Story Of Hadong
Early 2024, an exciting collaboration around artisanal Korean teas began between Antea Social and Saero Collective began as the two brands visited Hadong, famous for its wild tea farms. Located down south of the peninsula in South Gyeongsang province, Hadong is nestled within the rolling mountains of Jirisan, the highest mountain on South Korea’s mainland.
To the locals, Jirisan is known as the grandmother mountain, with its wide range spanning across three different provinces, enveloping all the local villages like a warm embrace. Located near Seomjingang River and Hwagaecheon Stream, the wild tea farms in Hadong have foggy, humid conditions and a wide daily temperature range, making it optimal for tea growing.
Every year, when its harvest season in March, local grandmothers carefully hand-pick the tea leaves on the difficult terrain of Jirisan’s cliffs. Due to its wild nature, Hadong teas are not easily available in the markets outside South Korea due to limited production.
Run by family-owned farmers who have been friends for decades, Hadong is made of a close-knitted tea-loving community which welcomed us warmly. By spending time with the local tea farmers in Hadong, personal and intimate stories were shared over many cups of tea.
4 different Korean teas, all made with native ingredients from Hadong and the neighbouring villages will be released.