Our organic Kukicha (pronounced KU-key-cha) is a distinctive-looking organic Japanese green tea from the Kagoshima Prefecture that consists of tea leaves mixed with the young stems of the tea plant. For this reason, this organic loose leaf tea is also known as "twig tea." The resulting mixture consists of fairly uniform yellow and medium-green fragments, which yield a pale yellow-green infusion with a sweet aroma. It has an extraordinarily fresh taste with moderate bitterness and notes of cucumber skin. It is not as vegetal as most of our other organic green tea from Japan.
Please note: this Kukicha tea is not roasted. However, if you are looking for a roasted Japanese green tea check out our Organic Houjicha Green Tea. Roasted to perfection, our Houjicha has notes of toasted grain and honey.
Ingredients: organic Japanese green tea
Kagoshima is a prefecture on the island of Kyushu, in Southern Japan which boasts a chain of active and inactive volcanoes that add to the soil content. Kagoshima is the second largest producer of green tea in Japan, and tea has been growing here since the 1300s. However, much of the world never experiences organic tea from Kagoshima because green tea is so popular in Japan that most tea grown in Japan is consumed in Japan; very little is exported. Within Japan, Kagoshima is the furthest distance from the Fukushima disaster. For those concerned with the implications of the Fukushima-Daiichi disaster, we continue to have our organic teas from Japan independently tested for radiation.
At Arbor Teas, we believe tea should be brewed to suit your personal taste. We’re happy to make recommendations to get you started, but don’t hesitate to experiment! When brewing your tea, your main considerations are tea quantity, water temperature, and steeping time. We recommend green and white teas to be steeped for 2 to 3 minutes in water heated to not-quite-boiling, just as bubbles begin to form on the bottom of the pan (approximately 170 to 180 degrees F). For the best flavor, use fresh water whenever possible. Try not to steep your tea longer than necessary, as you’ll extract undesirable bitterness from the leaves. If you want a stronger brew, don’t steep longer, just use more tea. And don’t forget to re-steep your tea leaves to get the most out of your leaf!
Looking for more info? Check out our How-To Guides and Eco-Brewing Tips!
"The look of the dry leaf (and twig!) is always surprising to me! "
"I find this tea a nice alternative to some of our other Japanese teas like Sencha or Gyokuro when I'm not in the mood for quite as "bold" of a green tea flavor."
"I love the appearance of the dry leaf. I think this tea is especially fresh tasting!"
This reminds me of the kinds of green tea I first enjoyed when branching out into green teas before I was able to appreciate the more popular green teas that are typically bolder. Good body, refreshing, with mild astringency and thoughts of citrus. Tastes of cucumber or outer melon flesh, like wood that is still green. While not what I would call a daily, this is on my keeper list to have on hand.
I ordered this on a whim, and I'm very surprised by how much I like it! Its flavor is strongly reminiscent of gyokuro, but the umami flavor isn't as overpowering, nor is it as astringent as sencha. This is definitely one I'll be ordering again.
I like a pure, fresh green tea and this fits the bill. Light, grassy and fresh, love the smell and flavor.
I have been drinking this kukicha every day for almost a year and I love, love, love it. I'm very sensitive to caffeine and I find this has the perfect amount: enough to wake me up a little, but not enough for me to feel the negative effects. The flavor is light but not at all weak.
Exactly what I look for in a green tea; buttery, grassy, light. A bitter smell, but no bitterness in a fresh brew
Moderately savory and vegetal, offering a roasted aroma and creamy mouthfeel
Moderate bitterness and slightly nutty with notes of dark leafy greens like kale