How to Make Korean Five-Grain Tea (Ogokcha) | The Grain an Old Korean Medical Book Called Warming

After a meal, when the stomach felt unsettled, Korean grandmas served a toasty grain tea instead of plain water. It takes just two ingredients: roasted grains and water. What do old medical books, and today's research, say about this humble cup?

Where It Comes From

Ogokcha is a nutty, toasty grain tea from Korean homes, made by simmering roasted grains and drinking the result like water. Korean families have sipped it with meals, or when the stomach didn't feel quite right, in place of plain water.

Ingredients (Serves 5)

Ingredient	Amount
Roasted mixed grains (barley, brown rice, black beans, corn, Job's tears, etc.)	20 g (about 2 Tbsp)
Water	1000 ml (about 4¼ cups)

How to Make It

Getting the grains ready: Store-bought roasted grain-tea mixes can go straight into the pot. To roast your own, rinse the grains and dry them completely, then toast each grain separately (they brown at different speeds) in a dry pan over low heat, stirring, until golden and nutty-smelling. Let them cool.

1. When the water comes to a boil, add the grains.
2. Simmer on low heat for 10–15 minutes.
3. Strain, and drink it warm or chilled.

The Good Parts

• Sipping it warm is an easy way to stay hydrated.
• It has no caffeine, so it's a nice choice in the evening.

What the Old Books Say

• Donguibogam (Korea, 1613), barley entry: barley boosts energy and settles the stomach, and of the five grains it is the best for warming the body.
• Bencao Gangmu (China, 1596), barley entry: it eases thirst, clears heat, and "settles the middle" (the stomach).

What Research Says Today

In a small 2019 randomized, double-blind trial by Kirin researchers in Japan (12 people), drinking roasted barley tea kept the skin on the top of the foot warmer than a look-alike placebo drink while people sat in a 25.5 °C air-conditioned room (−3.7 °C vs −4.6 °C after 100 minutes). It's one small study, on barley tea rather than the full five-grain blend, so think of it as an early report.

Today's Rating

Evidence	Safety
★★ (some studies, limited results)	🟢 (safe in normal food amounts)

How We Suggest Enjoying It

With meals, in place of water.

Just One Caution

• Check the allergy label on store-bought grain blends. They may contain allergens such as soy or wheat.

Sources

• Donguibogam, barley entry (Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine classics library, https://mediclassics.kr/)
• Bencao Gangmu, barley entry — https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/本草綱目
• Roasted Barley Extract (Mugicha) Containing Cyclo(d-Phe-l-Pro), J Nutr Sci Vitaminol 2019;65:90-93 — https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jnsv/65/1/65_90/_article/-char/en

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This article introduces traditional food customs. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please talk to your doctor if you have health concerns.