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A blended leaf stem tea (kukicha) grown and processed by the Shimizu family of Suizawa, Mie Prefecture. The refreshingness and sweetness of this tea may pleasantly surprise you, and overall, it is a well-balanced tea that can be enjoyed over multiple steeps (one to share with family and friends). Because it is a premium kukicha, it is given the more refined name of karigane, literally the "sound of geese". Karigane is mainly a term that is utilised in the Kyoto/Southern areas of Japan and the term evokes the elegance of Japanese geese carrying a twig as it migrates across the Sea of Japan. When it tires, it places the twig in the water and rests on it... (very poetic!) or so the legend goes. If you are not too familiar with kukicha, one may wonder why people drink tea made from stalks instead of regular leaf tea. It is because the stalks of green tea are also rich in nutrients, contain umami flavor, and have a pleasant aroma and flavor. In fact, stalks and stems receive less sunlight compared to leaves which result in less production of catechins and more sweet notes (umami) in brewed tea. Product Info Name: Karigane Leaf Stem Green Tea from Mie Cultivar: Blended Cultivation & Processing Notes Shaded about 2 weeks Steaming: Regular Steaming Harvest Season: May Net Weight: 100 grams (3.52 oz) Number of Cups: 60 cups (20 uses / 3 steepings / 1 cup per steeping. Varies with your steeping recipe.) Region: Suizawa Village, Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture Steeping Notes 1st steeping: Tea: 5 grams or 1 teaspoon. Time: 30 sec. Water: 70˚C/158˚F, 200 ml. 2nd steeping: Time: 10-20 seconds. Water: 80˚C/176˚F, 200 ml. 3rd steeping: Increase time to 30-45 seconds or to desired strength.