Kukicha 🇯🇵

Kukicha // Karigane


Green Tea


From Wazuka, Soraku District, Kyoto Prefecture, Honshu Island Japan

25g Tin


or

Low Waste Refill (compostable bag) with discount code: REFILL

Naturally very low in Caffeine!

A beautiful and bright high grade Kukicha with its fine stems and leaf particles of rich greens and vibrant flecks, carefully and finely processed. Creating full grassy aromas with touches of chestnut. The tea soup is a distinct pale yellow hue, giving a light body and smooth feel, subtle sweetness and balanced touches of umami, edamame and a gentle nuttiness.

This is the highest grade Kukicha, made from leaf veins and fine stems of Tencha, Tencha being the type used for drinking grade Matchas. Ensuring nothing of the tea plant is wasted. This ethos reflects upon the Japanese Zen Buddhist philosophy surrounding wholeness, nothing wasted.

Kukicha is low in caffeine as it’s made from stems and leaf particles. Caffeine in the tea plant is present in the leaves and buds. Kukicha is full of nutrition, with vitamins concentrated in the stem making for a bright and refreshing experience.

Harvested in May, The Tencha has been grown using a mix of cultivars that’s shaded for three weeks. This shading develops the deep green colour of leaf whilst also developing umami flavours and further nuances. By utilising this method, the levels of amino acid theanine and levels of caffeine are increased.

The tea bushes growing in Wazuka have really benefitted from a combination of no late frosts damaging the plant and very consistent weather for growing this year. With similar growth seen across the tea garden regardless of cultivar. Resulting in a very busy Spring harvest with amazing quality and particularly noted this year are very complex fruity notes in the flavour profiles.

Wazuka is a tea town in the southeastern area of Kyoto Prefecture. Wazuka has been a tea growing location since the Kamakura period as a main producer following Uji tea processing methods. It thought that the Kaijūsen-ji temple introduced tea to the area and Zen Buddhist monk, Shonin Jishin was the first to cultivate tea on Mt Jubu and then in Wazuka.

Brew Guide Per Cup:
Tea 1 teaspoon (3-4g)
Water 80ºc / 300ml
Brew time 1-2 minutes
Re-infuse leaves 2 - 3 times to personal taste.

Can be brewed as a cold infusion for a refreshing sweet flavour.