Japanse Karigane

Steeped this at a lower temp than my usual greens and the broth came out silky-sweet, almost savory, with none of the bitterness I get from cheaper stems. The fact that it’s from a small organic family farm really comes through in how clean and layered the flavor is, and I’ve already reordered a big

The stems and leaves make for a surprisingly smooth, almost brothy cup that’s nothing like the grassy bitterness I usually get from green tea. A single teaspoon easily gives me three solid, sweet infusions before it starts to fade.

That first steep tastes like liquid umami, so smooth and sweet you’d never guess it’s a stem tea. Even the third brew kept that lovely gyokuro depth, and the leaves are so fine they barely take any time to unfurl.