Pine needle tea facts for kids

Pine needle tea is a special herbal tea made from the long, thin leaves of pine trees. These leaves are called pine needles. Different types of pine trees are used to make this tea.

In Korea, this tea is very popular. Tea made from Korean red pine or Manchurian red pine is called solip-cha (솔잎차). If the tea is made from Korean pine leaves, it's known as jannip-cha (잣잎차) or baek yeop-Cha (백엽 차). In North America, people often use leaves from Eastern white pine for their pine needle tea.

How to Make Pine Needle Tea

Making pine needle tea involves a few steps. The process changes slightly depending on the type of pine needles you use. It also depends on whether you want fresh or fermented tea.

Making Solip-cha

Solip-cha is usually made from the needles of Korean red pine or Manchurian red pine. People often gather the pine needles around December. They prefer to collect them before midday from sunny spots. The best trees are 10 to 20 years old and grow on the middle of a mountain, facing southeast.

There are two main ways to make solip-cha:

Using Fresh or Dried Needles

First, you gather the pine needles. Then, you soak them in water for a whole day. After soaking, you clean and rinse them well. You need to trim off the sharp tips of the needles. Then, cut them into two or three smaller pieces.

You can use these pieces right away. Or, you can dry them in a shady place for later use. To make the tea, you use about 10 to 15 grams of dried needles. If using fresh needles, use 20 to 30 grams. You infuse them in 60 millilitres (2.1 imp fl oz; 2.0 US fl oz) of water over low heat. Pine needle tea can taste a bit strong. So, people often add honey or sugar to make it sweeter.

Using Fermented Needles

This method uses pine needles that have been fermented. First, you trim the sharp tips from the harvested leaves. Then, you wash them carefully. Next, you place the needles in a sugar solution. This solution is made with 600 millilitres (21 imp fl oz; 20 US fl oz) of water and 100 grams (3.5 oz) of sugar.

You then let this mixture ferment in a sunny spot. In summer, it ferments for about a week. In other seasons, it might take longer. Once the sollip-cha is well-fermented, you filter it through a cloth. This type of tea is usually enjoyed as a cold drink.

Making Jannip-cha

For jannip-cha, people collect pine leaves that grow towards the east. You start by washing 50 grams (1.8 oz) of fresh pine needles. Then, you drain the water from them. Next, you boil these needles in 300 millilitres (11 imp fl oz; 10 US fl oz) of water. Once the water starts to boil, you lower the heat. Let it brew slowly. When it's ready, you drink the tea without the leaves.