Culinary Specialties CooksShopHere- Green Tea: Kukicha Yama

Black

Oolong

Kukicha Yama
First Flush Spring-Picking
Spring 2010

Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
Oven-fired (Baked)
Flat needle style, w/ stem
Smooth, sweet and soft flavor
Fresh 'tea' aroma
Opaque avocado-pulp liquor

1/4 lb	1/2 lb	lb
12.50 Buy	25.00 Buy	50.00 Buy

This incredible tea, from the famous Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan, is a tea-enthusiast's dream. It has all the rich, 'kelpy' nuance of flavor that we expect from a high-quality Japanese green tea.

There are two production differences that make this tea particularly unique among Japanese teas: The first is that Kukicha Yama is picked by hand, unlike most Japanese tea which is sheared. The second is the addition of a small percentage of stem. The tea artisans who manufacture this tea use a special pair of scissors to trim off the first several centimeters of stem below the leaf. This piece of hollow stem is then added to the carefully-processed leaf and finish-fired.

Immediately following its finish-firing, Kukicha Yama is vacuum-packed in small pouches to maintain its aroma and fresh flavor. When brewed, this tea has an opaque liquor that illustrates its lush body. The pieces of stem that float lazily on the surface of the brewed tea are reminiscent of bamboo or reed floating on a river or lake.

Kukicha Yama (and Gyokuro) should be brewed at a cooler temperature than other Japanese teas.
They both should be able to be re-infused at least once, with an even-cooler temperature water.

Steep 2-3 infusions at 2 minutes each.
Water temperature should be 160˚ - 170˚ F