Omija Cha

Schisandra (omija) berries steeped in water — the five-flavor berry in Korean and Chinese medicine for 2,000+ years, documented in the Joseon Dongui Bogam (1613).

Omija Cha — Korean for five-flavor berry tea — is prepared from the dried berries of Schisandra chinensis (called omija in Korean and wu wei zi in Chinese), a climbing vine native to northeastern China and the Korean peninsula whose fruit possesses the remarkable property of containing all five basic tastes simultaneously: sweet (from sugars), sour (from organic acids including citric and malic), salty (from mineral content), bitter (from lignans and other compounds), and pungent or spicy (from the essential oil schisandrin). This five-flavor property, which can be experienced distinctly in a single berry as different flavors register on different parts of the tongue in sequence, has made omija one of the most celebrated ingredients in both Korean and Chinese traditional medicine for over two thousand years. The berry is classified in traditional Korean medicine as a tonic for the five organs (heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney), each associated with one of the five tastes, and appears in classical Korean medical texts including the Dongui Bogam (Dongui Treasure Mirror), the comprehensive Korean medical encyclopedia compiled by physician Heo Jun and published in 1613 under royal patronage during the Joseon Dynasty. Omija Cha's preparation involves steeping dried berries in cold or warm water until the liquid turns a vivid crimson-pink, then sweetening with honey. The resulting tea has a flavor of genuine complexity.