I’ve really been looking forward to this organic Kukicha touting the same blueberry green flavor profile that got me through finals week. This kukicha style of tea includes twigs from the tea plant so it’s a bit lower in caffeine and usually a bit more woody tasting. To be honest I’m a little judgy about low caffeine teas, I have an assumption that they’ll be less flavorful but I’m more than willing to test my hypothesis, especially since this is my comfort flavors! The stars of this blend are plenty of flat greens (I’m guessing it’s Dragonwell tea / longjingcha) dotted with teensy dried blueberries.
As it brews, it smells earthy but pleasant and delicate, like walking through a forest in the summer, with teases of juicy berries begging to be eaten. Not getting as much lemongrass scent, though I see it. The different components stratify themselves by weight in my gravity strainer, producing a really neat effect in the deep caramel-colored infusion. You can blame my geology profs for that last observation 😉
The complex taste of the green tea seems to expand past my mouth! It makes a single sip seem impossibly full of flavor. It’s unexpectedly rich, and then the sweet berry aftertaste lingers for a nice long while. The lemongrass is hiding somewhere in all this, but it’s not undetectable, just subtle. My second steep included rock sugar, which eased the flavor intensity a bit and made it more my taste.
I have to say, despite my bias I’m impressed with how well this low caffeine tea passed my taste-tests. Each flavor amplified the others, but nothing is overpowered. Since I’m already committed to nerdy buzzwords here, I’m going to call this a synergy blend, where the end product is more flavorful than the sum of its parts alone. Yum!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Frontier Co-Op
Organic and Kosher loose leaf Kukicha
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Gunpowder Green Tea from Frontier Co-Op. . . .
I buy almost all of my spices in bulk. It’s so much cheaper. I never realized how much spice companies charge for the jars until I started buying in bulk. Almost every store I’ve ever bought my bulk spices in sells Frontier spices, and I’ve always been happy with the quality.
Last week when I was picking up some curry powder, I noticed that the store I was at also had a few Frontier teas in bulk. I figured I should give them a try and see if they are as good as the spices. I decided to try Gunpowder Green Tea first. It comes in little pellets that loosen up in your strainer once the water hits. I’ve had gunpowder green tea a few times, but not in awhile so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I brewed myself a cup and was very pleasantly surprised. It’s nice and mellow, with a very faint bitter aftertaste.
But it’s a pleasant, kind of smoky bitterness that I’ve come to enjoy with green teas. It’s pleasant both hot and cold. I had a hot cup this morning when I first woke up, and now that it’s warmer I’m enjoying a glass iced and it’s very refreshing. Something that I really like about the pellets is that it stays in my strainer. Sometimes with loose leaf some of the tea comes out of the holes and although I don’t really mind drinking the loose herbs I prefer a nice smooth clean cup or glass of tea and the pellet form allows me that simple pleasure. If you happen to see a bulk spice section at your grocery store, check and see if they have tea.
It’s a great inexpensive way to try new things and see if you like it. And of course it’s an excellent choice for the earth because less packaging is always better! I give Frontier spices and now teas a huge thumbs up for quality and price!!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Frontier Co-Op
Description
This tea has a very rich flavor, with a hint of sweet smokiness. The leaves are rolled into little pellets that unfurl and ‘bloom’ in the cup.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Blueberry Green Kukicha from Frontier Organic. . . . . .
When I smelled this tea, I knew right away I needed to make it into iced tea. I prefer fruitier teas cold for some reason. It smells like blueberries right away, and when you pour hot water over the tea, it really smells like blueberries!
Kukicha tea is also known as twig tea. It’s prepared from the stems and stalks of the tea shrub. That’s exactly what this tea looks like, twigs with some dried blueberries in the mix. Twig tea, or Kukicha tea is a nutritional powerhouse. It has six times more calcium than cow’s milk, and more vitamin C than an orange. Kukicha is highly recommended for those following a macrobiotic diet.
I am really enjoying the fruity, slightly grassy taste of this tea. It’s very refreshing. If you enjoy the grassy taste of green tea, you will love this. And if you find the grassy taste too much, you’ll probably also enjoy this because the blueberry flavor really shines. And if you’re like me and watching your caffeine intake, kukicha does have caffeine, but it’s a very small amount.
I had never heard of Kukicha tea before this, other than a random skit on Portlandia, and to be honest i thought they were making it up. After trying this tea and reading about all of the health benefits, I will be looking for more twig teas. If you like blueberries and green tea, I really recommend trying this delicious tea!!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Frontier Organic
Description
Enjoy this wonderful Japanese organic karigane (green kukicha stem) tea combined with nutrient-packed flash freeze-dried organic blueberries. Fresh fruity vegetal flavors deliver a powerful boost of antioxidants and very low caffeine content in a satisfying, healthy tea that also happens to help satisfy sweet-tooth cravings.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!