Japanese tea glossary
Kukicha
Short answer: kukicha is made mainly from stems and petioles separated during the finishing of sencha or gyokuro. It is a sorting and processing category, not a tea plant cultivar. Kukicha is not necessarily roasted.
Where the stems come from
During finishing, leaves, veins, stems and smaller particles may be separated. Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture describes kukicha as tea made from the stem portions selected at this stage. The source tea matters: stems from sencha and stems from gyokuro do not necessarily produce the same profile.
MAFF associates the category with a particular sweetness, a fresh aroma, a relatively pale liquor and a clean taste. These are descriptions, not guarantees for every product.
Karigane, bōcha and roasting
Stems selected from gyokuro or high-grade sencha may be called karigane. The usage is not universal and can vary by region or seller. Thicker stems may be called bōcha in some regional contexts. Roasting stems produces a roasted tea, but ordinary kukicha is not automatically hōjicha.
Before buying, check the base tea, region, any roasting and the brewing guidance. The seller should also distinguish an unroasted stem tea from a roasted stem product. The word “stems” is not enough to infer a precise caffeine content.
Official sources
Sources checked 13 July 2026.
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Definition checked 13 July 2026.