PT turned me on to Haiku Kukicha Tea.  (My hubby now walks around trying to say "Twig Tea" 3 times fast and laughs at himself...oy)  Anyway, I am still struggling with fatigue though much less and notice that after my 10:30 dose of Kukicha I am feeling more awake and interested in my work.  It does give me a mild headache but not in a bad way.  Regular green tea makes my head feel like it will explode.

What's with the tea?  Is it as good for you as regular green tea?

Fill me in.

toasted green tea, that s what it is!

you get all the benefits from green tea, that s for sure!

you can use the search feature here and follow all that has been noted in the past, on the benefits of GT

Kukicha is made up from a good percentage of twigs from the tea plant, mixed with some leaves and then roasted.  It has the lowest amount of caffeine of any green tea, and I would guess that it has a little less of the good stuff that green tea has.  This is just my guess, but with most plants, the "goodies" are in the leaves rather than the stems.  It's still a very good tea and has the reputation in macrobiotic circles as having an alkalizing effect on the body.  

I used to love it and it was how I originally got off coffee.  But now it gives me heartburn every time I drink it.  I'm really not sure why that happens.  

Since, I'm not a fan of roasted green teas, I found a source for unroasted kukicha tea.  Delicious, I make my own tea bags, kukicha mixed with gingerroot.  It's a diamond superfood for me.

Quoted Text

having an alkalizing effect on the body

Victoria, didn't know that, great info, thanks.  That's too bad it gives you heartburn.

Kathleen,
Yeah, funny thing about the heartburn, since green tea does not affect me that way at all.
Maybe it is the roasting of the tea, because now that you mention that, I remember that I don't care for roasted green tea in any other form either.

Thanks for the info Lola and everyone.

I will also try an organic form of regular green tea, maybe the one here because I really want all the benefits of green tea.  Maybe if I mix the two I won't get such an explosion in my head?  

Quoted from Kathleen

...I found a source for unroasted kukicha tea...

Interesting you mention that- I found some green twig tea at the local health food store here, and it's awesome!  Never seen it like that before.

Kukicha is the best tea I have had yet, hands down. Absolutely delicious, and it is a SF for me!

Quoted from SoulfulLori

PT turned me on to Haiku Kukicha Tea.  (My hubby now walks around trying to say "Twig Tea" 3 times fast and laughs at himself...oy)  Anyway, I am still struggling with fatigue though much less and notice that after my 10:30 dose of Kukicha I am feeling more awake and interested in my work.  It does give me a mild headache but not in a bad way.  Regular green tea makes my head feel like it will explode.

What's with the tea?  Is it as good for you as regular green tea?

Fill me in.

I love it because it has twice the intensity/strength/depth of flavor, but LESS caffeine than regular green tea.  This is because it is made with the twigs, as well as the leaves.  The twigs impart a wonderful depth of flavor, yet they contain less caffeine than the leaves.  I am very caffeine sensitive, so I really appreciate kukicha because I don't get withdrawal headaches over the weekends (I only drink tea at work for some reason *shrug*), and it jazzes/energizes me yet doesn't wind me up so much that I can't sleep at night, which even regular green tea can do.

Twig tea, twig tea, twig tea!

______________________________________

Edited to add:  now that I read down further in the thread, I realize I echoed a lot of what Victoria already said.  Oh well.  Great minds post alike.  

Edited yet again, to add:  check out this caffeine comparison chart:

http://www.healthytraders.com/natural-foods-teas-beverages-c-151_150.html

Quoted from Peppermint Twist

I love it because it has twice the intensity/strength/depth of flavor, but LESS caffeine than regular green tea.  This is because it is made with the twigs, as well as the leaves.  The twigs impart a wonderful depth of flavor, yet they contain less caffeine than the leaves.  I am very caffeine sensitive, so I really appreciate kukicha because I don't get withdrawal headaches over the weekends (I only drink tea at work for some reason *shrug*), and it jazzes/energizes me yet doesn't wind me up so much that I can't sleep at night, which even regular green tea can do.

Twig tea, twig tea, twig tea!

______________________________________

Edited to add:  now that I read down further in the thread, I realize I echoed a lot of what Victoria already said.  Oh well.  Great minds post alike.  

How is it pronounced..?

Is it koo-key-cha?  

Oh yay!  PT tried the tongue twister.  Stupid stuff like that tickles me.  

Yes, it totally makes me perky and clear of thought like nothing else.  I've used it to finish this painting I was stalled on and I swear I felt a flow of energy to just risk some stuff.  I don't get that from coffee and I know this is not in my head.  Something about my body likes this.

Twig tea, twig tea, twig tea.

Quoted from SoulfulLori

Is it koo-key-cha?  

Oh yay!  PT tried the tongue twister.  Stupid stuff like that tickles me.  

Yes, it totally makes me perky and clear of thought like nothing else.  I've used it to finish this painting I was stalled on and I swear I felt a flow of energy to just risk some stuff.  I don't get that from coffee and I know this is not in my head.  Something about my body likes this.

Twig tea, twig tea, twig tea.

That is my guess...  

Quoted from History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of maaaaaaan:  GOLFZILLA!

How is it pronounced..?

Quoted from SoulfulLori

Is it koo-key-cha?  

Oh yay!  PT tried the tongue twister.  Stupid stuff like that tickles me.  

Yes, it totally makes me perky and clear of thought like nothing else.  I've used it to finish this painting I was stalled on and I swear I felt a flow of energy to just risk some stuff.  I don't get that from coffee and I know this is not in my head.  Something about my body likes this.

Twig tea, twig tea, twig tea.

To Golfzilla:  As Soulful said, but I'll add the syllable accenting via capitalization, it is pronounced (I think, anyway):  koo-KEY-cha.

To Soulful:  Something occurs to me:  you might benefit from supplementation with CoQ10.  If you need jazzing up/energizing/uplifting, I'm telling ya, a mere 30 mg of CoQ10 per day makes a diff for me in that regard, although I now take 60 mg per day.  I started out trying it for gum health.  I quickly realized it was the best energizer/anti-depressant/mood booster around, as well as helping with regulating my circadian rhythm (although it does not help my ability to spell "circadian"  ).  It became an instant fave of mine and one of the very few supps I take (I only take it and glucosamine sulfate on a daily basis).  Then, when I had my heart scare a few months back (and even now that the dust has settled from that but what we are left with is that I have LBBB and had thus better not take my heart health for granted), I upped it to 60 mg per day, as it is heart-protective, big time.  Before I knew that I had LBBB but after the initial EKG that the primary care doctor did which indicated that something(s) was WAAAAY off and that she (the primary care) erroneously (thank GOD it was erroneous) thought meant I had an enlarged, hypertrophic heart, I posted a freaked out thread on here and Dr. D., God bless him, popped into same to recommend that I take 60 mg of CoQ10 per day, so I instantly started doing that, i.e., I upped my daily intake from 30 mg to 60 mg.  And that is what I still take.

Anyway, something about your post and how much you appreciate the jazzing up/energizing effect of kukicha tea made me think that you may be a fellow potential benefitee from CoQ10.  Just sayin'.

koo - KEE - cha  

OOOOH PT that is huge!  Yes I do!  Since I am going to Dr. D I have been avoiding buying too many supps so that he can just start with a clean slate.  However, in the book he does suggest this for A's.  I always take D3 and now since someone said I take magnesium at night and twice a day Methyl B12 because of energy and sleep.  Well, I can tell you that though my sleep is not restorative yet I do sleep through the night now most nights which I have not done but a handful of times in my life.  Also, I think it was the B12 that fixed this but I have terrible tingling in my right leg when I tilt my head down (myelin issue on spinal chord) and now that is starting to go away.

Thanks so much PT!  Oh, I can't spell so I would never know the difference.

Quoted from Victoria

koo - KEE - cha  

Ah ha, speaking of, it is time for a cup

Quoted from Victoria

koo - KEE - cha  

Actually... it's KOO-kee-cha (I watched a youtube video with someone explaining all the Japanese teas, I had thought it was koo-KEE-cha for the longest while.) Unless, of course, the video is wrong.   But I doubt it, I don't think a tea distributor would pronounce the name incorrectly.

Also... Hoji-cha is the same way:  HO-jee-cha

Although genmaicha is gen-MY-cha

Actually...  pronunciations are really westernized and not sounding very much like Japanese at all. On the Japanese sites, they pronounce "cha" (which means tea) as "chaw"

And the Chinese teas... whoo boy... good luck with those! I can't even hear the sounds to replicate them!

Hey, Thanks Kristen!     Boy, I was even mispronouncing Genmaicha.  

By the way, have you tried the green KOO-kee-cha?  

Quoted from Victoria

By the way, have you tried the green KOO-kee-cha?  

Yes I have and it's one of my favorites.  

from Den's teas?

Yes, from Den's tea. But I have found that green kukicha doesn't have a long shelf life. It loses it's flavor very quickly. It should have a bright fragrance like  fresh mown hay when opened... at least that is how I like it.

Thanks, Kristen!  You're a girl after my own heart!  

Quoted Text

green kukicha doesn't have a long shelf life

Kristen, I didn't know that!!  Thanks.  I think I'll keep my open bag in the freezer.

Quoted from Victoria

Thanks, Kristen!  You're a girl after my own heart!  

Aw shucks...  

Quoted from Kathleen

Kristen, I didn't know that!!  Thanks.  I think I'll keep my open bag in the freezer.

Actually, according to the teaheads, you do it the other way around. Keep your unopened and sealed green tea in the refrigerator (to prolong freshness) but once opened, keep at room temperature and use within one to two months. I can't remember why though... lol! I think it is that the moisture degrades the tea. But you can try it and see if it changes the flavor any. And also any tea that is purchased now to about May is from last years harvest so it will already have been in storage for awhile. The fresher the better for most teas!