Dobashien No. 06: Karigane Leaf Stems - Sakura

As much as I want to tear into my long-awaited Lupicia order that just arrived, I’m telling myself that I need to try these Yunomi teas first, just in case the bonus points for reviews ends today or something. So, time for karigane! Karigane is basically just a premium version of kukicha (stem tea), meaning it’s made with either gyokuro or premium sencha stems. Visually, this tea is quite striking. The stems are long and thin like blades of grass, and range in color from very pale yellow-green to dark hunter green. The contrast of the light and dark pieces is very beautiful. The stems smell amazingly sweet and vegetal.

The first thing I notice is that the steeped liquor is much paler than the sencha I’ve been drinking, and it’s completely clear. It smells amazingly creamy and sweet. The flavor is also much less intense than other Japanese greens, but still delicious. There’s a remarkable level of sweetness along with a mild vegetal taste that reminds me of spinach and edamame. This definitely has a thinner mouthfeel, and is more refreshing rather than fortifying like mostly Japanese greens. Delicious!

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