Christmas Eve

Ingredients:

Organic Kukicha tea
Organic orange peel
Organic apple pieces
Cranberries
Cherries
*Rosemary
Organic cinnamon
Organic cloves

*grown by Seed of Life. Everything grown here is from non-GMO seeds, and raised without the use of any synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.

What’s in the tea?

This tea has a base of Kukicha tea, and is full of delicious winter fruits like cranberries, cherries, apples, and orange peel. Kukicha tea has an interesting history. It is the twigs and stems of the tea plant – the parts that were originally left behind after the desirable tea leaves were harvested. The poor tea-pickers, who could not afford the “proper” tea, took these twigs and stems home with them, so they too could have some tea, and for free. As is often the case with us funny humans, this eventually caught on and was free no longer. People were surprised and delighted with the smooth, rich, nutty flavor. It’s a flavor that unfurls like Christmas ribbons across your taste buds. Kukicha is slang for “poor people’s tea” or “twig tea” but it has become as desirable as the elite Senchas and Matchas. Tea growers treat it with respect these days. It has become a part of the tea harvests, and is often aged to bring out its unique, velvety flavor. It is lower in caffeine than any other tea, making it a perfect late afternoon or evening cuppa if you are sensitive to caffeine.

The fruit flavor is what shines in this tea blend, with tart cranberries and cherries, bright orange peel, and sweet apples. Rosemary brings out the delightful earthiness of the Kukicha, and dances so well with the rustic appearance of the stems and twigs. There is just enough cinnamon and clove to make your cuppa smell like Christmas without overpowering the fresh fruit flavors.

It feels like Christmas Eve, that night of magic and expectation and light in the darkness.

Steeping Guidelines:

1 Tablespoon tea to 8 ounces water
Water temp: 175
Steep time: 3-4 minutes

Tea Story:

I’ve tried various flavor combinations with this tea over the years that it has been in my tea cupboard. It wasn’t until I tried Christmas flavors that it felt like the perfect match. It is a delightful wintertime tea, and pairs so well with scones. Christmas Eve tea with scones fresh from the oven and spread with cherry jam? It’s a match made in heaven.