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What is Kukicha Tea?
Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel
Kukicha tea is a green tea from Japan made from both the leaves and twigs of the tea plant. It is a slightly sweet tea with a hint of chestnut flavor. As land in Japan is very scarce, Japanese farmers need to be able to extract as much value as possible from their crops. In order to make each tea bush more profitable, twigs are harvested from the plants as well as the leaves. Although kukicha tea was invented for economical purposes, many people believe that it is both delicious and rich in health benefits.
Much like green tea, kukicha tea, which is also sometimes called "winter tea" or "bancha twig tea," has many health benefits. In general, the tea is believed to help improve and stabilize overall health and improve one's longevity. More specifically, the tea is used to help balance the acidity levels in the body, therefore helping to prevent diseases. It is believed to help stave off cardiovascular diseases, improve bladder and kidney function, boost the immune system, and help to prevent problems with the joints and bones. While no research has been completed to prove these claims, they are widely held by many experts in natural remedies.
This kind of tea is also full of vitamins and nutrients. A cup of kukicha tea is a good source of zinc, selenium, copper, fluoride, manganese, and calcium. It also contains vitamin A, vitamin C, and B-complex vitamins, as well as being a great source of anti-oxidants. Unlike other teas, including green teas, there is very little caffeine in this beverage.
In Japan, many people still think of kukicha tea as a drink for peasants and poor people. This is because the tea was often consumed by farmers who sold the more premium teas, made mostly of leaves, and kept the tea made with twigs for themselves. This is not true in the West, where this kind of tea has been embraced for its health benefits and unique flavor. Its popularity has to do, in part, with the macrobiotic food movement. Kukicha tea is one of the recommended drinks in the macrobiotic diet.
Kukicha tea should be brewed in the same manner as green tea. This means that the tea should be brewed with hot water, not boiling water, and that it should be allowed to steep for two to three minutes before it is consumed. With such a low caffeine content, this kind of tea can be enjoyed all day long, even in the evenings.
Diane Goettel
In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.
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Diane Goettel
In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.
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![Kukicha tea is full of vitamins and nutrients.]()
By: teressaKukicha tea is full of vitamins and nutrients. -
![Kukicha tea is at its best when brewed in the same way as green tea.]()
By: Fisher PhotostudioKukicha tea is at its best when brewed in the same way as green tea. -
![Kukicha tea may be used to fight off illness and boost the immune system.]()
By: ryanking999Kukicha tea may be used to fight off illness and boost the immune system. -
![Kukicha tea may help improve kidney function.]()
By: pixdesign123Kukicha tea may help improve kidney function.
Discussion Comments
I think it's interesting when people invent food or beverages because of economic need. For instance, I heard somewhere that french toast was originally invented as a way to eat stale bread. They used the egg to remoisten the bread to make it edible again! Of course, now people just use regular bread.
So I think it's kind of cool that farmers invented this kind of tea because they didn't want to waste anything from the plant, or because they wanted to sell the "better" teas for a profit.
@LoriCharlie - I like tea a lot too, but I think it's funny when people start going on and on about the benefits of tea. I know that some teas do have some slight health benefits, but I think people really take it to extremes sometimes.
I drink kukicha tea fairly often, but I don't think that it's boosted my immune system or anything like that. I mostly just drink it because I like the taste and I think it's fun to brew it, twigs and all!
I will say though, I was a little skeptical when I first saw kukicha tea being brewed. I thought, "How could a tea brewed from twigs taste good?" But it definitely does!
I love tea. I don't think I've ever tried a tea that I didn't like, and kukicha twig tea is no different! I tried it at a traditional Japanese restaurant awhile ago, and I thought it was pretty delicious. It was slightly sweet, but not too sweet.
The only reason I don't drink it more is that I usually only drink tea in the mornings, and I like to have a little bit of caffeine to help me start my day. So usually I drink green tea or some kind of black tea.
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