Kukicha: What Do the Stems Change in Tea?
Kukicha is made mainly from green tea stems. Where they come from and how you steep them matter as much as the name.
By Roseline Zhou, Founder
Contents
Do you see mostly fine stems in a package of Japanese tea? It may be kukicha, a tea made mainly from stems separated during the finishing of some green teas. You steep it like leaf tea, but its taste also depends on the tea those stems came from.
Before adjusting the water, we'd ask whether they came from sencha or gyokuro. That detail helps more than a name alone, though the first cup still decides. Japanese tea categories don't all describe the same part of the plant.
Where do kukicha stems come from?
They're separated from young shoots while some green teas are being finished. They may come from sencha or gyokuro. The name karigane sometimes describes stems from gyokuro or a selected sencha. It identifies a material, not a promise of one taste.
We'd look at the stems before preparing the pot: their size and any mixed-in pieces can vary. That observation isn't enough to judge a batch. It simply reminds you that you aren't holding whole leaves.
What can kukicha taste like?
A cup can be fresh, slightly sweet and vegetal. Stems from gyokuro won't necessarily taste like a blend from sencha; steeping adds another variable.
We'd taste the first cup without milk or sugar to recognize its aroma and mouthfeel. If you mainly plan to make a mixed drink, that test may be less useful. Let the tea you'll actually drink guide your choice.
How do you steep kukicha?
To start, use about 1 1/4 tsp (3 g) of stems for 5 fl oz (150 ml) of water at around 176°F (80°C). Steep for one minute, then strain. Taste before increasing the dose. If the package gives another method, follow it first, especially when the tea base is different.
We'd change only one thing at a time. Cooler water may suit stems from gyokuro; a different steeping time will change the cup too. This is an adjustment to your taste, not a rule for every kukicha.
Do kukicha and kabusecha mean the same thing?
No. Kukicha refers to the stems. The name kabusecha describes a green tea whose leaves were shaded before harvest.
We separate the material from the growing method when reading these two names. That makes the label clearer without deciding which infusion you'll like more.
Is kukicha a hojicha?
No. Hojicha means a roasted tea; that process gives it a toasted note. Stems can be part of it, but kukicha isn't roasted by definition.
We'd choose kukicha to discover an infusion of stems, or hojicha to taste that roasting. If a package combines the two, its description matters more than the name alone.