Review of Roasted Kukicha (2nd steep)
I have decided to make this Roasted Kukicha my day drink in order to better appreciates its nuances and because I like the taste.
Kukicha is described as twig tea, which is a Japanese blend of green tea, made of stems, stalks, and twigs and has a nutty, slightly creamy flavor.
I boiled the water much hotter, closer to full boiled. I place one heaping teaspoon of the twigs in the strainer and poured the water over the leaves into the cup. I left it to steep for five minutes. I am thinking longer steeping time will result with more aroma and nuttier in flavor.
When I removed the saucer, used as lid, from teacup I find that the tea color is a dark red and the twigs are fuller with a greenish color. The stalks/twigs were darker prior to brewing.
The longer infusion make the tea nuttier when tasting it and the air smells of the roasted aroma that I have come to associate with this Kukicha. I am thinking of a large oven baked cookie slightly on the burnt side; the longer steeps made the tea in fact sweeter and nuttier. It seems nicer somehow with the longer brew; the smokiness is not so contained in the cup or the pot of tea.
