Country of Origin: Japan
Leaf Appearance: varied shades of green, stemmy
Ingredients: green tea
Steep time: 1 minute
Water Temperature: 175 degrees
Preparation Method: Hagi glazen houjin
Liquor: pale green
Kukicha is often a lower quality tea because it is comprised mostly of stems. That doesn’t make it bad but it obviously would not be as well made as a fine sencha. This one is a bit different because it is made with 50% Gyokuro stems. It was vegetal and sweet with a very strong grassy aroma. I have a habit of chewing the leaves that fall into my cup and they tasted oddly oceanic. Multiple infusions abound, especially when using a small brewing vessel like my houjin. If you are a Gyokuro addict like me, this tea would a make an excellent substitute for daily drinking. I think that it would also work very well for cold brewing. Aiya America Organic Matcha green tea is one of my go to companies for Japanese greens. Although it is no longer required, they test their teas monthly and post the results on their website. How is that for full disclosure!