Kukicha Plantation - Japan

Kukicha Plantation - Japan



This month we're travelling all the way around the globe for your Golden Discover Tea, and landing on the volcanic island Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan to bring you one of the healthiest BRUU’s on the planet, a handpicked Kukicha Green Tea.

Kukicha, also known as twig tea, is made using stems, stalks and twigs which are usually excluded from the processing of other teas. Most teas are made using tea leaves, but this tea is made using only the stalks. Due to this, Kukicha is naturally very low in caffeine and also extremely healthy, as the stems have absorbed all the multiple properties, minerals and vitamins of nature around them. The area the tea is harvested is volcanic which creates a mineral-rich soil, all contributing to a very unique tasting tea. Kukicha is a very healthy drink. It contains copper, selenium, manganese, calcium, zinc, fluoride and vitamins A, C and B complex. Some people have even claimed that twig tea contains more calcium than cows milk. To keep the tea as naturally low in caffeine as possible, growers only select older twigs that are three years old and often harvest from the autumn and winter growing season. Some people even refer to this teas as ‘three-year tea’. Kukicha brews with a yellow-green liquor which can be likened to a glass of white wine. The infusion itself has a notably sweet aroma but without the vegetal notes of many other Japanese green teas. It has a delightfully fresh flavour with a very gentle astringency and a nutty finish and is delicious served either warm or iced.


Location: Kagoshima Prefecture 
Country: Japan
Capital City: Kagoshima
Coordinates: 31°36′N 130°33′E 
Elevation: 1,117m elevation above sea level  
Soil type: Mineral-rich Volcanic Soil 
Manufacture: Smallhold tea estates
Season: Autumn
Av temp: 28 °C


Fun facts:
> Kagoshima’s nickname is “Naples of the Eastern World”
> Men and women don’t wash their clothes together.
> Slurping is a sign of enjoyment.
> In Japan the traditional Christmas Eve meal is KFC.
> The number four is extremely unlucky.
> There’s a bizarre naked festival.