Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: New Mexico Tea Co.
Product Description:
Kukicha, or twig tea, is a Japanese blend of green tea made of stems, stalks, and twigs, and has a nutty, slightly creamy flavor.
Uniquely flavorful, kukicha is also one of the preferred teas of the macrobiotic diet. Kukicha can also be added to juice to make a children’s drink. Kukicha is a powerful antioxidant and is very low in caffeine, in fact the lowest in caffeine of all traditional teas.
Taster’s Review:
This is the last of the three teas that were included in November Steepster Select box. As I mentioned before, the theme for this month was “Migration” and this tea represents the “scattered branches” left by the migrating birds. Very clever, Steepster. I find this month’s theme to be almost as enjoyable as the tea.
But that’s not said to take anything away from this month’s tea selections, which have all been extraordinarily good. The Diyi Cornfields Shu from Verdant Tea was one of the most unusual and delicious Pu-erh teas I’ve ever tasted. The Bai Mu Dan from Canton Tea proved to be one of the very best white teas and changed my beliefs about Bai Mu Dan! And this Roasted Kukicha is also quite exceptional.
The aroma of the dry leaf is a very strong roasted flavor. It’s really quite delightful and toasty. The fragrance of the brewed tea is quite subdued in comparison. The flavor is a much lighter roasty-toasty kind of flavor than the aroma of the dry leaf would lead me to think.
There is an amazing sweetness to this Kukicha that tastes a bit honeyed as well as caramel-like. It has that sweet, cozy kind of taste that I have come to expect from a Kukicha. The lighter roasted notes allow for some of the nuances of this Kukicha to shine through. It has a beautiful creamy undertone, and a delicious nutty finish. The aftertaste is sweet with the barest hint of smoke that softly lingers.
A very lovely Kukicha. Calm, relaxing and delicious.
Lemon-Lime Meringue Flavored Kukicha from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Product Description:
This is an extremely limited edition blend. We have enough for twenty 2oz. pouches of this blend, then it’s gone. This is a Kukicha green tea blended with lemon myrtle and natural flavors.
We’ve managed to capture the essence of a slice of lemon-lime meringue pie, with a light touch of pastry-like crust, lemon and lime and of course, the meringue. Those of you who have the opportunity to try this are going to be blown away by it. Don’t delay, it’s not going to last long.
Taster’s Review:
I don’t think I’ve ever eaten lemon-lime meringue pie before … but my dear gramma made the best lemon meringue pie ever. The meringue was light, fluffy, creamy and sweet … the way you might imagine a cloud tasting in those dreamy moments when you’re cloud-watching. The lemon filling was slightly tart, but more sweet than tart. It was smooth and rich and creamy. And while I have known some people to just eat the filling out of a pie, with my gramma’s pie, you want to eat the crust, because it was always so perfect … she had a knack for pie baking.
And Frank from 52Teas has a knack for making unusual yet amazingly delicious flavored tea blends.
This particular flavored green Kukicha blend was not one of his “teas of the week” but, rather, a limited-edition V.I.T. (Very Important Tea) and what an important tea it is. This tea has managed to take me back to the memories of my gramma’s lemon meringue pies. It is smooth and creamy and fluffy … tasting like a bite of lemon custard (with just a hint of lime in there too), sweet meringue and buttery pie crust. It even imparts such a sublime texture on the palate, that I feel like I just ate a bite of pie! It is silky smooth and sumptuous.
This is DEFINITELY one of Frank’s best teas to date (I know I’ve said that more than once about teas prior to this review), and it just goes to show why you should subscribe to his newsletter (the subscription sign up is on the right side of the screen), as it will send you an email whenever a new tea like this one is introduced, so that you might avoid missing out on any of his Very Important Teas … this tea may have sold out, but maybe you can get in on his next amazing blend.
Blueberry Green Kukicha from Frontier Co-Op
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Frontier Co-Op
Product Description:
Enjoy this wonderful Japanese organic karigane (green kukicha stem) tea combined with flash freeze-dried organic blueberries. Fresh fruity vegetal flavors deliver very low caffeine content in a satisfying, healthy tea that also happens to help satisfy sweet-tooth cravings.
Taster’s Review:
This is an interesting tea.
The dry leaf (err… stem?) has a scent that is similar to freshly cut grass and blueberry. It is a very pleasant fragrance. Once brewed, the aroma of the tea is different. It still smells of blueberry, but instead of the grassy scent, I am getting a sort of steamed asparagus essence. These two scents together – blueberry and asparagus – make for a somewhat odd smell. Not off-putting, just … odd.
But the flavor is very enjoyable. It tastes strongly of blueberries (a good thing for a blueberry tea to taste strongly of!), and the Kukicha has a vegetative presence. It is grassy with a light astringency at the tail. Kukicha tends to be a lighter tasting tea than, say a Sencha, so the vegetative tone seems relatively strong for the lightness of the tea. But, since I have grown quite fond of that vegetative taste, I don’t mind that at all.
Overall, I found this to be a tasty cup. It’s good hot or iced, and with it being so hot, I’m inclined at the moment to say that I prefer it iced. Ask me again in the middle of winter, and I might flip-flop on that.
I like Frontier Co-Op’s products. These are good quality, organic teas at reasonable prices. And they’re tasty too!
Organic Hojicha from Two Leaves and a Bud
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Two Leaves and a Bud
Product Description:
A Japanese tea-master created a Hojicha for two leaves and a bud like we’ve never tasted before – naturally sweet, young stems of the tea plant yield a smooth, round, almost textural feel in the mouth. It is medium-bodied with a complex but approachable flavor.
Taster’s Review:
I simply love Hojicha tea – I love the roasty-toasty flavor, the hint of smokiness, and the smooth flavor and texture of it. But what I love most about Hojicha is that sweetness that comes from it. It has a natural sweetness to it that is almost like honey – a note that is further enhanced by the smooth mouthfeel. It’s a little like sipping on a thin honey.
This Hojicha from Two Leaves and a Bud is really delightful. Actually, I am thinking that this is more like a blend of roasted Kukicha and Hojicha, because mostly what I see in this blend are stems and twigs, with a few roasted tea leaves in the mix. But, since I love both Kukicha and Hojicha, this tea combines two great tastes that taste great together! (um… that sort of sounds like a commercial for a candy bar, doesn’t it?)
I love Hojicha served hot or iced. Hot, it is quite good served neat and clean with no additions (although it is very nicely paired with some of these crackers from O Pair), and iced, it is positively refreshing with a squeeze of lemon!
This Hojicha is divine – It is sweet and savory at the same time. For those out there who resist green teas because they don’t like that grassy taste – try Hojicha. The roasting of the tea leaves and stems removes the vegetative taste that is often associated with green tea, and replaces it with a lovely caramelized quality. Delicious!
Coconut Kukicha Masala Chai from Yogic Chai
Tea Type: Green Tea/Chai
Where To Buy: Yogic Chai
Product Description:
Product Details
Herbal Properties:
– Kukicha Tea: Popular among the macrobiotic community. Kukicha is a powerful antioxidant* and is very low in caffeine, in fact the lowest in caffeine of all traditional teas.– Cardamom: A household spice that is commonly used to support digestion without increasing Heat.* It has expectorant and diaphoretic actions. (sweat inducing)* The mucus forming properties of milk are neutralized when cardamom is added to it.*
– Cinnamon: This warming spice is traditionally used in cold formulas as an expectorant and diaphoretic (sweat inducing).* Due to its warming property, cinnamon is known to promote digestion.*
– Cloves: An energizing herb,* cloves are an effective stimulant and aromatic for the lungs and stomach.* Cloves are used extensively in Ayurvedic herbology.
– Ginger: In Ayurvedic and Chinese herbology, Ginger is known to have heating, cleansing, toning and stimulating properties.* Ginger promotes digestion, relieves abdominal discomfort, dispels chills and it is also useful for relieving respiratory complaints due to phlegm and arthritic conditions due to coldness.*
– Coconut: Coconut, says vaidya Mishra, Director of Maharishi Ayurveda’s Product Research and Development, is considered a divine plant in vedic tradition. Whenever you perform a sacred ceremony like a yagna, havan or puja, a coconut must grace the occasion.
- This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Tasters Review:
Coconut Kukicha Masala Chai from Yogic Chai REALLY surprised me!
For one…I never would have thought of flavoring kukicha with these chai ingredients but now that it has been done I am glad it was done and I think it’s genius!
The Cardamom and Cinnamon are NOT overly strong at all…they are wonderfully content sitting in the background! As are the Ginger and Clove. The primary flavors are the Kukicha and Coconut which are bold!
As for the aroma it’s a coconut-twig-toasty-nutty-slightly coffee bean-type scent that I have never sniffed before!
This is very creative..a unique blend of flavors and a daring and bold move! And a successful one, I might add!! This exceeded my expectations and was a wondrous surprise!
