This Kukicha, or “stem tea,” comes from Fujieda in Shizuoka Prefecture, overlooking Suruga Bay and the slopes of Mt. Fuji in central Japan.

Unlike traditional leaf-forward green teas, Kukicha includes carefully processed young stems alongside the steamed leaves. These stems bring a distinctive aromatic profile — fresh, lightly nutty, and softly sweet — while preserving the smooth, balanced character essential to Japanese green tea.

The cup is pale green with exceptional clarity. On the palate, it is clean and round, with gentle vegetal notes and a subtle toasted nuance from the stems. Naturally lower in caffeine than most green teas, Kukicha offers a calm, steady expression — refined, comforting, and quietly complex.