Long ago, when winter descended upon a tiny war-torn country in Asia called Korea, oversized aluminum kettles called jujunja made their way to the tops of thousands of heaters in chilly classrooms and offices across the country. Kids warmed their hands around it and at lunchtime drank hot barley or corn tea from it while diving into their dosirak lunches.
I can’t remember exactly what made me want to get one, maybe it was the big bag of roasted corn that I saw at the Korean grocery store, or maybe it was the memory of my mom keeping all our mugs constantly full of steaming hot tea during our last Christmas together. Whatever the reason, it’s hard to overstate how much both my husband and I love our big round bellied jujunja.
Through most of the long months of working from home, our beloved jujunja has lived on our stovetop and served us up an endless stream of hot Korean tea along with a lovely side of nostalgia. We keep a jar of Korean roasted corn on the countertop and make a couple days’ worth of tea at a time.
Our jujunja has been a stalwart companion to us during the ups and downs of the entire pandemic. It’s amazing how much a single item so delightfully and purposefully reconnects us with our roots. Get one now and thank me later.
Recipe for Roasted Corn Tea
- Fill the jujunja halfway up with water (about 2 Liters).
- Bring to a boil and add 1.5 cups of roasted corn.
- Lower the heat and simmer tea for 10 minutes.
- Reheat the tea for up to 2 days.
Resources:
4L Stainless Steel Jujunja, $27
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