Boricha: Korean Roasted Barley Tea and the Culture of Drinking Water

When you sit down at a Korean restaurant in Korea, the server brings a pitcher or thermos of tea before any ordering happens. It's not hot green tea. It's not water. It's boricha (보리차) — roasted barley tea, a slightly earthy, toasty, caffeine-free infusion that Koreans drink as their default everyday beverage.

This is the drink that most Korean households have on the table at all times. It's in the refrigerator ready to drink cold in summer; it's in a thermos warm in winter. Korean parents give it to infants as the first drink beyond breast milk. It's the flavor that for many Koreans simply means "home."

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What Boricha Is

Boricha is made by brewing whole roasted barley grains (borit, 보리) in water. Nothing else. The barley is dry-roasted until it darkens and develops a toasty, slightly nutty aroma, then simmered or steeped in hot water.

The result:

• Color: Dark amber to light brown, depending on roasting level and brew strength
• Flavor: Toasty, slightly earthy, faintly nutty — like very mild roasted grain. No sweetness unless added.
• Caffeine: None — barley is not tea (Camellia sinensis) and contains no caffeine
• Taste intensity: Subtle; boricha is not a bold drink. The pleasure is in the warmth, the clean grain character, and the satisfying lack of sweetness.

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Why Boricha Is Korea's Water Substitute

Several factors explain boricha's ubiquity as an everyday drink:

Historical water quality: In pre-modern Korea, tap water was not reliably safe. Boiling water to make boricha was a practical sanitation method — the heat killed pathogens, and the barley contributed minimal flavor, making it more palatable than plain boiled water.

No caffeine: Unlike green tea or coffee, boricha has no stimulant effect. It can be drunk throughout the day and night, by everyone including children and pregnant women.

Low cost: Barley is one of the cheapest grains in Korea. Making boricha is essentially free compared to other beverages.

Neutral flavor profile: Boricha is intentionally bland and gentle — it's a background drink, not a featured flavor. This makes it the ideal table drink that doesn't compete with food flavors.

Digestive reputation: Korean folk medicine attributes mild digestive benefits to boricha. Whether or not this is clinically established, the cultural belief is widespread — boricha is associated with digestive ease, which reinforces its post-meal consumption.

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How to Make Boricha

Stovetop Method (Traditional)

Ingredients:

• 2 liters water
• 3-4 tablespoons roasted barley grains (borit, available at Korean grocery stores pre-roasted)

Method:

1. Add roasted barley to cold water in a pot
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes
3. Strain out barley grains
4. Serve hot, or cool and refrigerate for cold boricha

Strength: More barley or longer simmering produces darker, slightly more intense tea. Standard Korean household boricha is fairly light — a medium amber, not strong.

Quick Steep Method

For pre-roasted barley:

1. Bring water to a boil
2. Add barley (1 tbsp per cup), remove from heat
3. Steep 10-15 minutes
4. Strain and serve

Teabag Method

Boricha is widely sold in teabag form — convenient, consistent, and faster than loose grain. Simmer one or two teabags per 1.5-2 liters for 5-10 minutes, or steep in boiling water for 10 minutes. This is how most Korean households make boricha daily.

Brands: Dongwon, Damtuh, and Ottogi all produce well-regarded boricha teabags. All three are available at Korean grocery stores internationally.

Cold Brew Boricha

Boricha can be cold-brewed without heating:

1. Add 2 teabags or 3 tablespoons loose barley to 1.5-2 liters cold water
2. Refrigerate 8-12 hours
3. Remove barley/teabags and serve cold

Cold-brew boricha is milder and slightly sweeter than hot-brewed — the cold extraction pulls less bitter compounds from the grain. This is a common summer preparation.

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How Boricha Is Served in Korea

At restaurants: Served instead of water, usually in a metal pitcher or glass carafe. Arrives immediately when seated; often refilled automatically.

At home: Kept in a large glass pitcher or thermos. In summer, stored cold in the refrigerator. In winter, kept warm in an insulated thermos on the table.

For children: Boricha is one of the first non-milk drinks given to Korean infants — as early as 4-6 months old, parents use boricha (heavily diluted) as a safe water alternative because of its gentle flavor and absence of caffeine or sugar.

As a health drink: Boricha is widely consumed during and after illness, perceived as easy on digestion and hydrating.

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Boricha vs. Related Grain Teas

Korea has a broader culture of roasted grain teas:

Oksusu cha (옥수수차): Roasted corn tea. Slightly sweeter and more distinctively flavored than boricha. Also commonly served at Korean restaurants, sometimes alternating or mixed with boricha.

Hyeonmi cha (현미차): Roasted brown rice tea. Nuttier and slightly more complex than boricha. The roasted brown rice is the same ingredient used in genmaicha in Japan.

Daechu cha (대추차): Korean jujube (red date) tea — sweet, red, warming. Used as a health tonic and cold remedy rather than an everyday water substitute.

Yujacha (유자차): Citron tea — sweet, intensely citrusy. A special-occasion drink, not an everyday water replacement.

Boricha and oksusu cha are the everyday water substitutes; the others are more specific health or specialty drinks.

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Buying Boricha

Korean grocery stores: Available in teabag form (boxes of 30-50 teabags) and as whole roasted barley grain. Teabags are more convenient for everyday use.

Online: Most Korean grocery retailers carry boricha teabags internationally. Also available on major e-commerce platforms.

Pre-made bottled boricha: In Korea, boricha is sold in 500ml PET bottles at every convenience store — a ready-to-drink version. Not widely exported, but sometimes available at Korean convenience stores internationally.

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The complete Korean pantry starts with kimchi and gochujang but extends to boricha on the table. It's so fundamental to Korean daily life that its presence on a table immediately signals Korean food culture — which is perhaps why Korean restaurants worldwide continue to serve it, even in countries where the custom is unfamiliar to first-time diners.

The first taste is sometimes surprising — "this isn't sweet, this barely tastes like anything." By the third glass, it's exactly right.

Related reading: Korean Bansang Meal Culture Guide | Korean Sikhye Sweet Rice Drink | Korean Dining Etiquette Guide