A playful steamed green tea from Japan. Kukicha is a blend of leaves and leaf stems. The lightness of the stems becomes a sweet sesame seed or chestnut note. Tender like soft white rice. Balanced and, for a Japanese tea, very low in astringency.
Customers use these reviews to describe their experience with Kukicha, including flavor, aroma, preparation preferences, strength, and how the tea fits into daily routines. Browse the full review history page by page to compare tasting notes, steeping tips, and favorite ways to enjoy this tea.
Dry tea smells like a vegetal green tea. Once brewed, the resulting cup is a bright yellow green with vegetal grassy scent. When hot, strong grassy and vegetal taste with a clean finish. When warm, the tea is a bit brighter and green, without any bitterness. This is a savory cup, but does not get into the more spinach-type flavor notes. Brewed at 175 for 3 minutes.
Wonderful green tea. Exactly what I wanted for a good everyday cup of green tea
It tastes a little like fresh, lightly steamed beans. Like a pea or some unsalted edamame, just a bright green and very summery flavor with a bit of earthiness to balance it out.
Was very grassy and light flavor not one of my favorite green teas very vegetal happy to try it but probably won't be adding to my wishlist.
This was just okay for me. I've liked kukicha in the blends I've tried, but it's a little too grassy for me on it's own.
I generally like green tea and this one is no different. There's little to no bitterness and it does have a savory note to it. It's just as good on the second steeping as it is on the first.
This tea was very…..green lol. Not one of my favorites but it was definitely enjoyable. Tastes earthy and great before meditation
The longer I contemplated my cup the more I began to appreciate it. It's undeniably fishy, at least to my palate, but I'm already a huge fan of sencha so this is definitely up my alley. It's like fresh cut grass with an almost imperceptible sweetness. I'm definitely going to be buying this one!
Not a green tea fan and I don’t like sesame seeds so this tea was just not a good flavor profile for me. It is definitely creamy almost like a broth and has very little to no astringency. There is the vegetal taste and that is what I don’t care for. Slightly nutty, sesame taste throughout the sip. Ends with pepper dancing on your tongue which was a nice twist. This is a great tea for a green tea drinker. Just not for me. Glad I was able to try this though. Steeped 180° for 2 mins. Enjoy!
Looked into my CommuniTea packet with a raised eyebrow. Leaves and leave stems? Well I have tried odder. This tea brewed to a lovely yellow green color and smelled vegetative. First sip was love. A tasty, green tea. Lightly grassy with a hint of butter creaminess. I did brew a touch too long as it became slightly bitter as it cooled. Tried a 2 min steep time second time around and found liquid relaxation in a cup.
Kukicha is a multiple steep tea that I found more enjoyable with each steep. I brewed three cups that had a mellower grassy flavor each time. My Ct packet had 3 g/ 2 tsp of green straw-like leaves and twigs with a grassy scent while the green colored hot tea had a gentle vegetal aroma.
I steeped 12 oz. at 175* F for 2 minutes and detected no bitterness. The flavor of this first steep had a pleasant vegetal taste and I could sip plain. An agave add to sweeten, shifted the flavor to a sweeter green which I liked. It had a nice soft mouthfeel too. I resteeped 6 oz. two more times at 2 and 2:30 min. It was in the last steep that I could taste a nutty flavor.
The chilled version was lovely. The vegetal flavor became more subdued and a taste of light sesame seed had taken hold. This was an intriguing tea today, one I might have missed had it not been for CommuniTEA. I looked to the tea lore too for help in identifying flavors while sipping. I hope to appreciate this Japanese tea more as I explore new ones.
I’m leery of green teas that are grassy so when I read some of the comments about this tea I decided to cold brew. After spending a very hot afternoon outside, I was so happy to have this one cold. I had no grassy or bitter tastes. It was smooth and buttery. I did get a fair amount of tea dust/debris in my cup, I should have used a paper filter. As I reached the bottom third of my cup it did get stronger and more towards bitter. Not sure it’s one I would enjoy hot as this might bring out the aspects I don’t like.
I initially tried this one hot and found it very strong. Perhaps not too strong, but not on a very hot day like today. I then iced it and found it much more appealing. I think this is a good tea either way, but served hot probably not everyone.
I was able to get 2 steeps from today's Communitea sample. I really love Japanese green tea and this is no exception. It is grassy and vegetal with nutty flavors that become more prominent as the tea cools.
This was a pretty good tea; I could see it being really good in blends. By itself, it has a strong grassy aroma that, thankfully, is not so prominent in its taste. It has a light grassiness but is also refreshing. I believe that it would make a nice iced tea. All in all, I enjoyed trying it but I probably wouldn’t get it again.
It was ok, but now for me. I like some green and some I don’t, (212@ 3min).
A true green tea.
Not for those who don't like the inherent grassiness.
I have tried for more than two decades to learn to appreciate vegetal green teas, but I just can't do it.
That said, as far as vegetal greens go, Kukicha is pleasantly fresh and bright, not as salty as some of the ones that just taste like spinach water. This is a tea that I really enjoy in blends, because it brings a bright, clean sensibility to a blend. But try as I might, I just can't make myself finish an entire cup of straight Kukicha. Nevertheless, I'm giving it a solid 4 stars because I appreciate it for what it is, even though I just can't actually enjoy it.
This tea is delicious and so pretty brewed that Kermit would be green with envy! I brewed my CommuniTEA packet and set that first brew to chill, it was not grassy or bitter for me. The 2nd and 3rd steeps were enjoyed hot. This one cleans the pallet and reminds me of genmaicha, which I love! Great hot or cold. Good one to try if you’re looking for versatile, yummy green teas. Happy sipping!
It’s rare for me like a green tea, but some have grown on me. This wasn’t one of them. It’s one of only maybe 3-4 communiTEA samples I haven’t been able to finish. This has all the characteristics of a classic green tea, including the very grassy taste. I gave this a 2 instead of a 1 because I could tell there was a clean quality to it. If you like traditional green tea, this tea might well be for you. It was not for me.
This is a lovey green tea. Softer on the palate than most while still possessing a great deal of flavor. Not as impactful as it’s toasted cousin, Hojicha, also from Japan, it is distinctive from most green teas. Enjoying with the Communitea today.
Sad to say, this falls into the no go for me. I don't care for most greens, as they are usually too vegetable tasting. Too grassy etc. This was not for me.
CommuniTEA Sample: There is a reason why this is one of the most popular teas in Japan. It’s simply one of the best. It’s a great green tea with no bitterness or astringency, just a nice, grassy flavor. Really like this tea.
This tea is very light but flavorful. I enjoy a simple green tea on it's own. I brewed at 180 for 2 minutes and got 2 wonderful cups so far.
This is creamy, nutty, and surprisingly heavy bodied for a green tea. It has that thick quality you get from matcha, and that grassy quality commonly found in sencha, with something else that it all its own. This would be a great tea for a snowy day.
This tea brews to a beautiful, bright chartreuse color. The smell and taste are wonderfully deep and savory--a classic, vegetal green tea taste (to me). Steeped at the recommended time and temperature, I did not note any unpleasant bitterness--just the regular slightly bitter note of green tea.
I didn't like this tea on the first sip, I do typically like all green teas. After a couple more sips I decided I do like it. I had a 2nd steep too.
I really enjoyed this simple but complex green tea.
I brewed at 175F for 2 1/2 minutes. When hot, this tea definitely wasn't something I loved. It has a distinct vegetal taste that is also slightly bitter and astringent. It wasn't terrible, but I wasn't enjoying it too much. So, honey to the rescue! After adding honey, it was an enjoyable cup of green tea. I enjoyed getting to try this one, but I don't think I'll be ordering it.
This is a lot lighter in flavor and it didn't have a strong bitterness to it. It is a nice clean tasting green tea.
A delicious green tea. Nice and fresh but not overpowering.
This tea is good - don't get me wrong - but to me it tastes like a 'poor man's' sencha. The flavor strikes me as quite similar to sencha, but I prefer the sencha premier over this.
Just the way I like my green tea: fresh tasting, grassy, and vegetal. I know some won't agree with me here.
There aren't a lot of plain green teas i enjoy but this is one of them. Delicate and, though the packet smelled grassy, the brewed tea did not taste like it.
A very grassy green tea that, if you don't care for vegetable flavors, stay clear! If you don't mind or you like the taste, definitely a keeper. I don't mind the taste, so I quite enjoyed the flavor. It's not particularly complex, so I can see it complimenting a meal harmoniously.
This is a pretty standard grassy green. Pretty good but not what I’d ever reach for.
A traditional tasting green tea with that grassy, light flavor I only associate with green tea.
I can understand why this is one of Japan’s favorite sippers. The simplicity of this beautiful green tea is perfection. The smell of the cup is almost like a vegetable broth and the sip is earthy and rich. In the sip you get savory notes like seaweed and rice. A grassiness exerts itself, but not overly so for my palette. However, if you are not a fan of vegetal greens, then give this one a pass. For me, I can drink this umami-esque brew all day long! Happy Sipping!
I’m not a fan of green teas, so take my review with a grain of salt. This was a bitter tea to me. Brewed at 176° for 3 minutes, all I could taste was a bitter green flavor. Not a fan.
Lovely green tea enjoyed in the CommuniTEA. although my packet contained over 3 grams of bright green tea leaves and stems, I steeped 1.5 grams in 6oz of water at 165F x 2 minutes, which resulted in a pale green infusion. Steeping at the lower temp for shorter time produced a tea that is gentle with buttery and nutty flavors, with mild vegetal undertones. Looking forward to several cups from this packet today.
If you like strong, grassy green teas, you will love this one! It brews up to a beautiful yellow-green color and has a complicated taste profile to it. Each temperature (hot, warm, iced) brings out a different note. One of my favorite greens!
Enjoying along with the CommuniTEA: subtle nori (dried, slightly toasted seaweed) fragrance noticed from the dry ingredients and packet. Once steeped for 2 mins 30 secs at 185° F, I notice more subtle nori fragrance. When I take a sip, I am reminded of a making sushi at home using a grass mat to roll nori sheets around sweet-vinegar white rice. Steeping for a shorter period of time produces a very subtle, delicate slightly sweet green tea with a dry finish. This is not my favorite Adagio green tea, but it is very good!.
This yellow-green cup is very flavorful. It tastes a little of seaweed and green vegetables with a very smooth, soft and full mouthfeel. Clean finish without any bitterness. Very nice green tea jumping into my cart!
Interesting green tea that I enjoyed both warm and cool.
I typically like green teas, but this wasn’t a favorite. It is smooth and nice, but had a funny aftertaste I didn’t like
This tea, for me, is just okay. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. It doesn't really leave an impression either way. There are these bottled green teas at my local grocery store (I live in Japan) that taste a little like this one, but better.
Meh. Too earthy and grassy for my taste but was worth a try!
Update, after trying many other green teas I have come to realize that I just do not care for the grassy, umami taste of most Japanese green teas. I prefer the varied flavors of Chinese green teas, such as White Monkey, Green Snails, and Dragonwell.
So I no longer agree with my first impression 'A lovely, uncomplicated green tea when you want to be refreshed without being overwhelmed by an assortment of flavors. Fresh but not grassy!'
Very nice green tea that would be a great first tea to try if you’re new to tasting green tea. It has a light taste. Yum! 💚
Loved this unique twig and stem tea. It was sweet and somewhat grassy with no bitterness. Steeped for 1 minute @ 175°. If you like green tea give this one a try.