Varieties Of Green Tea - Kukicha
Kukicha (茎茶), or twig tea, is a Japanese blend of green tea made of stems, stalks, and twigs. Also known as ‘twig tea’, Kukicha is the lowest in caffeine of the traditional teas. Kukicha Tea contains 90 percent less caffeine than regular brewed coffee. It is soothing and balancing with a rich flavor and is an ideal meal’s end serving.
Kukicha has a nutty, slightly creamy flavour, with a slight taste of rooibos. It is made of four sorts of stems, stalks and twigs of Camellia sinensi. For best results, kukicha is steeped in water between 70 to 80 C (155 - 180 degrees Fahrenheit) for three minutes (otherwise, like all green teas, the result will be a bitter, unsavoury brew).
Uniquely flavourful, Kukicha is also one of the preferred teas of the macrobiotic diet. Kukicha can also be added to juice to make an excellent children’s drink. Kukicha is a powerful anti-oxidant and is very low in caffeine, in fact the lowest in caffeine of all traditional teas.
Kukicha is rich in natural tannins that aid in digestion of grains, and has a peculiar ability to neutralize both acids and alkalines in food we consume. Due to its particularly low levels of caffeine, Kukicha is considered to be an ideal beverage for both children and adults. Kukicha blends well with apple juice. Simply mix half kukicha and half apple juice for a perfect beverage for children. Kukicha is one of the most popular teas sold in natural food stores.
The story of Kukicha is curious and interesting. Land is a scarce resource in Japan, making all agriculture a pricy endeavor. So it became essential for the Japanese farmer to extract as much value from each tea bush as possible. Necessity being the mother of invention, the Japanese have been ingenious at devising tea varieties that are unheard of in countries more land-endowed. One such product is Kukicha. Twigs are an unusual tea ingredient. However, combined with green leaves they form a serendipitous mixture, with a unique taste and aroma. Well worth a try.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, tropicaltraditions.com, adagio.com