Karigane

In the process of making Gyokuro and Sencha, the stems and veins of tea leaves are sifted out and used to make Kukicha (stem tea) or Bocha (stick tea), collectively known as Karigane.
Compared with the tea brewed from leaves, Karigane has more of a fresh green aroma and its taste is light and pleasant thanks to the unique sweetness of the stems. Karigane means “wild goose,” conjured from the image of the twigs floating on the ocean on which wild geese perch to rest their wings when they migrate. Unlike teas brewed from leaves, Karigane loses much of its flavor in the second brew.