Spilling The Tea on Korean Traditional Teahouse in Seoul

While in Korea, I spent a morning inside a serene traditional Korean teahouse. It was tucked inside a small alleyway of Insadong, which I stumbled upon by chance. Curious, I went inside, passing a small courtyard and was greeted warmly by a lady who managed it.

She invited me to change my boots to the teahouse slippers and sit anywhere I liked as the teahouse was empty. I chose the floor seating, pointed to the pictures on the menu and soon was left alone to wander around.

A Meditative Moment inside The Traditional Korean Teahouse

Though I had been to a traditional Korean teahouse during my first trip to Korea, this teahouse felt way more authentic. But then, it could just be my mind playing a trick as I couldn’t recall much about the teahouse in the Bukchon Village except the part where Yin and I sat at the table instead of the floor and how we both loved the snacks we had there.

This teahouse was very well decorated. And the best seats, in my opinion, were the ones overlooking the courtyard, where I sat as well. Observing the square-ish courtyard in the middle, I realized it was another Hanok turned into a teahouse.

After a little more exploring, I decided to stop being a nuisance, sat and meditated. Because why not? I was alone in the teahouse; the tea and snacks were being prepared and I had yet to meditate for the day.

The Tea and Snacks in The Korean Traditional Teahouse Namusae

Eventually, the tea came, accompanied by Yakgwa (Korean honey cookie) and a plate of Gotgamssam – a traditional Korean snack during wintertime. Even today, I have been reminiscing how delicious the cup of tea I had in this traditional Korean teahouse.

The large teacup provided a plentiful quantity. It was warm and sweet, but not so sweet – a wee bit cloudy with slices of fruit inside. Another perfect winter warmer, especially when alternated with a few bites of Gotgamssam.

I left the teahouse feeling zen and nourished, a feeling that lasted throughout my morning in Insadong.

Traditional Korean teahouse is a cultural experience not to be missed while in Korea. There are hundreds of teahouses in Seoul, with at least a dozen in Insadong and Bukchon Village. I’d urge you to try a traditional Korean teahouse like the one above or Moon Bird Only Thinks of the Moon in Insadong before venturing out to the unique but not-so-traditional Korean teahouse ones like Ppong Da Bang.

Moon Bird Only Thinks of the Moon address: 14-3 Insadong 12-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울 종로구 인사동12길 14-3).

Read more on tea and tea traditions in other cultures: Tea Tradition in Nomadic Mongolian Culture // Pulling The Tea of Teh Tarik in Singapore // Teh Botol The National Drink of Indonesia // High Tea in London Double Decker Bus // Melbourne Chai Crawl // Magical Mojo Tea Lounge in Prahran Melbourne // Satya Chai Lounge in Auckland // a short reflection on tea traditions around the world // Eat Chai Repeat.

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