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Japanese green tea offers a vast variety of flavors and textures. As you explore this fascinating world, you'll find true tea treasures. One less-known but promising tea is Japanese Kukicha. Discover this tea specialty from Japan with us.
What Exactly is Kukicha?
The name Kukicha comes from the Japanese words “Kuki” for stem and “Cha” for tea. This unique twig tea is made from different parts of the tea plant, including prized leaves and selected stems and branches. Once seen as a simple everyday tea, Kukicha has now secured a special place in Japanese tea culture. It’s often chosen for its mild and aromatic flavor.
The Art of Making Kukicha
Kukicha was originally created as a resource-efficient tea to make full use of the entire tea plant. This approach maximized the yield from the labor-intensive harvest. Over the years, tea producers have refined their recipes to achieve the perfect balance of stems, branches, and leaves. This skill is considered an art in tea culture.
From Stems & Branches to Your Cup
Kukicha is a byproduct of producing other green teas like Gyokuro, Sencha, or Matcha and is mainly made from the stems and branches. These are carefully separated from the leaves, and a portion of the leaves is added back in a perfect mix to create this unique tea.
Traditional & Modern Techniques Compared
In the past, the buds, leaves, stems, and branches were meticulously separated by hand. While this process required great precision and time, these days, there are ways to speed up this process without compromising quality. After harvest, tea leaves are passed through sieves to sort them and separate the branches. Air currents based on weight also help separate leaves and stems. Japan leads in adopting modern techniques in tea production, while still valuing traditional recipes and culture.
The Distinctive Flavors of Kukicha
Kukicha comes in a variety of flavors due to different blends of stems and leaves and is known for its mild taste and low caffeine content. Let’s explore its flavors more closely.
A Gentle Delight: The Aroma
Kukicha is an easygoing everyday tea and a great introduction to Japanese green teas. The added stems and fine branches contribute to a mild aroma while maintaining the sought-after grassy notes. There's a distinction between Kukicha and Karigane: Kukicha is a mix from Sencha, while Karigane is a stem tea from shaded Gyokuro or Matcha, leading to a sweeter taste and vibrant color. Our KUMANO is a Karigane made from a blend of leaves, stems, and twigs of umami-rich Gyokuro and sweet-tart Sencha.
Sweet to Nutty: Varied Notes
The Camellia sinensis plant can produce a wide range of flavors through different processing methods. Kukicha is known for sweet notes and subtle nutty, woody nuances. Although often seen as a byproduct, it’s a valued tea with a lower caffeine and bitterness level, making it an especially mild green tea.
Our Preparation Tips for Kukicha
Preparing Kukicha is simple and similar to other Japanese green teas like Sencha. This famous twig tea offers advantages in preparation, which we’ll explore.
Kukicha is brewed like Sencha using a traditional Kyusu, a Japanese teapot. When prepared right, it produces a mild, nutty, and slightly sweet-creamy flavor. It has a dark yellow color and a distinct woody aroma. To enjoy it at home, you just need Kukicha leaves, hot water, and a tea set.
The Right Water Temperature & Steeping Time
Kukicha, mainly made of stems, branches, and leaf veins, is less sensitive to higher water temperatures and longer steeping times compared to other green teas, but observing the recommended steeping time helps highlight its flavors. When mixed with leaves from aromatic varieties like Gyokuro, a lower water temperature is best. Kukicha is a popular, easy everyday tea, ideal for beginners. To fully savor its flavors, a steeping time of about 2 minutes is advised.
Creative Ideas for Your Home Tea Ceremony
Japanese green tea like Kukicha is not only about refined flavors and tea craftsmanship but also offers mindful moments of relaxation and enjoyment. It’s perfect as an introductory tea for preparing in a Kyusu and diving into the world of Japanese tea. Use a traditional side-handled teapot, like our modern KYUSU ANTHRACITE. Pour water at the right temperature, let it steep, and pour into cups with a graceful motion. Enjoy the infusion and brew fresh multiple times.
Kukicha from PAPER & TEA: Experience True Quality
Twig teas like Kukicha hold a special place in the green tea world. Our KUMANO, a blend of stems and branches, is an exquisite Karigane made from shaded Gyokuro and unshaded Sencha. It showcases a stunning color play of intense green leaves and light stems, with a light, fresh grassy taste and a subtle sweetness that unfolds pleasantly on the palate—a perfect addition to any tea collection.
