63C.  This tea will stand more heat but at that time I preferred these lower temperatures for delicate green teas. In recent years I've increased the temperature quite a bit (160F -185F) because I've discovered the teas we offer i.e. deep rooted organically grown teas can take the heat. Brewing time then was 35-50 seconds for first brew. Today I use more tea 3.5g-4g and a much shorter (20-35 seconds) first brew.  Second infusion -10 seconds.*  In either case, it pours into my cup a sweet, fresh slightly savory, roasty and lightly slippery tea that coats my mouth - delicious.  I am not one to describe taste well but I like what I am tasting and believe you will too. (I know, I'm also disappointed that I can't describe this tea's taste. I always like those references to various smells and tastes. If you are good at it, please share your experience with me.)
As a side note, I never rinse or wash any of my Korean tea leaves to get rid of dust or fannings not even our balhyochas.  They don’t need it.

 

The tea is delicious smooth gentle and savory more roasty than I expected but not a robust flavor.  That will come with the larger tea leaves.  A delicious tea that lives up to its name.  For I'm able to relax while "doing nothing" and simply enjoy this amazing tea moment.

These are Mu-wi leaves after brewing.  List price in 2013 $28.00. Price now $27.00. We continue to promote Korean teas at near non-profit prices.  If you are reading this in 2022, our TeaBuy Korea 2022 is open between the Lunar New Year Day Feb 1, 2022 or 4355 and Gogu Day April 20, 2022. We want to be first in line and get these to you as quickly as possible.  Chick here to go to our TeaBuy where some prices are at our cost. 
Did you miss the posts on Picking Tea in Korea?  Click here.
Would you like to learn more about Balhyochas? Click here.
 
For Your Information:
Morning Crane Tea is an educational enterprise not a commercial tea venture.  Visit our work at Morning Earth Korea. Click here. If while you are there you would like to contribute a little for our work, we would appreciate it.  

If you would like to learn how Hal Il Nam brews his teas email me.