Kukicha Kabuse Organic Japan

KUKICHA KABUSE JAPANESE, KAGOSHIMA

- Japanese Tea -

The Kukicha is a type of green tea, originating from Japan (Kagoshima Province).

The harvest comes from organic farming and is from June 2023.

Another Japanese tea freshly imported from Terza Luna!

This Organic Kukicha Kabuse tea available online is obtained by harvesting and subsequent drying of the plant's twigs, almost completely free of caffeine.

The suffix Kabuse indicates that the tea plants are shaded before harvesting. This leads to a high percentage of chlorophyll in the leaves, making the infusion sweeter and richer in properties. Chlorophyll is one of the most powerful natural catalysts, making the plant's antioxidants more available.

This Kukicha tea presents an unusual combination of green leaves and small twigs. It is the combination of these two components that produces the unique taste of Kukicha tea, a kind of mix between the predominantly grassy flavor of green tea and the sweet taste of chestnuts. A green tea dedicated to those who love to discover and offer their guests new flavors.

Our organic Kukicha contains only one-tenth of the caffeine of classic green tea and represents a pleasant alternative. Spring harvests of green tea are always preferable if you are looking for antioxidant properties. In fact, the plant emerges from the winter rest period in which it has had the opportunity to enrich itself with active ingredients. Spring harvests are the first that the plant undergoes after a long period of rest.

Our online tea shop also offers a roasted version of Kukicha tea, 100% organic. Choose your preference. Also, visit the section dedicated to loose teas on our website to discover hundreds of different tea varieties.

Kukicha tea: Japanese green tea without caffeine

Kukicha tea is a type of Japanese green tea almost completely free of caffeine. It is a very particular tea, as unlike most teas, it is made from twigs and stems rather than the plant's leaves.

The term kukicha (茎茶) literally means twig tea (where the root cha stands for tea and kuki for twigs).

The green kukicha tea available online at Terzaluna is a kukicha kabuse obtained from twigs resulting from the processing of two Japanese teas, Gyokuro and Sencha, subjected to a sifting and separation process from the leaves. Another famous variety of this tea is the kukicha of Bancha tea.

Gyokuro is considered the most precious variety of tea in Japan. It is a Kabuse tea, that is, a shaded tea: in Japan, precious teas are subjected to a shading process before harvesting, an additional step in cultivation that is carried out by placing canopies over the crops. With shading, the plant tends to 'stress' and produce a lot of chlorophyll, making the tea particularly antioxidant. Gyokuro, specifically, has a shading process of about three weeks, slightly longer than that of other kabuse teas.

Japanese Kukicha tea obtained from Gyokuro is consequently a tea of the highest quality, and the best kukicha you can taste. It is a very refreshing tea, with a slightly sweet taste and a unique aroma due to the unusual mix of leaves and twigs. Its flavor is very reminiscent of Japanese green tea, with fresh and more herbaceous notes, and is highly appreciated by lovers of other Japanese teas such as bancha, konacha and hojicha.

Kukicha Tea: benefits and properties

The benefits of kukicha tea are numerous; it is almost entirely free of theine, and it is an alkalizing beverage rich in antioxidants. In Japan, it is considered a healthy drink suitable for everyone.

Kukicha: the theine-free green tea

Many ask us for information about the relationship between kukicha tea and theine. Let's delve deeper into this aspect regarding the presence or absence of theine or caffeine in kukicha.

Theine is generally found in tea leaves, and it is a very acidifying molecule for the body's tissues. Kukicha contains negligible amounts of it, being mainly obtained from the plant's twigs which are instead extremely rich in minerals, such as calcium and iron, beneficial to our body and normally scarce in the leaves. This natural absence of caffeine makes kukicha tea an alkalizing beverage, recommended in macrobiotics to normalize blood pH and balance the acidity levels of the body, counteracting the excess caused by the foods we consume, sports, or simply daily activities. This property of kukicha allows it to be consumed even during meals, thus favoring its digestive action.

Alkalizing properties of kukicha

The alkalizing property is particularly pronounced in aged kukicha, as the older the plant gets, the richer it becomes in minerals. The roasted kukicha available online at Terzaluna, for example, obtained from a three-year-old plant, is very alkalizing and completely theine-free, as the plant's age makes it rich in minerals useful for lowering blood pH and the roasting process completely eliminates any trace of caffeine.

For this reason, kukicha tea can be consumed in large quantities; having no acidifying properties but being rich in minerals, it is a refreshing, invigorating, astringent, and therefore purifying beverage. 

Contraindications of kukicha tea

Kukicha tea has no particular contraindications, unless there are intolerances to the plant itself: it is indeed extremely beneficial, rich in minerals, antioxidant, and hydrating; it is possible to drink 2-3 cups a day. Kukicha tea can be consumed during pregnancy, and it is very suitable for children.

Gastritis problems? Kukicha is the tea for you.

Unlike other teas, being naturally decaffeinated, kukicha has no side effects for those suffering from gastritis, and indeed helps to combat it: for them, we recommend a roasted kukicha like Kaga Boucha or the three-year-old Kukicha, with a more intense roasting and non-existent theine values. The minimal amounts of theine that may be present in kukicha kabuse due to the small leaves on the twigs are completely eliminated through roasting.

What does macrobiotics say?

While classic kukicha is refreshing, roasted kukicha is warming and very antioxidant, recommended in macrobiotics to be consumed in winter and during seasonal changes, as it has energetic properties. It is also recommended for the elderly, for weak individuals, or to counteract poor blood circulation. 

Roasted kukicha has a different flavor from non-roasted, reminiscent of Kaga Boucha, with a hazelnut-like aftertaste, while the three-year-old kukicha has a more woody flavor.

Kukicha tea: how to prepare it?

There are several ways to enjoy and prepare kukicha tea, with both hot and cold infusions.

For the classic hot method, we suggest using one gram of kukicha per 100 ml of water. For a cup of kukicha tea (about 180 ml), a couple of grams of Japanese tea in infusion for ½ min (depending on whether you want it more intense or less) in 80°C water will be enough. If it is a very fresh tea, like the kukicha for sale on Terzaluna, coming from shaded plants, the infusion of the twigs can be repeated a couple of times, being careful to let them dry before the new infusion.

Cold kukicha tea: traditional Japanese method vs. cold brew infusion

Our suggestion for cold kukicha tea is to prepare it using a typical method of preparing Japanese green tea with ice infusion. This method, called Kōridashi, involves putting about 300-400 grams of ice and 10-12 grams of kukicha in a pitcher, letting the ice melt slowly.

This process takes about 3-4 hours and creates an infusion of kukicha, which can be enjoyed once filtered.

For a more classic cold preparation of kukicha, simply mix 10-12 grams of kukicha in a liter of water, and leave the infusion in the refrigerator overnight, so that it is ready to be filtered and consumed in the morning.

Recipes and pairings

Kukicha tea can be consumed as it is, but often in the macrobiotic diet, it is paired with various ingredients. Here are some ideas:

• Kukicha with umeboshi and kuzu - recommended for periods when our body is not at 100%, especially at the intestinal and respiratory levels
• Kukicha with tamari - to add minerals to our kukicha.

Discover the organic Kukicha tea for sale online at terzaluna.com

Many people often ask us where to buy high-quality organic kukicha tea online. That's why we have selected the best qualities of organic kukicha tea and made them available online for our customers who cannot resist a good cup of this unique Japanese green tea.

The kukicha for sale on this page is a precious kabuse from the Kagoshima region, harvested in April 2019, whose flavor has the well-known herbaceous characteristics of Japanese green teas but with a sweet chestnut aftertaste.

Prices and sizes

• Japanese Organic Kukicha 50 g - 6.00 €
• Japanese Organic Kukicha 100 g - 12.00 €