Review: Green Kukicha from The Tea Merchant

 

For lunch today I ate a bit too much Aloo Gobi, one of my most favorite Indian dishes. Feeling a bit full, I was looking for a tea to help with digestion. I usually go with a pu-erh in this circumstance, but I was all out. I noticed a sample of green Kukicha from The Tea Merchant sitting on my desk. I know Kukicha is very healthy (I previously wrote about it here), so I decided to brew it up. 

The dry leaves consist of green and brown twigs among the green tea leaves and smells like toasted grass. On the package it says it's otherwise known as 'Senkukicha' because it has leaves as well as twigs. The brew is a vibrant bright green. The twigs are not roasted yet still have a slightly nutty, roasty aroma and flavor. The soothing brew reminds me of genmaicha since it is vegetal and toasty. There is a mellow asparagus flavor that is delicate on the palate.

While drinking this tea I imagine a field with tall green grass and a cloudless sunny sky. I can feel the soft grass, the cool breeze, and the warm comfort of the sun.

I was able to chat with the owners of The Tea Merchant at the Coffee & Tea festival earlier this week (you can see my recap here), and they are energetic and passionate about tea. I look forward to trying the other sample I picked up. 

So now instead of feeling full of food, I'm floating away on soul soothing green tea. This is definitely a tea I will add to my cabinet.