What’s a great way to stay trim and quench your thirst at the same time? It’s simple, drink tea! Here are some of the most common herbal teas that Korean people drink:

Boricha (보리차) is basically barley tea. The barley that is used to make this drink is unhulled and roasted before it is stewed in hot water. The barley is unhulled because it is generally believed that this is healthier than hulled barley. Barley tea is great because it has a strong nutty flavor. It can be sipped when cold or hot, so it’s a great drink for the summer and winter months.

Oksusucha (옥수수차) literally means ‘corn tea’. To make this tea, individual kernels of corn are separated from the cob. Then they are roasted until the kernels turn brown. Lastly, the kernels are brewed in hot water until the water turns yellowish. Oksusucha tastes slightly sweet, and what’s more is that doctors recommend it for diabetes and those with high blood pressure.

Hongcha (홍차) refers to black tea. It’s similar to coffee in that it is generally darker in color than most teas and is also higher in caffeine than most other teas. Hongcha also has the tendency to taste bitter, but the good thing about hongcha is that there are studies that show that drinking hongcha may reduce cardiovascular diseases.

Hyeonmicha (현미차) is brown rice tea. Brown rice is healthier than white rice and has the effect of increasing blood circulation and preventing constipation. Like the other teas, hyeonmicha is made by brewing brown rice in hot water. The best way to describe the taste of hyeonmicha is that it is weaker in flavor than the hongcha, but not sweet like the oksusucha.

Nokcha (녹차) is green tea. In Korea green tea is sometimes used for weight loss. People say that green tea is good for suppressing appetite and reducing caloric intake. In addition to tea, some people use green tea to make all sorts of confectionary like cakes. When brewing green tea, it’s important not to overbrew. Overbrewing may cause the green tea to taste too bitter.