Corn tea is a popular Korean beverage made from roasted corn kernels. A mild, light drink, see how to make it hot and cold.
Corn Tea
- Corn tea is an herbal tea made from steeping roasted corn kernels in water.
- It’s caffeine-free.
- Called oksusucha in Korean, corn tea is a very popular drink that’s made all year round, hot and cold.
- In Korean restaurants, it’s served instead of water since it’s a mild, light drink.
- To make hot tea, use whole roasted corn kernels steeped in hot water.
- To make iced corn tea, use tea bags steeped in cold water.
Corn tea Brewing Guide
TO MAKE HOT ROASTED CORN TEA
TEA: 3 tablespoons roasted corn kernels
WATER: 4 cups (32 fl. oz.)
WATER TEMPERATURE: 208°F
STEEP TIME: 10 minutes
TO MAKE COLD BREW ROASTED CORN TEA
TEA: 1 roasted corn tea bag
WATER: 4 cups (32 fl. oz.)
WATER TEMPERATURE: Cold water
STEEP TIME: 1 hour
Whole Corn Kernels vs Tea Bags
To make corn tea, you have two options: you can either use whole corn kernels or use crushed corn kernels in tea bags.
Whole corn kernels take longer to make but it’s my preferred way to make hot tea. The flavor is smoother than crushed corn kernels in tea bags.
Corn kernels in tea bags are crushed and broken into small pieces to make it quicker to brew. The drawback is that it lacks the depth of flavor you get from the whole kernel. I use tea bags when I make cold brew roasted corn tea. It’s so much easier than brewing whole corn kernels hot then cooling it down.
What You’ll Need
TO MAKE HOT CORN TEA
TO MAKE COLD BREW CORN TEA
My Kettle Pick:
Photo Credit: amazon.com
How to Make Hot Roasted Corn Tea
STEP 1: Combine water and corn kernels.
Use a kettle with a mesh strainer or a saucepan.
To make better tasting tea, use filtered water instead of tap water.
Tea Sommelier’s Tip: The best way to make hot roasted corn tea is using whole corn kernels.
STEP 2: Bring to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes.
Brewing it for longer will result in a darker color and more pronounced taste.
STEP 3: Strain kernels and pour hot tea into a teacup.
How to Make Cold Brew Corn Tea
STEP 1: Put corn tea bag and water in a pitcher or glass container.
To make iced corn tea using the cold brew method with a tea bag, there’s no need to heat any water. Use cool or room temperature water.
Tea Sommelier’s Tip: The easiest way to make iced roasted corn tea is by cold brewing roasted corn tea bags.
STEP 2: Cover pitcher and put in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
STEP 3: Discard tea bag and pour tea into a cup.
Ice is optional with cold brew since the tea is already cold.
Corn Tea Tips
- Combine corn and barley tea! Add 1.5 tablespoons of corn tea and 1 tablespoon of barley tea into four cups of water. I love this combo.
- Loose corn tea allows you to adjust the strength of your tea since you can add more or less to your taste.
- Cold brewed tea can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- No need to sweeten this tea — drink it as is.
Questions You May Have
Corn tea has a light, mild, sweet taste. And well, it tastes like watered down corn.
Nope, corn doesn’t have any caffeine and neither does roasted corn tea.
No. Corn tea is made by boiling roasted corn kernels in water while corn silk tea is made by boiling the long strands attached to an ear of corn in water.
No, traditional corn tea is served without sugar.
Store it in an airtight plastic bag or in a glass container with an airtight lid.
Related
- Korean Citron Yuzu Tea
- Quick & Easy Ginger Tea from Scratch
- How to Store Tea Properly
- How to Make Chamomile Tea Properly
- Hibiscus Tea
Roasted Corn Tea
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups water
- 3 tablespoons corn tea or 1 corn tea bag
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine water and corn kernels in a kettle.Filtered water will make a better tasting corn tea than tap water.
- Bring to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes. Brewing it for longer will result in a darker color and more pronounced taste.
- Strain kernels and pour hot tea into a teacup.
Looks interesting, also learned something new today!
I’m curious!! Is corn silk tea sweeter? Does it retain corn flavor without the “roastiness”?
When my mom boiled corn for me to eat, she’d save the water and I enjoyed drinking that.
Hi Emily, I do find corn silk tea to be slightly sweeter than just roasted corn tea. And yes, it definitely retains the corn flavor!
Thanks for this great read. I love corn tea, but I live in a country where I can´t get hold of these products. What kind of corn can I use instead if I want to roast the corn myself?
Hi Antje, I’ve never roasted corn on my own since I always bought it already packaged. The roasted corn I buy have really big kernels so I would go for corn with the biggest kernels you can find.