Kukicha (茎茶), or twig tea, also known as bōcha (棒茶), is a Japanese blend made of stems, stalks, and twigs. It is available as a green tea or, as in this case, in more oxidised/roasted processing. Kukicha has a unique flavour and aroma among teas, due to its being composed of parts of the tea plant that are excluded from most other teas.

The light brown leaves/stems/stalks have been lightly steeped, then roasted, bringing both floral and roasted aromas to the fore and steeps to a light brown liquor with a typically soft, roasted, sweet caramel. Due to the roasting our Kuki Hojicha is very low in caffeine and suitable for evening slurps and children.

Our Hojicha comes from a traditional Kyoto tea store, established in 1803.

Cultivars - mixed and blended.

Preparation- use approximately 2g of leaf per 100ml and steep for 2-4 mins at 90-95° according to taste. A second steep is possible with slightly cooler water and a shortened first steep.

N.B. NOW AVAILABLE HOJICHA POWDER- low caffeine, fairly strongly roasted, green tea powder. A wonderful alternative to coffee when you don't need the "buzz", this super-fine powder works also well in lattes or baking. try some soon...!!!

A note- We finally have our favoured Japanese teas back in stock after a horrible time with COVID logistics. Shipping is STILL a drag and a slight price increase was needed to reflect this. Hoping this will change into the future but until then thanks for your understanding, Stu