Karigane Kukicha Tea - Murasakino

Karigane Kukicha is a tea made exclusively from the stems of tea leaves. Since it uses the stems of tea leaves grown as gyokuro, it retains the unique umami of gyokuro. However, compared to the leaves, the umami is not as intense, resulting in a refreshing taste. This tea allows you to enjoy the unique sweetness of the stems along with the characteristic umami of gyokuro.

Gyokuro is a high-quality Japanese green tea known for its distinctive umami flavor and cultivation process. Grown in shaded fields for several weeks before harvesting, it develops a rich, sweet flavor with a deep umami taste due to the enhanced chlorophyll and amino acids.

Maruri Yoshida Meichaen, located in Uji, Kyoto, has been producing Uji tea for 16 generations since the Edo period, passing down the tradition from their ancestors. They continue to uphold traditional tea production techniques such as hand-rolled tea processing and the Honzu covering method, which shades tea plants with rice straw mats to enhance flavor and aroma. Their Uji tea is carefully picked from meticulously managed tea farms and crafted with the highest level of skill.

Since 1947, they have participated in the National Tea Competition every year and have won the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award, the top prize, 20 times. The fourteenth-generation owner, Yoshida Kisaburo was registered as intangible cultural heritage in Uji-City. Since then, they have managed the care of Japan's oldest tea farm, Kozan-ji Tea Farm, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site Kozan-ji Temple.

Location: Uji, Kyoto
Taste Profile: Balanced
Cultivar: Samidori + Gokou (Blended)
Steaming Level: Light (Asamushi-cha)

Umami:◾◾
Sweetness:◾◾◾◾
Astringency:◾
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Best for: Enjoying throughout the day, offering a light and balanced blend of umami and sweet flavors.

How to brew:
- Use 8g of tea leaves. (3 servings)

- Add 60ml of 120°F water
- Steep the tea for 2.5 minutes.

- Squeeze out every last drop before serving.

This is the first crop of 2024. 

100g